A few tears will make us all safer, right?
(Photo: Crimfants)
If there is a special place in Hell for officious government employees, I'm sure there's a spot all warmed up for the Transportation Security Administration officer at Baltimore/Washington International Airport who scared my kid out of his wits.
Last week, I solicited stories from readers about their unpleasant experiences with post-9/11 travel security. Little did I know I'd be my own best correspondent. On my family's flight back east, we witnessed random shakedowns at the gate after we'd already passed through security. But that didn't begin to compare to the brief but telling experience we had at BWI on the return leg of our journey.
My wife and I checked in without incident, then headed to the security checkpoint with our 3 1/2-year-old son in tow. The very first TSA officer we encountered glanced at our ID and our boarding passes, and then proceeded to interrogate ... my kid.
"What's your name, son? Can you tell me your name?"
He shuffled through our boarding passes and then started again.
"What's your name? Can you tell me?"
He barely acknowledged the presence of the adults, saying only, "This will just take a minute."
I seethed. But we were 3,000 miles from home, at airport security in a strange city. We all needed to get back to Arizona, and getting booted from the airport -- or worse, arrested -- wouldn't accomplish that goal.
"Tell the nice man your name, Tony," I suggested.
"Tell me your name," the uniformed officer insisted.
Through all oft his, Tony remained tongue-tied, with a look of growing confusion mixed with terror on his face. That's no surprise. Like most parents, we warn our son against chatting with strange adults. And, like most young children, Tony isn't inclined to react favorably to sharp questions from random people.
Tony's silence may even have been a blessing. On any given day, under good circumstances, he's as likely to tell you that he's a monster or a "sharptooth" or Christopher Robin as he is to volunteer the name his mother and I gave him. I mean, he's 3 1/2 for crying out loud.
About which I gently reminded the officer. The muttered, "he's just three, you know," may or may not have helped.
"I bet I know your name," the TSA agent finally said. "I bet it's Anthony. Do they call you Tony?"
Tony tearfully surrendered a slight nod, allowing the agent of the security state to claim a victory over the forces of evil, and we were on our way. Of course, at this point, the kid would have nodded if you'd asked him if he was Mickey Mouse.
Which makes this whole routine garbage. What was the point? To see if we were terrorists using a kidnapped kid as a beard? We could have been terrorists using our own kid. Or we could have been smuggling the kid from a clone farm to be broken up for parts by a Colombian criminal kingpin. Young children don't carry photo ID, and we don't implant chips in them like we do with our dogs (oh, I hope I'm not giving anybody ideas), so there's really no way around taking an adult's word for a child's identity. That conversation proved nothing except that really young kids choke under pressure.
Was the TSA goon really going to deny us passage or even haul us in if my kid insisted that he was a character from Winnie the Pooh?
After that encounter, piling our wordly possessions on the conveyor belt and passing through the metal detectors was relatively painless. As we pulled our shoes back on, though, my kid pointed back toward security and said, in a soft voice while looking at the floor, "those people scare me."
Well, they scare me, too. And now they've really ticked me off. Way to go folks. You know our country is just a little bit safer when we make toddlers pee their pants.
Except that, as a paper published just a year ago in the British Medical Journal made clear, the TSA has never bothered to study its procedures to determine if they actually accomplish anything. We don't know that any of this really makes us safer, because nobody has ever checked. Which suggests that putting tots in the hot seat is a tactic the security honchos dreamed up based on their instincts that it would make us all safer. I'll bet their home lives are charming.
I don't know what the penalty is for slugging a federal law-enforcement officer, but we almost found out at BWI. I feel guilty that I let my son be subjected to the third degree the way I did so that we could continue on our way home. Maybe I'd be a better father if I'd actually taken a swing at the officer harassing my kid.
One way or another, I guarantee that it won't happen again.
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Comments
Thank you so much for this!
As a uniformed pilot, I have been interogated by TSA! They have pulled my pilots license onto their lap (while still attached to my neck!) and stared at my credentials, then pawed over my passport, tickets and asked me very personal questions.
I applaud this article and really wish many more people would step up to make a standard that these TSA guys and gals follow.
I for one, would never question a child getting on my airplane, unless they appeared abused, non-clingy to their parents or other obvious signs abducted children display. Instead, I'd politely invite them to see the flightdeck before the flight, and send them back with positive memories of flying.
