Son taken from Mom at Airport Security

[bumbershoot]

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.

Things were so confused then...we flew 9/18 from Seattle to Baltimore, and in Seattle I was thoroughly wanded b/c of my underwire, but they could not have cared less about the 2 inch long metal hair thingies I had. And I had something like 8 of them holding my waist-long thick hair up in a bun, and they were double-sided. And half of them had lost the soft coating, so they were sharp. I even took one out to ask if they would be a problem, and as she was wanding my chest she said it wasn't something they were concerned about. Ohhhhkayyyyy.



I don't know where this blog is b/c the link is gone, but it sounds really weird. A few flights ago out of LAX hubby's shorts zipper set off the machine, then DS went through and was waiting for me. As I went through I set off the machine, and they were just about to take me away, pointing to another area, and I simply said "I can't leave my son, he's only 4". They seemed to be thinking this through when the passenger behind me reminded me that I was wearing an inch wide barrette. Yeah, obviously LAX's machines had just been recalibrated and set WAY too strong...anyway, they didn't seem that they were going to drag me away; it was just that they forgot for the moment. I'm sure if I'd started freaking out it wouldn't have gone as easily as it went.

 

[brasswillow]

I Googled her post and read through it. It sounds like an inconvenient situation (no one wants to be detained/search) that was escalated by underlying issues; she said she had an emergency Xanax in her pocket. I don't think what the TSA did was unreasonable.

Traveling is stressful enough for most people that being detained plus having anxiety issues would only exaggerate the situation.

 

[Carly_Roach]

I just read the blog and watched the video (no audio). I saw where the baby was never out of her sight. On her part, I saw lots of hand-waving, lots of attitude and lots of defensive body language: prime red flags for TSA agents that someone might be hiding something and that they needed to use extra caution. Not only did they have to be cautious with her because of her behavior, but they needed to be on heightened alert that this passenger may be causing a distraction so an accomplice can get through more easily.

It seems to have turned out that this was merely a passenger prone to hysteria, however, TSA has no way of knowing that until they verify and make sure there isn't something else going on. They have to be right 100% of the time; a person trying to get a bomb on the plane only has to be right once.

Personally, I'm praying that this woman is tagged and will never occupy the exit row of any airplane as long as she lives. If she can't cope emotionally with a simple TSA screening, how the heck is she ever going to cope with a real emergency where other people's lives may be at stake?

 

[LexiC123]

Unbelievable.

Here's the link to the TSA blog and the actual video of her "traumatic experience": http://www.tsa.gov/blog/2009/10/response-to-tsa-agents-took-my-son.html

The moral of the story, boys and girls, is that if you're gonna tell tales on the internet, make sure there are no cameras around that will expose you as a big, fat liar.

 

[mrsklamc]

I'm shocked at how many people are commenting on the TSA blog, "well, 10 minutes is still too long."
A) that's ridiculous, and
B) probably wouldn't have taken 10 minutes if she hadn't thrown a fit and made herself look suspicious.

 

[*BTMRR*]

After seeing the footage, I can't even begin to fathom where she came up with her story. I didn't see anything even remotely inappropriate, let alone child abduction...

 

[nuke]

Unbelievable.

Here's the link to the TSA blog and the actual video of her "traumatic experience": http://www.tsa.gov/blog/2009/10/response-to-tsa-agents-took-my-son.html

The moral of the story, boys and girls, is that if you're gonna tell tales on the internet, make sure there are no cameras around that will expose you as a big, fat liar.

Ain't that the truth. What a whackadoodle!

 

[Starbrite]

For anyonewho watched the video...

What did she have stuffed up her pantleg that they took from her? Was that her Xanax stash

What a loon! Looks like the comments section disappeared from her blog.

 

[mrsklamc]

She talks about having been raped. I almost hate to even think this but I hope she didn't ruin some poor boy's life because he took her out for drinks!

 

[MushyMushy]

Wow, it sure sounds like this lady needs some mental help. It says on her blog that she's a freelance writer, though, so maybe she's just used to embellishing her stories.

Either way, it just goes to show that you can't believe everything you read. For the most part, I take people on message boards at their word and try to support them when they need it, but I hope nobody ever goes this far with it.

 

[SAHDad]

For anyonewho watched the video...

What did she have stuffed up her pantleg that they took from her? Was that her Xanax stash

What a loon! Looks like the comments section disappeared from her blog.

From what I have read, it was a knee brace. Parts of her blog are down (either due to high traffic, or to avoid embarrassment, take your pick), but some regular readers have mentioned that she tore her knee a few weeks ago, and was taking Vicodin or something.

 

[CathrynRose]

Unbelievable.

Here's the link to the TSA blog and the actual video of her "traumatic experience": http://www.tsa.gov/blog/2009/10/response-to-tsa-agents-took-my-son.html

The moral of the story, boys and girls, is that if you're gonna tell tales on the internet, make sure there are no cameras around that will expose you as a big, fat liar.

Wow - thanks for the video link.

Freaking loon.

 

[mrsklamc]

Yeah, and now her blog says 'people should move on,' even though she acknowledges that it's her on the video and the accounts do match....so pretty much she should be free to lie without consequence...she should run for office! (either side, mods, it's a joke!)

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I noticed the time stamps on the videos. The very first one started at 10:55:14 showing her approaching the conveyor belt and the very last one at 11:04:31 showed her leaving the security area with her child in the stroller. So from start to finish was 9:17. And if she was worried that she had only 45 minutes to catch her flight, ar worst it would have given her over a half hour after leaving.

 

[MushyMushy]

I noticed the time stamps on the videos. The very first one started at 10:55:14 showing her approaching the conveyor belt and the very last one at 11:04:31 showed her leaving the security area with her child in the stroller. So from start to finish was 9:17. And if she was worried that she had only 45 minutes to catch her flight, ar worst it would have given her over a half hour after leaving.

But she needed time to go crumble in a quivering heap in the bathroom and to call her husband and mother to drag them in on her drama! Not to mention all her tweets. Now we know, that's where all her time went.

 

[Jennasis]

I am sure this woman is a loon. A drama prone loon. HOWEVER (eheheheeee) I myselftravel with "emergency Xanax". I keep it in my purse at all times. One, because DH suffers from GAD, and while he thankfully hasn't had an attack in a long time, you never know when one will strike. Two, I am terrified of flying but I still have to do it sometimes. The Xanax does not make either him or me into "zombies". These are the lowest dose pills (.25mg). What they DO do (hahaha I said do do!) is to quickly end a an anxiety/panic attack, or in the case of flying, stop one from happening.

But this lady sounds like a winner. Caught on tape and everything!

 

[Disney Doll]

Like I said way back at the beginning...whackjob.

 

[Tiggernut_jadie]

The woman is clearly a) Nuts and b ) a complete drama queen.....move on indeed!

 

[Darsa]

Whackadoodle... I love that term

 

[DizBelle]

I have a question, once you are put in the "plastic box", who is responsible for your belongings that were on the conveyor? What assurances do you have that someone won't just walk off with your stuff?

I read somewhere that the box is plastic so you can keep any eye on them. What, exactly, are you supposed to do if you see someone taking off with your stuff? You can't leave the box can you?