Baby is sent through X-ray machine at LAX

LATimes ^ | December 20, 2006 | By Jennifer Oldham, Times Staff Writer

[kinoxi]

A woman going through security at Los Angeles International Airport put her month-old grandson into a plastic bin intended for carry-on items and slid it into an X-ray machine.

The early Saturday accident — bizarre but not unprecedented — caught airport workers by surprise, even though the security line was not busy at the time, officials said.

A screener watching the machine's monitor immediately noticed the outline of a baby and pulled the bin backward on the conveyor belt.

The infant was taken to Centinela Hospital, where doctors determined that he had not received a dangerous dose of radiation.

Officials, who declined to release the 56-year-old woman's name, said she spoke Spanish and apparently did not understand English.

She initially didn't want the baby transported to a hospital, but security officials called paramedics and insisted that the child be examined by a doctor.

[SWAMPSNIPER]

Keep her away from microwave ovens!

[Slings and Arrows]

She was worried he'd set the metal detector off...

...he was an anchor baby.

[hatfieldmccoy]

Ho!! nicely done :)

[BossLady]

Ba.....dum....bum.....

Good one!

[Slings and Arrows]

Thank you. I *had* to.

[kingu]

She didn't speak English. Well, there you have it folks, we should require everyone who enters this country, visitor or whatever, to know English. Because obviously those who don't are dumber than a liberal at a global warming rally.

[Slings and Arrows]

Thanks a lot! You're a great crowd! Be sure to try the veal!

[james500]

This issue #1 of a Stan Lee comic, isn't it?

[Slings and Arrows]

The line was too long at the ER.

[null and void]

*ouch*

[Slings and Arrows]

[BossLady]

Can't wait for the next show!!!!! ;)

[Man50D]

Profiling does work!

[My2Cents]

Officials, who declined to release the 56-year-old woman's name, said she spoke Spanish and apparently did not understand English.

Another testimonial to the beauty of our multi-cultural diversity.

[wideminded]

They should have taken the grandmother to the hospital as well to check her for Alzheimer's.

[RunningWolf]

The poor lady under duress put the baby into a baby sized container, and off the baby goes.

[ME-262]

Perhaps in addition to the English warning signs about not sending undeveloped film through the x-ray machine, there could be a warning sign in Spanish saying not to send you kids through, and a picture of the virgin Mary waving her finger to say "No"!

It is a shame the baby got radiated. Maybe if his mother weren't so damn good at sneaking past US security somebody would have spotted her shoving her baby into the machine.

I'll bet in Spanish she was asking the guy can I get double prints to share with my family. Another good reason we should all speak the same language here.

[Dallas59]

No pictures.

[verum ago]

wow... just stupid, whether she understands the concept of an x-ray or not. you'd think she'd either:
(A) realize it's a freakin' x-ray machine and it's probably not the best thing to run a baby down a conveyor belt bathed in ionizing radiation
or if she doesn't understand the technology:
(B) it's probably not a good idea to slide a baby through the magic security witchcraft box