'This Is Not Right'

KOMO 1000 News (Radio) ^ | June 1, 2005 | Kevin Reece

[ActionNewsBill]

'This Is Not Right'

June 1, 2005
 
By Kevin Reece

DES MOINES - Cecilia Beaman is a 57-year-old grandmother, a principal at Pacific Middle School in Des Moines, and as of Sunday is also a suspected terrorist.

"This is not right," she told us. It's not right!"

This past weekend she and several other chaperones took 37 middle school students to a Heritage Festival band competition in California. The trip included two days at Disneyland.

During the stay she made sandwiches for the kids and was careful to pack the knives she used to prepare those sandwiches in her checked luggage. She says she even alerted security screeners that the knives were in her checked bags and they told her that was OK.

But Beaman says she couldn't find a third knife. It was a 5 1/2 inch bread knife with a rounded tip and a serrated edge. She thought she might have lost or misplaced it during the trip.

On the trip home, screeners with the Transportation Security Administration at Los Angeles International Airport found it deep in the outside pocket of a carry-on cooler. Beaman apologized and told them it was a mistake.

"You've committed a felony," Beaman says a security screener announced. "And you're considered a terrorist."

Beaman says she was told her name would go on a terrorist watch-list and that she would have to pay a $500 fine.

"I'm a 57-year-old woman who is taking care of 37 kids," she told them. "I'm not gonna commit a terrorist act." Beaman says they took information from her Washington drivers license and confiscated and photographed the knife according to standard operating procedure.

She says screeners refused to give her paperwork or documentation of her violation, documentation of the pending fine, or a copy of the photograph of the knife.

"They said 'no' and they said it's a national security issue. And I said what about my constitutional rights? And they said 'not at this point ... you don't have any'."

KOMO News did reach a spokesperson with the Transportation Security Administration for comment. They said they did not have record of Beaman's confrontation but did admit that TSA screeners are, by design, becoming more strict.

Despite continued warnings to passengers, TSA screeners say travelers continue to bring banned items in their carry-on luggage. Knives, guns, and other weapons are found and confiscated daily.

Fines issued for knives and other sharp objects range from $250 to $1,500. Fines issued for firearms discovered in carry-on luggage range from $1,500 to $7,500.

The TSA web site also indicates firearms violations will be referred for potential criminal prosecution. The same site does not propose the same criminal referral for knives like the one Cecilia Beaman was carrying.

"This is not the way my country should be treating me," she said. My concern is that if that's the way they're treating American citizens I would hate to think how they're treating other people. It's crazy."

The TSA reminds travelers that is has the authority to impose civil penalties up to $10,000 per violation.

"TSA needs the help of the traveling public in reducing the number of prohibited items brought to airport screening checkpoints," reads the Sanction Guidelines section of the TSA web site. "TSA recognizes that most passengers who carry prohibited items do so without any ill intent. TSA does not impose fines on the vast number of passengers who inadvertently carry prohibited items. Dealing with any prohibited item, however, adds time to the screening process both for the traveler who brought the item and for other travelers as well."

You can find a complete list of banned items, range of fines levied for violations, and information on how to plead your case with the TSA at www.tsa.gov.

[Hatteras]

"Do you know that she ever has?"

Ever has what? Thought twice? Probably not... ;-)

[SeeRushToldU_So]

btttt

[JimRed]

I'm a 57-year-old woman who is taking care of 37 kids," she told them. "I'm not gonna commit a terrorist act."

Sounds like a pretty good cover for the rare female suicide knifer.... < /sarc >

[ActionNewsBill]

What's at fault is a Liberal mindset: Political Correctness

You do have a point there.

We should be profiling passengers much in the same way the Israelis do.

[AndyJackson]

security companies would still follow the same idiotic policies because not to would invite lawsuits by the ACLU

Man you need to get a grip. Arresting teachers because a student had a butter knife is not going to stave off the ACLU. In fact, I would applaud loudly if it invited an ACLU lawsuit. There are a lot of fascist mindless bureaucrats working in this country. They are motiviated by lots of other things besides PC. Liberalism is not the root of all evil in the US.

[Leatherneck_MT]

"They said 'no' and they said it's a national security issue. And I said what about my constitutional rights? And they said 'not at this point ... you don't have any'."

Unbelieveable.

No, really it's not unbelievable. We have surrendered our rights under the constitution to the Government for safety and security.

This is not unbelievable in the least

This was inevitable.

[Erik Latranyi]

If this is how we treat citizens, all is lost.

What was done that was so bad? As far as I can tell, no arrest, no beatings, only allegations of words.

[laredo44]

She's a member of a teachers' union, I imagine. I'm not eager to side with her either. Democrats lie.

Too much about this story that simply doesn't add up.

1. What teacher/administrator prepares sandwiches for students on a school trip? And why did she need 3 knives?

2. A five and a half inch Bread knife? I've never had a bread knife that small. And why the detail about a rounded tip? I know it gives the appearance of a less dangerous weapon, but why was it provided to the reporter? I mean of all the things you'd be saying about your "ordeal" is that one of the important ones?

