tsa agents took my son

[Teresa Heilevang]

This is outrageous..  I'm afraid I would have ended up in jail ............



As I sit and write this post, 24 hours after this event took place, my hands still shake… with rage and with terror.

I woke up this morning to my husband’s alarm clock, sat straight up in bed and thought “Where’s Jackson?” with fear paralyzing me.

My worst nightmare took place yesterday. Worse than events that have taken place and that I have survived in my short 28 years of living. Worse than my wildest of dreams could conjure.

My son was taken from me.

Taken.

My son was taken from me by the TSA agents at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson airport yesterday.

He was taken away from me and OUT OF MY SIGHT because his pacifier clip went off when I carried him through the metal detector.

According to the Transportation Security Administration website, “We will not ask you to do anything that will separate you from your child or children.”

Bullshit TSA.



Read the whole story:
http://www.mybottlesup.com/tsa-agents-took-my-son/

[Pathfinder]

M'ette, a truly horrifying situation for any parent. Reason #5483278959 why TSA agents like these need to be on the Mussolini list.


Not to defend TSA for even one second, I am going to urge a little caution, though - this is one woman's account - a woman who travels with spare Xanax for ad hoc anxiety attacks.    I have known a lot of women who sound like this one who come unhinged if the grocery store is out of lettuce and therefore her kids were going to starve.

[philw]

This is outrageous..  I'm afraid I would have ended up in jail ............

you are not the only one


HEADS NEED TO ROLL FOR THAT.....

[Badgersmilk]

"I'm afraid I would have ended up in jail"

And you wouldn't be the only one!  Like H@## they would have taken the kid out of my site!  NOT going to happen.

[MikeBjerum]

All to often we hear these stories and it is the "hysterical" mother.  They always talk about the protective mother, both in humans and the wild.  However, I don't think that this crowd is an isolated sampling of big old boars (no offense Mama M'ette - I believe you would still take someone apart for coming too close to you "little babies") that would have taken these "agents" apart if we had been there.

I hear horror stories all the time about TSA.  I have never had any issue, and I have only had one agent get "cocky" with me.  My theory is that I take Walt Rausch's advice and am not a sheep - I am grissle.  One advantage is that I am 6'1" (a little more in my boots) and 260# (down from my former advertised 310#), and I don't look down or away from anyone.  I'm not cocky or swagering, but I walk tall and confident.  I answer every question yes sir and no sir, and if they look puzzled I will ask about any concerns prior to them forming an opinion and going after me.

When I go through check in I know ahead of time what is expected and try my best to comply.  However, on my famous trip of a month ago I did forget the cellphone in my pocket.  When the alarms went off I grabbed my chest in instant recall, pulled out the phone and handed it to the closest agent.  They didn't want it, but it totally defused the situation.  I said "oops" and apologized.  I then walked away with my stuff as compared to the guy two booths over getting searched because he didn't want to give his phone up and made an issue over it.

About half the time I fly I am taking guns and ammo along.  I learned long ago to go to TSA's, the airport's and the airline's web sites and learn what all three are looking for.  For any conflicts, call ahead and write down everything they tell you, including name, time and date, and information.  When I arrive at the check in, I go through the steps, and often find I know more than the check in agents.  In over a dozen flights I have had many questions from TSA (mostly gun guys or at least interested guys), and have on occasion had a near gun show experience next to the x-ray answering questions, even explaining an open gun and C-more to a couple agents.  One TSA agent in AZ decided he needed to dismantle my entire Kalespel case ... with attitude.  I stood and watched.  He would not answer any questions or respond, until I requested that I put it back together to protect my guns.  He looked at me shocked and allowed it.

Long story to get to the point that when we go to airports we need to be ready for the situation and do the best we can with the "officials."  Oh yea, and I'd still be in jail if it had been my kid, and they did not keep us together 

[Sponsor]

[ellis4538]

I don't condone or recommend but is it any wonder that someone goes off on a rampage?

Richard

PS:  Took a while to cool off before I wrote this!!!!!!!!

PPS:  I'm from the government and I'm here to HELP you.    BBBBBBBSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!

[jnevis]

Not to defend TSA for even one second, I am going to urge a little caution, though - this is one woman's account - a woman who travels with spare Xanax for ad hoc anxiety attacks.    I have known a lot of women who sound like this one who come unhinged if the grocery store is out of lettuce and therefore her kids were going to starve.

That's pretty much what I assessed too.  Yes, the TSA Agent should not have taken the child out of her sight but frantically screaming about it doesn't do ANYBODY any good.

Lke m58, I travel quite a bit and I try my best to be compliant while not submisive.  I flew from BWI one day and forgot to take the computers out of the bag and have them scanned seperately.  It took me a few extra minutes since the screener had to search the bag and send the computers through the x-ray again.  NO need to get mad at the screeners, since it was my fault.  Not the saem as the kid being moved but rather than freaking, if she had been calm when the detector went off the whole mess could have been averted. 

I was leaving Dulles a few months ago and there was a group of 12-15 y/os with associated adults in front of me in the TSA line.  The rules about liquids have been in place for 3 odd years now but the ADULTS in the group were blasting the TSA guys because a couple of the kids had bottles of hair care stuff in there bags.  All the TSA people wanted them to do was have the kids take them out put them in the plastic baggies (which were placed on the signs about liquid rules at various places in line).  THe "leader" was yelling " I have never had to do that!  Why are you making them take it out of the bags!"  It's only posted every 10 feet that he liquids need to be in a plastic bag and out of the carry on.  Needless to say it was a LONG wait in the line to get to the gate.

[tombogan03884]

 I have to agree with BOTH points of view here. In an America where political correctness and "liberal thought" are steering us further away from reality every day, I read most of these anti TSA tirades with the assumption that the writer is a high strung PITA who needs a cavity search and 30 days evaluation.
On the other hand, if it were MY kid it would have made CNN.

[tt11758]

On my last flight, the TSA people at O'Hare had the sensitivity on their sniffer machine turned down so tight that it detected the nitro components in the heart meds in my carry-on bag.  The guy from TSA asked me, very politely, to step into the little plastic box, because he was going to have to frisk me.  He even acted apologetic about the whole situation.  There was an extremely attractive little 20-something female TSA Agent standing at the end of the x-ray conveyor, and I asked the guy who showed me to the box if "she could be the one to frisk me".  With a chuckle he replied that he sadly couldn't allow that, as it would have the lines backed up for hours by men volunteering to be frisked.

I don't know if it was my 6-4, 400 pound frame that kept things respectful, or the fact that I was willing to joke with him that did it, but in this particular instance, at least, what could have been a bad experience had I been an obnoxious, uncooperative asshole, turned out to be an amusing story to share on an internet forum.

That being said, had it been my kid that was removed not only from my grasp, but from my sight.......well, let's just say while it might have been exciting, it would not have probably ended well.

[Timothy]

Just another reason I haven't been in an airport in nearly 14 years.  Don't need the hassles.