Thats what happened to me when i was seven, and now I'm a pilot :)
I hope your son forgets this incident, and I suggest writing TSA with your concerns. You never know what might happen :)
Are you a MORON? You must be. Did you ever think that maybe the guy was just trying to talk to your son nicely while he was doing his job and checking the bags and so forth that you had with you? Do you really think that was interrogating your son by asking him name and then saying "I bet I know your name, it is Anthony, do they call you Tony" It sounds to me like the guy was just trying to make your son feel at ease as he did his job of protecting innocent poeple from terrorists. Terrorists that will do anything, even smuggle weapons or bombs on children to harm us innocent people.
I think you need a check up from the neck up if you really think that was all that bad after what our country went through on 9/11!!
Keith -
The first TSA agent you encounter at security checkpoints simply checks your boarding pass against your ID. Nothing to do with your bags - that's the agents at the X-Ray machines.
Other than a reminder to have my 3-1-1 bag (and I'm a woman with olive skin, dark curls, and got pulled out for more "random" checks than I'd like to remember until about 2005 when TSA settled into their stupid routines), I've never had the first agent engage me in anything like this (or seen one - and I frequently flew in and out of National Airport).
Being friendly does not elicit "This will only take a minute." Being friendly is "Anthony - what a nice name! Do they call you Tony? Here are your boarding passes and have a nice flight, folks."
I wouldn't mind if I felt that TSA was doing a job, but mostly, it's security theater. There are so many holes in the system it's not even funny. Grilling a 3 year old is beyond idiotic.
Another useful article on Security by a fellow who posts links to making your own black powder and a pen that can be used to fire a bullet. Yes I want him on my flight. I bet Timothy McVeigh is his ideal "model citizen". You sir,are the one your child should be afraid of.
Dave and Keith, I know that you two have no children nor any brains. I bet Sarah Palin would have fixed all this. I love how you two know what happened and how friendly the TSA agent was, keep you ignorance to yourself...the TSA goons need to be put in check!!!!
-
Vee half vays of makink you talk.
D.
The purpose of the TSA is not safety. The purpose is to inure Americans to violations of their rights and make them more docile so that they may be ruled more easily. This is the purpose of all government agencies because this is the nature of the State. All States work as as hard as possible to oppress and enslave its subjects. No State has ever appeared in history to do anything else. The false promise of security is a cloak the State uses to execise naked power.
Unfortunately, many Americans have bought into the canard that one can trade off liberty for security. This is not true. There is no trade off between liberty and security. There is liberty and security or slavery and insecurity. Those are our choices. However, most Americans would rather enslave themselves to the State for the illusion of security. Until the views of Dave and Keith become minority voices, the power of the State will grow until we are all chained to our houses with ankle bracelets to monitor our movements.
The purpose of the TSA is not safety. The purpose is to inure Americans to violations of their rights and make them more docile so that they may be ruled more easily. This is the purpose of all government agencies because this is the nature of the State. All States work as as hard as possible to oppress and enslave its subjects. No State has ever appeared in history to do anything else. The false promise of security is a cloak the State uses to execise naked power.
Unfortunately, many Americans have bought into the canard that one can trade off liberty for security. This is not true. There is no trade off between liberty and security. There is liberty and security or slavery and insecurity. Those are our choices. However, most Americans would rather enslave themselves to the State for the illusion of security. Until the views of Dave and Keith become minority voices, the power of the State will grow until we are all chained to our houses with ankle bracelets to monitor our movements.
First off, Brutus, you are an idiot. Period. Second, as a TSA officer, yep, bad guy right here, I could add or expand on a thousand reasons that the officer was talking with your child. Most, I would think were just friendly things that some people do. Some people feel the need to talk to kids and engage them in friendly ways. Human Nature, whatever. Kinda like the pilot who made the post below. I am sure if he was asking your kid his name and you child seemed what sounds like, "shy". You probably would have encouraged your child to warm up to him because he is the pilot, and pilots are all great people. Right? Would you have ever thought that the pilot was asking for his name because he wants to kick him off the plane or have an air marshall "keep an eye on him?" No, but you assume the TSA agent was interrogating your child and not just trying to be nice. How foolish and what a waste of time that would have been if the officer was really doing what you claim. I had originally written more to post but I deleted it and decided to take the high road here and not rant. People can slam TSA all they want, but I will be one individual from TSA that may show you some hope for others. While I was not there for your situation, I appologize for the way the experience made you and your family feel. It was an unfortunate situation and sounds like a very miserable one for your child. If you truely felt like something, "out of line" happened on the day that you traveled, then I am sorry.