3. She sure seemed ready for a confrontation. "What about my constitutional rights?" Requesting all sorts of documentation...not that that's a bad idea, but many people in that situation can be confused. She's a pretty fast thinker, UNLESS, she had thought about this situation before hand.

4. On the trip home, screeners with the Transportation Security Administration at Los Angeles International Airport found it deep in the outside pocket of a carry-on cooler.

So why wasn't it found on the outbound trip. Xray equipment doesn't care if it was "deep inside" something.

5. "This is not the way my country should be treating me," she said. My concern is that if that's the way they're treating American citizens I would hate to think how they're treating other people. It's crazy." It looks like she went into the airport prepared for a confrontation.

She sounds like a trouble maker who is thinking lawsuit or wanted some ammo for the leftwing to attack the homeland security laws. I'd love to know her politics (and if she were a conservative, I'm sure the article would have told me).

[Erik Latranyi]

You think that this 57 YO grandma is being used by the terrorists for nefarious purposes?

I think this 57yo grandma COULD be used by terrorists. That is why screening her is the right thing to do.

[DugwayDuke]

"Without outstanding citizens such as you, we could all be murdered by little old ladies with their dangerous wheel chairs. "

You don't think a terrorist could rig a wheel chair as a remotely detonated bomb without the knowledge of the 'little old lady'? Do you really think that one must be muslim and from the middle east to be a threat?

BTW, I do appreciate your awarding me the title of 'outstanding citizen'. It means so much to me.

[ClearCase_guy]

You think that this 57 YO grandma is being used by the terrorists for nefarious purposes?
Unbelievable.

Terrorists learn. In 1993 they used a car bomb in an effort to destroy the WTC. Didn't work. The US investigation revealed that, structurally, the WTC was built to survive the impact of a jetliner. Great. When the terrorists tried again, they didn't use a car-bomb. They didn't use a jetliner. They used TWO jetliners. Terrorists learn.

If innocent old ladies are allowed on jetliners with knives, terrorists will learn from that. And at some point in the future, an indoctrinated or duped old lady will be on a plane with a knife. And she will hand it to an athletic young man with a turban.

Terrorists learn.

[Erik Latranyi]

They can also use threats against family members as well. But if you're just looking for an excuse to bash the Bush administration, this will work as well as any.

Correct. Is it me or is FR sounding more like DU?

[JimRed]

To unknown: Sick-ass SOB! get back to DU where you belong, and take your Nazi scum pals with you!

[Hunble]

I have always laughed about this knife issue.

In my home, I have many ceramic knives that would pass though the airport metal detectors and never be detected.

[stevem]

Fines issued for knives and other sharp objects range from $250 to $1,500. Fines issued for firearms discovered in carry-on luggage range from $1,500 to $7,500.

It doesn't sound as though this was a sharp item.

That Israeli security guy in LA a while back that shot that terrorist has it about right. Authorities in the US don't know much about security. They only know how to annoy people.

[tahiti]

"That is true, since President Bush could sign an Executive Order to halt this TSA stupidity at any time."

I don't think he can.

The way I understand EO's they only have jurisdiction on federal property.

The blame is definitely placed on the Republicans.

A Republican Congress passed a Democrat conceived bill, (make no mistake about it, this type of unconstitutional legislation, the Patriot Act, has been brewing in the bowels of the federal bureaucracy for years, whom are all Democrats) and a Republican president signed it.

So much for "conservatives" conserving the Constitution.

The ultimate responsibility and blame for the loss of life and destruction of private property by airplanes being used as missiles on 9/11 is on the shoulders of all of the citizens, politicians, and judges who have supported the unconstituional activity of our federal government.

That unconstitutional activity was the prohibition of a private property owners, the airlines, from exerting their Amendment II and Amendment IX right to invite their customer's to help secure their property and fellow passengers safety from the terror of a hijacker, by letting them bring their arms onboard.

No terrorist would ever attempt to hijack an airplane with the possibility of 10, 30, 70 armed passengers on board.

The probabiliy of success would be virtually zero.

We unconstitutionally disarm ourselves, then act surprised when we become victims of crimminals and terrorists.

The defniniton of insane is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.

[OldEagle]

"Well, maybe at least she'll think twice the next time she suspends some 1st grader for drawing a picture of a knife or gun."

Touche'

[JimRed]

Do you really think that one must be muslim and from the middle east to be a threat?

No, all Muslims from anywhere are suspect, as well as all the liberals they manage to dupe!

[DugwayDuke]

"A butter knife? Man get f'n real."

This 'butter knife' was five and one half inches long with a serrated edge. Could it have been used as a weapon? Certainly.

The woman was well aware that it was a prohibited item but was to lackadaisical to make sure her luggage was free of such items. One can only wonder just how careful she was to ensure other items were not packed in her bag as well.