Posted on 06/19/2007 8:23:37 PM PDT by FreedomCalls
Right here, is where the TSA is going to take one in the shorts. I'd feel pretty good about it if I thought that the ACLU or some other lawyer would only go with it as far as necessary to correct this, but they won't. The TSA is about to be neutered.......unless this grandma votes republican, then we'll never hear another word about it.
After a bomb blew up at Ramstein AB, for many weeks every car was searched diligently for “explosives”.
Since I was aware of, and had upon occasion utilized a well known “insecure” entry point, bypassing base security, onto the installation, I considered it my duty to report the location of the openly secret entry point, generally used by people who did not have designated drivers that evening...
Did base security forces take any action to secure it?
No.
And scaring little kids. My brood of 4 has been with me several times in the past couple of years. Each time we get to a security checkpoint, our carry-on luggage is thoroughly searched and my laptop is taken away for special treatment before it is returned to me.
Never anything in our bags. But the kids get mad because their stuff gets messed up. I get real cranky because I have to keep track of all this, while the kids are chorusing, “Mom, do they think you are a terrorist? Mom, do they think we are terrorists? Mom, what are they doing to our Easter candy, the Easter bunny gave me that!”, ... and my special favorite, “Mom! Why they think we are Arabs?”
Now why in the h*ll would the TSA treat us so specially, a Mom traveling with 4 little kids? Every damn time.
It doesn’t seem random to me.
Exactly one day after I posted that, I received metal utensils on an Air France flight....in coach.
I apologize. I went off on a tangent, took your post out of context.
I do have a problem with her always being pulled out of line for security reasons, etc. However, any officer or agent who searches her is female so it’s not because she’s a female teen and the officers are men. Also, each time has been when there were other officers/agents present and the searching officer was describing to them what to do/how to do it. And the male agents/officers were always just there, watching.
The tagging happens at the counter (I didn’t mention that and only learned about it the last/most recent time when I asked). The person (ticket person, for lack of a better title) asked who was the oldest and when I replied, that’s who got the special little code on the ticket. I believe she was making sure it wasn’t one of the younger ones. I could be wrong, but with all of us at the counter, and the ticket woman asking stuff like “are these all your kids, is this one the oldest (after naming each one) and then being told who the oldest was, I assumed she was trying to make sure it was the oldest who got the ticket for the search. It was the only time that happened (and the most recent), the other times it seemed to be random.
It bothers her (the kid) but I tell her it’s not her. They’re just doing their job and she has to be respectful just like I do.
You mentioned in one of your posts to me that I didn’t seem to have a problem with her getting searched all the time and I read into that and apologize for my reaction.
I know many TSA or anyone who works airport security is probably not really qualified to even have the job. Or, some do get off on the power. Other than the nasty guy I had to deal with, it’s been decent.
I don’t think it’s necessary to target most of us and have no problem with profiling, no matter how un pc that is to some. I don’t know why she keeps getting targeted, other than what I’ve already stated and those are just my opinions.
I’m sorry for reacting as I did.
I totally agree with you (last sentence). As for the other, Yeah I am probably that naive in this case. I posted about it, more clearly, so I still think it’s a training thing when she gets searched (by female officers). The jerk TSA person I dealt with was a jerk, reminded me of mechanics I’ve had to deal with since I was a teen. (But since I am horribly uninformed about all things “cars” it’s my own fault, really) I don’t think he would have talked to me or treated me the way he did had I’d been a man. I was this petite woman he tried to intimidate (I played the apologetic part while cursing him under my breath, but he did intimidate me since he was law enforcement and this is coming from someone who grew and and has many male relatives in LE)). Or maybe he would have been worse if I were a guy. I don’t know. It was a horrible experience and when I went back to the waiting area where my teen was, I told her what happened and reiterated that no matter what, be respectful
I don’t expect airport personnel to give us special treatment or my kids to get special treatment. I expect them to be respectful just as I expect my kids to be respectful to them.
I hope your daughter didn’t have any attention on her. It’s tough for teen girls, or at least mine - I won’t speak for all of them, since they have this modesty and value their personal space. My oldest hates flying because every time she has in the last couple of years, she’s been searched. It’s gotten easier for her each time but it’s not pleasant. I tell her, and the rest, it’s the world we live in now.