P.A.K.
You're ticked off enough to assault a fellow human being (yes, even the TSA screeners are human beings) and your kid's in tears at being asked his name? TSA isn't on my Christmas card list by any stretch, but dude - you and your kid have some issues. Americans are the biggest bunch of whiners I've ever seen. Try going through employee screening at Heathrow - THEY leave bruises. Yankee Wankers.
Anona-
I'm guessing you don't have kids. If you do, you're even more pathetic than if you don't. But either way, you and other statists are the real problem.
Government policing agents are not human beings. They are scumbags.
P.A.K.-
Thank goodness for people like you. Thank you for keeping me safe. Sometimes I think my firearms and countless training exercises are enough to provide security for me and my family, and then I read comments like yours that make me realize I'm just an idiot like Brutus and JD.
The fact that you could read JD's post and fail to either realize or admit that his toddler was harassed by that eunuch is enough to invalidate anything that comes out of your mouth.
With that, thank you once again for keeping us all safe, TSA! Thank you! Thank you! I feel like my tax dollars alone aren't nearly enough to express this gratitude.
And people wonder why I drink.
Sounds like child abuse to me.
And Anona, maybe TSA screeners are human beings, but they are also liars. As federal employees, they take an oath of office--an oath that they break every working minute of every day.
I believe you did overreact to how your son were treated. If my child is standing next to me, he shouldn't fear a stranger. He is taught not to go with them. If we teach our children to fear strangers... should they fear them in our presence? This exact occurence could have happened at the local grocery store while standing in checkout lane. If a lady behind you had asked your son the same questions... would you have punched her. I feel as though you are over reacting and I worry about over reaction such as this, in our society. We need to explain the process to our children and help them understand. (You still do not have to like it) I do not like security BUT to get on the plane I must go through it (I try to get through it with everyone's dignity intact -I know these people did not go to work just to ruin my day) How is writing an article going to help your son? This is TSA bashing. It will only serve to make going through security even more frustrating for those who agree with you about the TSA, or it will serve to terrify those without an opinion. TSA agents are doing their job...do you like or even agree with everyone you work with and how they handle situations. Do you punch them?
How much of your anger was shown to your son that day? The next time you travel and he encounters security he will be really terrified. We do need to have respect for how hard these security folks work. You were soliciting stories from readers to tell horror stories about the TSA, and you invented your own story. Although it wasn't a legitimate example...I guess you could be thankful you made it to your destination safely. Thank God your son doesn't have leukemia. How about being thankful that you can even afford to fly. Why not write an article on orphans in Africa? Something you can feel good about. I know this pilot is just letting off steam. He has to encounter this every time he flys. I'm sure the TSA isn't too keen on running into himm either! I hope he can handle his anger? I do not want him flying my plane if he cannot! Lighten up, life is way too short. I do not want the last article I write to be about the horrors of TSA. Why is everyone SO angry about everything. I may not have my son tomorrow. I will sure try and make everyone of his days the best it can be. I will teach him tolerance of authority and of others. I will show him "true inhumanity" like starving children (Be thankful your son is not one of those) and then to try and correct the inhumanity. Be thankful you do not have to work for TSA and have so many ungrateful people to protect. Why have we become so complacent to all of the blessing around us... It isn't ok to set a standard of unnecassary complaining. Hug your son and thank God for his health and safety.
Reading Between the lines....
Its funny how I come back to this post to see people refer to me as a "HIM". A male pilot, because of course, women can't fly.
In a place where people are complaining about TSA and profiling, we see an example of it right here on this board.
Pilot=Male.
On my own thoughts:
I believe this author was not writing an article to slam TSA as much as he was venting something that tickled him wrong.
