Son taken from Mom at Airport Security

[ford family]

Another vote for Drama Queen!

I can see being very P.O.ed at the TSA agents for removing the kid to search him further, but I can't see getting into a total panic over it. What did she think they were going to do to the child? They were Federal agents; it's hardly likely they were going to kidnap or torture him.

I think her main concern would have been how her child would react to being taken away from its mother by a stranger rather than kidnap and torture! Now who is being melodramatic?
As for the TSA, they have a reputation for making a difficult job more difficult and Atlanta, our gateway three or four times a year, has its fair share of surly jobsworths.

ford family

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

Wow. What a drama queen. I'll admit, I stopped reading it because it was irritating, but really? If you a mother, you need to have a little bit more control over your emotions and not freak out like she did. If it happened exactly like she said, yep, I would be p/o'd. But crying, getting into such a snit that she is blacking out, how does that help the kid?

Sounds like this mom needs more than the occasional travel Xanax. I agree Drama Queen/nutcase.

 

[MushyMushy]

wow...I do think she is being heavy on the drama BUT no one has the right to take your baby from you for no legal reason..it was a pacie clip!I also do not agree about the comments about her taking the 1 xanax....for someone who may take xanax at a higher dose 1 xanax was most likely fine for HER where it may not be fine for some.While I think she should calm down I think people are being a little hard on her....I have seen people here get OUTRAGED that a teacher gave their child a check in class but no one has sympathy for this lady who was alone and had her baby taken out of her arms? crazy or not I feel bad for her.

Oh I have sympathy for her. I just think she sounds like she's completely incapable of handling a stressful situation like that and should probably not travel alone with her son.

I'd be ticked if that had happened to me. But I sure wouldn't be traveling alone with a child if I couldn't handle myself properly!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Without any explanation he was pulled from the line & brought to some other area. They later told him that they considered him to be a male travelling alone, despite the fact that he was in line with me and our 3 children, and that set off a red flag.

Huh?

My husband travels on a regular basis as a single male--and um---he doesn't get flagged on that premise alone.

 

[Embel]

Huh?

My husband travels on a regular basis as a single male--and um---he doesn't get flagged on that premise alone.

I know it's strange. The funny thing is, my husband does travel alone for work all the time, and has never been singled out for it, except this time. We were sunburned, the kids were holding Disney World bags, and our drivers licenses show that we have the same last name and address. It was sort of a no-brainer. The reason his ticket was purchased separately was because his company paid for it.

Honestly, the whole experience was strange.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I noticed one of the people who commented on the article said something about following her tweets as this was going on.

I am searched every time I go through security becuase I have a metal hip and also am not able to remove or put on my shoes while standing up. And I tend to do at least five airline round trips per year.

I will always use several bins for my stuff; my carry-on bag goes through by itself, the computer has to be in its own bin, and the third is my computer bag and any metal junque from my pockets. Plus a cane. but normally the TSA Agent will put everything together at the end of the rollers within easy visual range of me, but I am not allowed to touch any of it until they are done both wanding me and patting me down.

I am afraid that her response was outrqgeous and unfortunately will fit the profile of a person who is trying to hide something. She mentioned at one point in the article that she had 45 minutes to get to the flight, and then right after she left she then was told by someone from Delata that she only had five minutes; this is illogical. Unless the Delta person told her that "boarding will start" in five minutes.

 

[bicker]

Hmm, I think there is more to the story. ... I would like to hear both sides before I decided...

A blog is a tough thing to base a decision on.

... I think their is a lot more to this story then what she is telling.

I am finding it a little hard to believe that it all happened just the way she said. ... Something smells bad and it ain't the kid's diaper.

I'm thinking I would like to hear the other side of the story before I comment..

I think there is more to the story too.

I think that these comments indicate the general case, even when the claims sound less outlandish, or are delivered with less clearly-evident embellishment. I suspect that this is not the relatively rare instance of someone making something up on the Internet, but rather is the relatively rare instance of it being pretty darned obvious. Many other instances are cases where people have simply managed to tell their fabricated story better.

 

[nuke]

If she feels that strongly she needs to file a formal complaint not blog about it.

 

[CathrynRose]

I was sent that link via a g/f - and only had read that one blog entry.

I poked arounf a bit more, and it appears her husband is a pilot? Perhaps - I dunno....

You know, I would be lying if I said I wouldn't have been pretty stinking ticked if they decided to go search my 18 mos old out of my view.

Perhaps her husband, being a pilot, got her out of any 'trouble' she normally would have gotten into with the freak out, she had?

And she was tweeting while this happened? I missed that, until I read comments.

 

[MsDisney23]

Not buying any of it, it's her on personal blog. anyone can write anything.. I think this would had made the national news or something, not just her writing it on her own blog.. Just my 2 cents.....

 

[Hazzard101]

I have compassion for this mother and her understandable concern for her child's safety, that said , there are a few things that make this story a case of over reaction and screams for her to be treated like a risk.

