Video Toddler in a Wheelchair Scared **itless

Okay, let's envision that scenario: we know that there is a fairly decent chance that the father would have been arrested on some bogus charge. Or at the minimum, barred from flying, perhaps costing the family a good chunk of money in nonrefundable travel expenses. Now how does that protect the child?

And how does this father's arrest or eviction from the airport help rein in the TSA?

 

Headline news on Drudge along with three other negative TSA reports - wait...isn't that redundant?

 

Oh I can't wait to see the next "puppy post" from Blogger Boob after this PR nightmare - "In case you wondered, it's perfectly fine to bring a deflated beach ball through security, but 'wait' until you clear security to inflate it" or some other nonsense.

 

I believe that TSA has a directive instructing employees to not ask for removal or lifting of clothing. Yet it happens. I suspect the reason is either TSA employees cannot read, comprehend, and follow simple instructions or that supervision is so poor that screeners just do their own thing. Perhaps both!

 

I already know the TSA response.

The kid was not able to be screened by WTMD or Strip Search Machine so a Pat Down of an innocent young child by our TSA Pervs was required.
We're only looking out for your safety while we abuse children.

 

This story is now everywhere. If you search "tsa" on Google News, it brings up dozens of sites, not only in this country, but all over the world. Look for those dozens to swell to hundreds.

 

And you expect exactly what changes from this media exposure?

 

Every time a parent allows the TSA to abuse their child they are giving them permission to do the same to every other child. I do not know the personal circumstances of this particular family but apparently getting on that plane was more important than protecting this little boy from being manhandled by some goon in dirty blue gloves. We do not know what exactly would have happened if the father had put a stop to this simply because he didn't. Perhaps if more parents said enough is enough and stood their ground we would see less of this. If you "go along to get along" then you can't expect anything to change.

 

Monica, as I commented to Lisa above: Suppose dad puts up a fight, and grabs the kid away from the TSO. A cop is called, and there's a pretty good chance that the father is arrested (even on some bogus charge such as disturbing the peace), or the family is banned from flying that day, or perhaps for some time to come.

Why does the TSO have any reason to act differently toward any other similar situation in the future?

Meanwhile, the vacation is ruined (with perhaps a good deal of money on the line) and the father is perhaps in prison. The kid is helped exactly how in either situation?

Only one outcome might assure change: The family presses sexual assault or child abuse charges against the individual TSO, and the individual TSO is found guilty and is jailed. But can passengers press charges against individual screeners? And would it even go to trial, or be settled out of court? Because, after all, a trial might cause the SSI procedures to be made public, to determine whether the screener actually violated procedure.

 

FYI: It's sickening how many commenters on the various articles support this.

"Terrorists have used kids as mules, if a wheelchair-bound kid ever does blow up a plane, you'll be demanding to know why these checks were not done."

Sometimes my fellow Americans sicken me.

 

Someone else who thinks it's okay to groom one's children to be abused -- did they "prepare their children for the screening"??

"Here, Jimmy, we're going to Disneyland. But before we get there, at the airport, a man is going to put his hands all over you and touch in those places where Mommy and Daddy told you never to let anyone touch you, remember? But it's okay for this man to touch you. He's keeping you safe!"

 

Is it just me or did anyone else note that YouTube page says something to the effect that "this video was taken in the spring of 2010 at either O'Hare or Midway"?

If that is true, then many of us, myself included, need to eat some humble pie.

 

That's what it says, though whoever uploaded it may be inaccurate, a typo, have no idea. But what do you mean, have to eat humble pie? Why? You can't know every instance of abuse unless it's publicized (therefore, by the way, we publicize). It was only uploaded on March 17th.

 

I did see that, and I'm not sure how I missed it earlier.

But I have no reason to believe that the same could not happen today.

And it doesn't excuse the reactions of way too many Americans who somehow think that this is justified.

 

Humble pie because this did not happen yesterday; this happened close to 2 years ago and yet we are screaming about it as if it did happen yesterday, making ourselves look foolish. I believe that the way children are screened has changed for the better. If it had not, we would have heard about it.

I'm even thinking that perhaps we were used by the person who downloaded the video. Perhaps he wanted to make a group of people look really foolish and, if that was his motive, he succeeded.

 

I see no evidence that the TSA is treating children better. The TSA itself has said that children can still be pulled aside for whatever it deems necessary.

 

So, this video may be way back on the timeline. But either way I'm wondering, if the wheelchair is what makes this kid so suspicious, why the dad can't just carry the kid through the metal detector, and they can check the wheelchair all over like they like to do. Then they could swab the kid's cast while he's in his dad's arms, and that's all. It is way beyond reason to give the kid a patdown and swab down by his undies or diaper.

The "don't touch your kid" bit is perhaps the most alarming part of this. I think I would have to defy that order. They have the right to overrule parental authority at the checkpoint, which includes the necessary act of holding young children. That goes beyond the bounds of an administrative search.

 

I just sent this private message via YouTube to "mattonair" asking for more info:

 

It's still being done. Examples in Master List.

 

I don't think we look foolish even if this happened over two years ago.