Okay, TSA handled this wrong. Perhaps he wasn't used to talking to kids, or he was a crotchety fellow or having a bad day...either way, there is a little form of communication that works with everyone.
Besides being a pilot, I am also a paramedic and completing my nursing degree. The way I afforded flight school was working on an ambulance all hours of the night. I dealt with all walks of life and was able to adapt to all situations by reading people.
Simply taking a moment to get a read on a situation will help you adapt to a childs shyness or fear, it will help you adapt to an elderly persons confusion or frustration or pain. It will help you adapt to a pregnant woman who's husband just got shipped out to war. Or a man who has an ethnic background and is traveling home on emergency to visit his dying grandmother. There is a different way to handle EVERY one of these situations.
I know everyone has their opinion on this, but please understand what was being addressed. I do not agree that violence (punching) is an acceptable manner, but this article was written with some strong protective behaviour. This is his son, his child, the one he is blessed to care for and protect. Any parent would do the same.
As far as a pilots take on TSA, if I could only begin to tell you what people STILL are able to sneak through security, you'd shake in your pants.
Lets just do our part in following the rules but also not letting an organization (US Government or not) become a bully. If there is ever a concern with how you (or your child or parent) is treated, immediately request a supervisor (or his name and number) and discuss it with them. He or She will be more than happy to explain procedures or take corrective action.
We shouldn't profile that all TSA'ers are bad, in fact I frequent some of my favorites all the time, and they know me by name! But a few can be, bad apples.
I love everyones feedback, but please lets show some respect on this man's post. He deserves fair critical comments, not abrasive or threatening ones.
Happy New Year and safe travels to all :)
Donna, I question your intelligence. Since the government is supposed to work for us, are we being unreasonable if we demand civility or (God forbid) results?
As for your accusations that the story isn't true... well, there are - you might have noticed - hundreds if not thousands of similar tales of arrogant incompetance. Are they all lying because you disagree with them?
Donna -
Wow, I agree with Anthony.
Are you seriously saying you are going to believe what you wrote?!
That orphans in Africa is something we should be concerned about when we can't even stop a terrorist from sneaking on our planes?
We are not talking about leukemia here, or even "ungrateful" flyers that NEED TSA. We are talking about worldwide citizens sharing an intense travel network. 50 years ago we didn't worry about this stuff because flights were rare and not nearly as utilized. We have evolved. And with that evolution, comes a demand for more appropriate security measures. NOT profiling or questioning a 3 year old, not a cheap xray machiene that barely catches some things. What we need is a truly evolutionalized program to be installed.
This will take time, yes, but it would make flying a lot more enjoyable and safer.
As far as your boasts on the pilot (whom is a she), before questioning the stability or behavior of a pilot, remember what they deal with on a daily basis and what responsibility they endure. A pilot can't just pull over or take a coffee break. They go down with the ship.
I'm sure the pilot has many concerns when departing and landing EVERY single time.
I can only imagine the aggravated clients that board the aircraft, and the fears they must have sometimes.
I'm just asking you to think about it a little before you go off blowing your horn. Do some research instead of just making quick remarks.
Nicholas
Yeah, the TSA sucks and airport security is a hassle. But this seems like a non-issue. Get over it.
Go to the dictionary right now and look up the definition of 'non sequitur.' You'll find a picture of Donna.
To P.A.K.,
I would expect nothing less from an agent of the State than to defend your violations of our liberty. Idiots like myself found such violations to be so intolerable that we decided to separate from England in 1776. Of course, those who fought in the Revolution would never brook the behavior of TSA agents or any government agents for that matter. But as I wrote in my previous post the ideology of most Americans today is so far removed from that of the revolutionaries it baffles the mind as to how this country came into existence. See several previous comments, like those of Donna, Dave, Keith, or darter22 for examples of our contemporay ideology. Then contrast the ideology of those comments with this quote from Samuel Adams in 1776:
"If you love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or your arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen."
Land of the free? Not any more.
Seems to me all the comments here are posted by people from California.
Time was Arizonans and other free Americans knew how to protect ourselves and each other.
You live in a border state where thousands of undocumented, illegal people sneak in every week, and you pick on a mother who feels her child's security threatened?
You people pray to the God of the state to protect you, and you won't even protect yourselves and each other.