I won’t make a scene or fight it because I believe that makes it worse. So far, since she’s a minor, I’m allowed to be present so I watch and they’ve been almost apologetic (the officers searching her).
If we focused on the real threats, and I do believe there are real threats, we wouldn’t have the mess we have (with airports) or the wasted time spent on people who aren’t a threat. That’s considered profiling and it’s bad (sarcasm).
I was wrong reacting/replying the way I did. I wish I could blame it on meds or a hard life but I can’t. Another poster said he/she can only reply to what is posted/typed (and sometimes I type, badly, faster than I think). I replied/reacted badly.
I love your kids!
All the better to grow them into compliant little Citizens...
Thousands Standing Around...
Yet they do:
My oldest hates flying because every time ... she’s been searched.
Isn't that special?
IMHO, it's pure cowardice on the part of the TSA inspectors.
They are afraid to stop anyone who might actually carrying a bomb - better to lose an airplane full of passengers than to risk dying preventing it. Guys? That's not part of the job, that is the job.
They are afraid to be seen as doing nothing, so they harass the people they perceive as nice soft compliant targets, the very young, the very old, the infirm, moms with four kids in tow, etc.
Even though they are theoretically protected by civil service, (ask a border guard how well that works!) they are afraid to check any member of any group that matches the profile of any known bomber, hijacker or terrorist.
I replied/reacted badly.
I don't think you did. Welcome to the human race... ;^)
They are afraid to be seen as doing nothing,
Not:
They are afraid of doing nothing...
ITA with everything you posted. I think my kid is used for training or the “easy” passenger. They know they won’t find anything.
I meant, I don’t expect special treatment for traveling with kids, we shouldn’t be given a pass just for that.
I teach my kids to stand up, in certain instances, for their values/beliefs. But, I also teach them to be careful today in what they stand for: they’ll get a lower grade, possibly for not giving the teacher what he/she wants/expects, so they (the teens, not the younger ones - I still step in there) have to choose what’s more important to them. I was taught by my parents to never give in to the current fad but to also think carefully about what I said/did. I teach my kids to respect authority, but not to necessarily blindly believe it all. They have to decide, just like I told my high school students 20 years ago, what matters more to them?, the grade, which can be subjective in some content areas or living what you believe. I don’t think kids should have to be in that position when it comes to their grades or even when it comes to them being searched in the airport. High school students shouldn’t have to slant their papers or debate what the teacher wants to read/hear, for the better grade, etc. But it happens. I tell my kids, this is what the teacher wants to read/hear so either give them that and get the better grade (cos it happens) or fight it/take a stand and deal with the fallout.
I, an adult, won’t stand up to any LE, be it TSA or local cops. It makes it worse. I’ll do it after the fact. I stood up to college and grad school profs, and a few grades suffered for it (the subjective ones, not science or math surprisingly) grade wise but that was ok with me. I’m teaching my kids the same thing. Suffer through high school and the subjective grading, if you choose to. I didn’t have to in hs because I went to catholic high school so this liberal progressive stuff was mild back then and in that place compared to what’s going on now in public high schools. I took a stand in college and grad school, in the classes and with the issues that mattered to me, regardless of how it affected my grade. I knew my grades to the decimal point so they had to prove otherwise. That was back when it wasn’t as liberal and biased as it is today, though.
As for airport personnel, it astounds me at times. We;ve been fortunate, with the exception of the jerk, but it’s eery how you can’t say anything, the attitude of some. On the flip side, we get people who think they’re above everyone else, above being searched. That’s the problem I had with the woman with the sippy cup. She was trying to control her toddler (I think the kid was a toddler but not sure) and couldn’t control him/her, was frustrated, and flipped out on the sippy cup thing. To me, she came off as inconvenienced and expected everyone to give her a pass because she was traveling with a child.
It sounds to me like you are doing a fine job of child rearing.
Not on my husband’s and my watch. We homeschool them, partially to prevent that, especially since we live in Massachusetts.
They do have big mouths. We got on the plane for their first plane ride, and after they settled down, one of my sons hollered to me, “Mom, there isn’t a bomb on this plane, is there?”.
I was sure someone with jackboots would throw us off the plane, or some of the nearby passengers would freak out.
Where’s the duct tape when I need it?
Yes, I noted that. Well said.
Yes darling, but it's OK it's only the one I packed, what are the odds that two people bring a bomb onto the same plane???
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