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  1. dianne says

    No, they’re not. That’s the scary thing. They really do think that it’s perfectly reasonable to terrify a 4 year old because she hugged her grandmother. They’re probably saying how the family should just be thankful that they didn’t arrest them all as terrorists.

  2. wholething says

    As I went through security, the lady behind me advised them that she had pins in her shoulder and would fail the metal detector so she would have to be taken aside. Her carry-on items were just behind mine. As I was putting on my shoes, the agent took her tray to her but her belt had fallen out. When she asked for it the agent didn’t seem to hear so I handed it to her. I had been through security and the item had been checked. I held the end of the belt and she grabbed the middle so we were not within a foot of each other. But according to TSA rules, I had to have a pat down, too. It was the best sex I had all day.

  3. dianne says

    I once got patted down because I refused to go through the scanner. I spent the time speculating about the risks of standing near an open radiation source all day…two if you count the x-ray machines that the luggage goes through. Oddly enough, I did not get arrested. Passing white privilege perhaps or maybe I just inherently sound more like a nerd than a terrorist.

    I was also patted down once in Heathrow in a random spot check. The TSA person in the US spent a lot of time telling me exactly where she was putting her hands and why, as though to say, “Really, I’m not being a creep.” The Heathrow security person just did a quick tap, tap, tap, demanded to know what I had in my pocket (used kleenex was the unfortunate answer…hadn’t found a trash yet…she immediately lost interest when I offered to surrender it) and let me go. the Heathrow experience was far less creepy than the American one.

  4. timberwoof says

    a TSO threatened to shut down the airport and cancel all flights if Izzy was not restrained.

    Yeah, go ahead. Shut down the whole fucking airport over a hug between a four-year-old and her granny. I’m sure everyone will appreciate how much safer they are because of that action. And I for one would not apply any social pressure to the family that had to endure that. Nope, you will not get me to play along to get the rest of the herd to comply. I’d offer sympathetic looks to the family and harrumphs to the TSA agents. It would be their fucking fault they shut down the airport, not the little girl’s.

    “I order you to stop crying!”

    Yeah, right. When parents say that sort of thing to their children, we call it abuse. When the TSA says it, it’s in all our best interest. Or something. Grrrr.

  5. says

    Shalom Y’all,

    Yes, the whole process is meaningless Kabuki, until an officer uses their head, ignores the written guidelines and a planeload of Americans comes crashing into the ground killing hundreds or thousands more in the resulting fireball.

    Does anyone believe that the outrage might be less outrageous if little Izzy and her family weren’t white? I do.

    Life is risk. As long as we demand that our elected officials and hired public servants keep us safe, we are getting exactly what we deserve.

    B’shalom,

    Jeff

  6. timberwoof says

    Dianne said, “They’re probably saying how the family should just be thankful that they didn’t arrest them all as terrorists.”

    Close enough:

    “TSA has reviewed the incident and determined that our officers followed proper screening procedures in conducting a modified pat-down on the child,” the agency said.

    Croft said that for the first few nights after coming home, Isabelle had nightmares and talked about kidnappers. She said TSA agents had shouted at the girl, telling her to calm down and saying the suspect wasn’t cooperating.

    TSA defends pat-down of 4-year-old at Kan. airport By ROXANA HEGEMAN, Associated Press

    The TSA are training either the next generation of sheeple … or revolutionaries.

  7. says

    There will never again be a terrorist attack against an American plane that kills thousands of people. Out of all of the completely meaningless security theater that has been put in place since 9/11, there are three things that have actually improved security significantly:

    1. Locked and hardened cockpit.
    2. Passengers are liable to jump anybody who tries anything.
    3. Hijacked planes will not be tolerated flying into populated areas.

    Between 1 and 2, it’s essentially impossible to hijack an American plane anymore. And 3 means that even if somebody manages to pull it off, the highest death tool they can achieve is to kill all of the passengers and crew, but no significant casualties on the ground.

  8. Dianne says

    The TSA are training either the next generation of sheeple … or revolutionaries.

    Yes. They’re training both. People will either play along or rebel however they can. Or both.

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