You trust the inteligence services that FAILED you on 9/11, you trust the president and cabinet that was WRONG about the war in Iraq, you trust the FEMA that let our people STARVE AND DIE in Katrina, you trust the people that SCREWED YOUR ECONOMY to bail you out and now you trust thugs on the streets to keep you safe from criminals who are NEVER ON THAT STREET.
I don't know who'd more incompetent to run this country: the TSA or you recently transplanted to Arizona people who never read the nation's Constitution, much less the Constitution of the State Of Arizona which you now live in.
The only legislative contribution you have made to Arizona is dictating where your neighbors can smoke tobacco or how many lawn ornaments they can have.
GO BACK TO CALIFORNIA AND YOUR MOVIE STAR GOVERNOR AND YOUR SOCIALIST STATE ECONOMY. LEAVE US TO UPHOLD THE LAW.
Sounds like child abuse to me.
And Anona, maybe TSA screeners are human beings, but they are also liars. As federal employees, they take an oath of office--an oath that they break every working minute of every day.
Without even listing the HORRENDOUS list of TSAers caught stealing (Thieves Stalking Airports ... TSA)..... The TSA is specificly designed to lull the American Public into accepting random, pointless, searches at the whim of the government. Look at them. TSA screeners are being trained to be smiling and polite. WHY? To appear benign and unthreatening as they strip you of your Freedom. Look at their faces, if YOU seriously believed the next passenger (PAX) might be an armed and murderously suicidal killer, would you be all relaxed and cheery? If you seriously believed that the next suitcase you open may blow you to Kingdom Come, would you be a Perky Pixie? If you do NOT believe that ......... WHY ARE YOU HERE!? Exactly. There - is - NO - terrorist - threat, and ... THEY ... know ... it.
Take the latest TSA farce, "Liquids, Gells, and Aerosols". It all seems very frightening and intimidating, right? The Sand-Muslims are going to sneak Binary or Nonsolid explosives onto the plane, so Big Brother will PROTECT you by taking away ALL "Liquids, Gells, and Aerosols" because ANYONE may be a terrorist and could be carrying them. How NICE of Big Brother. What does Big Brother DO with these suspected explosives that just became "Voluntarily Abandoned Property (VAP)"? It is UNCERIMONIOUSLY dumped into a big container full of other FLAMIBLES and UNKNOWN substances. RIGHT, if any evil binary, liquid, whatever, explosive bombs ARE taken away by the Throughly Stupid Administration, they turn right around, toss it in with a bunch of other UNKNOWN flamibles and possible explosives, so they will have a really BIG boom, with TSA supplied schrapnel. IF, I repeat, IF the TSA actually believed they may intercept a bomb, along with the TENS of MILLIONS of dollars of private property they have STOLEN, every single confiscated (call it "VAP" if you like, that is like calling the MAFIA an insurance company) piece of property would be handled individually. Watch them, I did. They handle all those containers as if the outer label positively tells what is inside. So why don't they just take away the bottles labeled "BOMB" or "EXPLOSIVES"?? It is ALL a FARCE. Oh, sure, you may have bottles holding 3.4 ounces or less, no-one could EVER figure out to fill more than ONE bottle. I have actually SEEN quart bags with 12 or more IDENTICAL tiny liquer bottles inside, and plenty of one-bag limits ignored. Then there is the question of plastic bottles never even SEEN by the X-ray operator (or ignored to save the trouble of looking for their Buddy).
OK, lets just let all those that want, to fly on their own airline. Say one without security. You may take all your weapons that are usually confiscated aboard with you. Hopefully you will all be armed so a real shootout can occur as each will feel "they" are best at providing their families protection. Oh, and as those of us not on there are in danger from your flight, allow us to detonate a charge aboard if it is hijacked, so that the plane cannot be used as a weapon to kill others. Ah yes, bring back the wild west.
Everyone carrying guns surely has made the middle east a much safer place to live.
Seriously, the author should have gotten a name and number and reported the problem if he was so offended. TSA has no corner on abusive people, see that those folks are removed, not the security.
Melanie,
Thank you so much for sharing your insights about airport security. It's interesting to get the perspective of an insider who also finds some elements of the security state to be over-the-top.