1. Getting testy with the person who made her walk through the second time.
2. Causing a ruckus when asked to sit down and wait for a female.
3. calling out to female agents when she was asked to wait( I would think she was not being very friendly or cooperative as she was dong all this)
4. The fact that she was Twittering during this but can't remember calling her husband, having the focus to Twit while having a nervous breakdown.
5. Profanity while other people are coming through the security check point with other children possibly in earshot, not to mention talking to the TSA agents like that is as bad as swearing at a police officer.
6. Last but not least, she was carrying narcotics on her person and I am betting it was not in the prescription bottle they could have arrested her for narcotics. If you are carrying any prescription medication you need to have the bottle with you or the prescription at hand.

All these things made this person a prime suspect for a search and made her look suspicious.
People need to consider their actions when they are in the security are of an airport.

 

[blissventure]

This incident has made it to Consumer Traveler. Link below. Thoughtful, well reasoned read about the blogger's experience and reactions. Also included are suggestions, comments AND a reply from TSA.

http://www.consumertraveler.com/today/what-to-do-if-the-tsa-abducts-your-baby/

 

[cjmo75]

It seems this story is growing and I think the TSA will probably comment on it soon. I've found several blogs posting about it, including my own. If you do a Google search, you'll find increasing publicity on the story.You can click on my home page link to read my blog post and another great post was written by a travel blog called "Elliot".

 

[nicolemomof4cuties]

We met the RUDEST people at the scanner majig thing in Orlando. One of my DD had put a can of sunscreen that we had bought at WDW in one of our carry-on's without our knowledge and you would've thought that we were freakin tryin to smuggle crack or something LOL! The lady was like " So what are you going to do?!" After scanning the bag 3 times and asking me if it had anything sharp in it 3 times..... I told her "well, Maam, throw it away quite obviously" My DH could've just died laughhing. I mean we were freakin lugging 4 children and all of their luggage through MCO and trying to get to the plane. Do we really want to miss it because we love our sunscreen oh, so much? What kind of idiots do they hire? It was truly a different world from they Indy airport- that's for sure.

 

[mrsklamc]

Sounds like they escalated the situation because she copped an attitude about the pacifier clip. Did little miss 'it's all about ME' think about how she made her husband feel when she called him up, announced their son had been taken, and hung up without explaining herself?

She reminds me of my mother who was too 'devastated' by her father's death to drag herself to the funeral home to help with the arrangements and sent my brother instead. Somehow, my grandma was able to cope.

And if you think dropping [edited]at the tsa agents is EVER 1)appropriate 2) going to help the situation (which is your JOB as the parent) you are so stupid you shouldn't have reproduced in the first place.

As for the article, of COURSE the people commenting on twitter are supportive, they are probably her friends!

 

[MelessaG]

My favorite moment was when my cousin and I flew stand-by from OKC to Seattle when our grandfather passed away. We were flagged for our one-way tickets. I had my five month-old baby with me. One TSA agent said "Ma'am, you're going to have to put the baby down and let her walk through (the metal detector) by herself." Not at 5 mos. old. Another TSA agent (that knew something about babies) just had me hold her straight out from my body and took her from me so I could go through alone. It was 2002, so I get that people were still nervous, but a 5 month-old baby can't usually walk, even through an airport security checkpoint.

I'm not sure what to think of this ladies' story.

 

[nuke]

My favorite moment was when my cousin and I flew stand-by from OKC to Seattle when our grandfather passed away. We were flagged for our one-way tickets. I had my five month-old baby with me. One TSA agent said "Ma'am, you're going to have to put the baby down and let her walk through (the metal detector) by herself." Not at 5 mos. old. Another TSA agent (that knew something about babies) just had me hold her straight out from my body and took her from me so I could go through alone. It was 2002, so I get that people were still nervous, but a 5 month-old baby can't usually walk, even through an airport security checkpoint.

I'm not sure what to think of this ladies' story.

At least she didn't expect you to put the baby on the belt and have her go through the machine.

 

[MelessaG]

At least she didn't expect you to put the baby on the belt and have her go through the machine.

True!

 

[Nancy]

I'm thinking I would like to hear the other side of the story before I comment..

me too

I think there is more to the story too.

First she gives details about the call she made to her husband. Then later says she has absolutely no recollection of calling her husband.

And if she was in such a state that she can't remember calling her husband, how can we trust that her recollection of the rest of the story is accurate?

I was reading it and was trying to figure out how she got the cell phone. She said a few times how her items were kept out of reach but she was able to sneak her cell phone and the TSA agents didn't see her calling people or tweeting? She called her mom yelling the baby is gone and grandma didn't freak out thinking the child had been kidnapped? She didn't remember calling her husband but can reall it in detail for the blog? Big time drama...I would love to hear from someone who was a witness (and impartial) as to what really happened.

 

[npmommie]

My favorite moment was when my cousin and I flew stand-by from OKC to Seattle when our grandfather passed away. We were flagged for our one-way tickets. I had my five month-old baby with me. One TSA agent said "Ma'am, you're going to have to put the baby down and let her walk through (the metal detector) by herself." Not at 5 mos. old. Another TSA agent (that knew something about babies) just had me hold her straight out from my body and took her from me so I could go through alone. It was 2002, so I get that people were still nervous, but a 5 month-old baby can't usually walk, even through an airport security checkpoint.

I'm not sure what to think of this ladies' story.