Dave and other defenders of the TSA,
I actually like the idea of "their own airline" subject to less stringent security -- minus the explosive charge in the hands of the paranoids, of course. I like the idea of airlines offering different flavors of security, and I suspect that those allowing passengers willing to take responsibility for their own safety to evade intrusive probes and keep their penknives and drink bottles would be just as safe, if not safer, than the TSA-style carriers.
Excellent article! Bravo for doing your part to expose the idiots that make up our totalitarian state.
JD, you're right on. Oyate, AMEN!
The one thing I find funny about this, change the location and drop the gestapowear and I'll bet every single one of the folks slamming you would have ran over and grabbed the child away from him fearing the TSA goon might have been a sexual predator.
Your first reaction to incidents like this is "I want to speak to your supervisor. NOW!" For future reference, the next time you travel make sure you have blank copies of the TSA complaint paperwork -- these things are supposed to be available at the checkpoints but for some reason never are.
J.D. - The TSA goons are not "Federal Law Enforcement officers" as you mention in your blog. The screeners were given the title "Transportation Security Officers" in an effort to boast their morale. They are not law enforcement (no arrest powers) and they are not real "federal officers" such as a US Customs & Border Patrol Officer.
Same goes for the blue uniform, badge, and "US Officer" plate on their uniform - it's all about making them appear official to boast morale.
This scares me and I know there are concerns among true law enforcement officers. If you need law enforcement help, the TSO in the blue uniform with badge cannot help you - and this is misleading to the public & dangerous.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
J.D. - The TSA goons are not "Federal Law Enforcement officers" as you mention in your blog. The screeners were given the title "Transportation Security Officers" in an effort to boast their morale. They are not law enforcement (no arrest powers) and they are not real "federal officers" such as a US Customs & Border Patrol Officer.
Same goes for the blue uniform, badge, and "US Officer" plate on their uniform - it's all about making them appear official to boast morale.
This scares me and I know there are concerns among true law enforcement officers. If you need law enforcement help, the TSO in the blue uniform with badge cannot help you - and this is misleading to the public & dangerous.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
The person who wrote this article is ridiculous. if this is at all true, why didn't he speak to a supervisor or even a manager about the situation or even write a report? all reports made goes straight to Washington and you can track them, trust me i know I've done it before and got a resolution. if anybody reading this article has kids would you not do more then just write an article that gets nothing accomplished. oh yeah and to all those who left comments with certain phrases being used, get your own opinion instead of writing some crap you heard on 20/20. yes i watched it too.
P.S. cops harass innocent people all the time wheres those articles? should we get rid of them too?
we don't need these asshats or the police to keep us safe as the armed citizen does just fine thank you.when i was in the military i flew a lot of commercial airlines i always carried a hand gun if we had been hijacked i would have killed them.i know we will hear from a sissy boy anti-gun nut all i ask you is you are on flight 11 heading toward the ny trade buildings.who would you rather have sitting beside you ted kennedy and his big mouth or me with a gun in my pocket?
Do you know what the following proves? It proves that TSA is a waste of money. It proves that $20/hr TSA nose-pickers are USELESS. If they were good for anything, their screening would clear any dangerous items, nothing dangerous would get past them, and ANY terrorist could fly, because ANY weapons he had would be caught by TSA. Since the "authorities" KNOW that TSA is a waste of money they went through all this Song And Dance, because they KNOW their SEVEN BILLION DOLLAR SYSTEM is GARBAGE. T.S.A. Taxes Squandered AWAY. T.S.A. Thieves Stalking Airports.
AirTran apologizes to Muslims removed from flight
Brian Westley / Associated Press
WASHINGTON -- AirTran Airways apologized Friday to nine Muslims kicked off a New Year's Day flight to Florida after other passengers reported hearing a suspicious remark about airplane security.
One of the passengers said the confusion started at Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., when he talked about the safest place to sit on an airplane.
Orlando, Fla.-based AirTran said in a statement that it refunded the passengers' air fare and planned to reimburse them for replacement tickets they bought on US Airways. AirTran also offered to take the passengers back to Washington free of charge.
"We apologize to all of the passengers -- to the nine who had to undergo extensive interviews from the authorities and to the 95 who ultimately made the flight," the statement said. "Nobody on Flight 175 reached their destination on time on New Year's Day, and we regret it."
The airline said the incident on the flight from Reagan National Airport to Orlando was a misunderstanding, but the steps taken were necessary.
One of the Muslim passengers, Atif Irfan, said the family probably would not fly home with AirTran because members had already booked tickets on another airline, but appreciated the apology.
"It's definitely nice to hear," he said.
Irfan said when he boarded the flight Thursday, he mentioned something to his wife and sister-in-law about having to sit in the back. His sister-in-law replied that she believed the back of the airplane was the safest, but Irfan believed it was better to be by the wings.
"She said, 'Yes, I guess it makes sense not to be close to the engine in case something happens," Irfan recalled Friday. "It was a very benign conversation."
Shortly after taking their seats, members of the group was approached by federal air marshals and taken off the plane, Irfan said. They stood in the jet bridge connected to the airport and answered questions while other passengers exited and glared at them.
Irfan said he thought he and the others were profiled because of their appearance. The men had beards and the women wore headscarves, traditional Muslim attire.
"My wife and I are generally very careful about what we say when we step on the plane," he said, adding that they have received suspicious looks in the past. "We're used to this sort of thing -- but obviously not to this extent."
Irfan, 29, is a lawyer who lives in Alexandria, Va. He was traveling to a religious retreat in Florida with his wife, along with his brother and his family, including three children, ages 7, 4 and 2. They were joined by his brother's sister-in-law and a family friend.
Federal officials ordered the rest of the passengers from the plane and re-screened them before allowing the flight to depart about two hours behind schedule. The family and friend eventually made it to their destination on a US Airways flight.
Family members were upset that AirTran didn't allow them to book another flight. The airline said in a news release Friday that one of the passengers became irate, made inappropriate comments and had to be escorted away from a gate podium by local law enforcement.
"We felt very disrespected," Irfan said. He said FBI agents had cleared their names and asked AirTran to put them on another flight, but to no avail.
Christopher White, a federal Transportation Security Administration spokesman, said the situation was handled appropriately.
White said the pilot, after being informed of the remarks, requested that two federal air marshals on board remove the nine passengers. TSA then alerted authorities, including the FBI, which conducted an investigation. Once authorities determined there was no threat, it was up to the airline whether to allow the family to reboard.
"If the pilot is uncomfortable with someone flying on their plane, that's their decision," White said.
Discount carrier AirTran Airways is a subsidiary of AirTran Holdings Inc. Its hub is in Atlanta.
Associated Press Writer Jennifer Kay in Miami contributed to this story.
I get a kick out of how one guy's rude behavior is proof to all the free thinking libertarians gathered here that the TSA are evil Nazi Storm Troopers. I'm not a fan of big government. I'm not a TSO and I'm not Pro TSA as I'm sure I'll be accused of being. What I am is tired of reading posts from whiny cry babies that fly once a year and complain because they have to take their shoes off. I've seen so many bloggers write of the 3 oz liquids restrictions with crazy speculation of how pointless it is. I would love to know the credentials of some of these speculators. I guess it's only chemistry professors and bomb technicians, so I'm sure you're all very knowledgeable. That or it's just regurgitation from stuff you read on Bruce Schneier's blog. The TSA has taken away your rights to a cheap bottle of water. I hear Greyhound and Amtrak have a lot of good deals going on these days.
I work closely with TSOs and kindness toward passengers, especially children is the rule and the jerk that scared your child (if it even happened as it's described) are the exception. So you know what this one anomaly of an encounter proves? Squat. All of you please feel free to jump on me and let me know what a troll I am. I'm pretty sure I don't give a rat's a** of your opinion anyway. As for being articulate and tactful, I'll leave that to Donna.
I also get a kick out of having to change my post due to inappropriate language on a civil liberties site. I notice the word asshat is okay though, which is cool because asshat is a fun word.
Give me a break. Although I do not agree, the officer was just looking for a name that matched the ticket. What I do not agree with is that the officer should not be worried about what the kids name is. And although the officer should have stopped when he realized the kid did not want to talk back to him, he didn't. Big deal. He was asking the kid what his name was. Yeah the kid shouldn't talk to strangers, but come on his parents were right there with him. Teach your kid to have some manners and speak when spoken to. Although he is still kind of young, there is nothing wrong with what the TSA officer did.
I'm not sure why anyone flies anymore. I haven't flown since before 9/11. My experiences with airport "security" people then, as a woman travelling alone, were enough to keep me on the ground. I used to enjoy visiting other countries. But, I have given up the idea completely. Knowing what I have been subjected to, I would completely lose it if one of those goons began interrogating my child. If these people want to do something to you, then they will. That's why it's best not to take yourself or your loved ones to an airport these days. I hope things change some time in the future. I really do. I miss travelling. But, I also enjoy not being driven to a near nervous breakdown by sociopathic perverts posing as "security" staff.
In response to one of your comments here: Don't bother making a report to anyone. I did this after I was treated shockingly by "security" in a Detroit airport returning from Germany a few years before 9/11. These complaints go nowhere. They will tell you that they were following "procedure" most likely. That's what I was told. Although, I know for a fact that what they did was not "procedure." It doesn't matter.
Finally, an internal whistle blower came forward on the subject of the treatment of black women by U.S. Customs. (I'm not black - but the treatment of women, in general, by men in uniforms in airports is or was pretty apalling. I can't imagine that it has changed much. And you still won't find me anywhere near an airport.) Supposedly, there have been some changes made in how Customs treats black women. I doubt that it will help me. There's nothing like the experience of getting off the plane and being greeted by a guy in uniform who the glazed over look of a hard on in his eyes. Unless, of course, it's being pulled over in a remote area at night by a cop for no reason who is wearing the same expression. At any rate, don't waste your time filing a report. It wouldn't matter what they had done to your son or any other member of your family. They're just going to tell you that it's "procedure." And, really they didn't actually *do* anything. These people really are terrifying. Your little son has good intuition.
Quit flying, the sooner the better. Let all these bastards go bankrupt and all the TSA goons get laid off and it will end. At least on that level. We still have free choice.
Am I the only one who thinks he might have just been trying to be friendly? So hes not good with kids, that doesn't mean he was trying to interrogate yours. TSA employees are people just like everyone else; They have human feelings and human motivations. The use (and abuse) of power is definitely a human motivation, but rarely do we extend it to kids.
i would have knocked that guy the f&#k out.
9/11 was a total inside job. as long as you ppl are going to act like it was al qaeda that did 9/11, and not the U.S. Gov't, then you are going to have to put up with the heightened 'security'. security is just an illusion though: this is about control
Seriously, the guard was just chatting with the kid to confirm a ticket or something. So he isn't good with kids, suddenly everyone is dehumanizing some guard that has a job to do and is a human being. I think this dad is just worried about his kid and so he put more emotion into this blog than reason or thinking as any parent would do.
All I have to say is that until you do the job, shut up! I get sick of hearing every single passenger complaining about EVERYTHING. If we didn't exist? (screeners) then there would definitely have been another 9/11 by now. Could someone just please be grateful for someone who's willing to protect the nation? So one guy, who's not good with people, scared your little kid. I bet clowns scare him too? Maybe Santa? 3 year olds get scared easily anyway...by ridiculous things. And by the way...it's a FEDERAL offense for assaulting a Federal employee...and you can even get fined or put in jail for just verbally harassing one. Go ahead...test THAT and see if THAT works...
And by the way...i TOTALLY agree with Clever Anonymous Monikeree...quit whining. We don't...and we are the ones that deal with people like you all day long 5 days a week...and you think you hate US....
He asked your child what his name was. That is all. Why is that such a horrid thing? He even helped your child out when he didn't say anything but saying "is your name Anthony?"
Stop complaining. Suck it up. He didn't accuse you of being a terrorist, he didn't terrorize your child. He asked him a question.
Wow, Seriously. Even with Tabitha's monstrous comment right before yours, you're still able to say we should all just suck it up. I guess some people just can't wait to put on chains.
I would have said, "it says tony, but his real name is christopher the 4th. We call him c4."...but then this is why my wife wont let me travel....
So much can be said about the traveling public its unbelievable! I have always been told that there is more than one way to do things so here is a thought for all the whinning travelers out there - take the bus or your own car next time you travel and then you won't have to deal with any "goons." Oh wait I forgot everywhere you go has some kind of rules - God forbid if we followed them.
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