TSA agent makes 4-year old take leg braces off and "walk on his own"!

[Bluebear]

This happened to Bob Thomas, a 53-year-old officer in Camden's emergency crime suppression team, who was flying to Orlando in March with his wife, Leona, and their son, Ryan.

Ryan was taking his first flight, to Walt Disney World, for his fourth birthday.

The boy is developmentally delayed, one of the effects of being born 16 weeks prematurely. His ankles are malformed and his legs have low muscle tone. In March he was just starting to walk.

Mid-morning on March 19, his parents wheeled his stroller to the TSA security point, a couple of hours before their Southwest Airlines flight was to depart.

The boy's father broke down the stroller and put it on the conveyor belt as Leona Thomas walked Ryan through the metal detector.

The alarm went off.

The screener told them to take off the boy's braces.

The Thomases were dumbfounded. "I told them he can't walk without them on his own," Bob Thomas said.

"He said, 'He'll need to take them off.' "

Ryan's mother offered to walk him through the detector after they removed the braces, which are custom-made of metal and hardened plastic.

No, the screener replied. The boy had to walk on his own.

Leona Thomas said she was calm. Bob Thomas said he was starting to burn.

They complied, and Leona went first, followed by Ryan, followed by Bob, so the boy wouldn't be hurt if he fell. Ryan made it through.

By then, Bob Thomas was furious. He demanded to see a supervisor. The supervisor asked what was wrong.

"I told him, 'This is overkill. He's 4 years old. I don't think he's a terrorist.' "

The supervisor replied, "You know why we're doing this," Thomas said.

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/home_region/20100215_Daniel_Rubin__Another_case_of_TSA_overkill.html

[virgogal]

1. Friggin madness.

[Bobbieo]

4. I doubt I will ever fly again. I have two hips and a knee replaced and ding every time I go through

a metal detector.

[rox63]

10. Weird - I've got a metal rod in my back, and I've never had the metal detector ding over them

Maybe a different sort of metal? :shrug:

[SharonAnn]

14. I have metal rods in my back and lots of hooks and screws. No problems.

[virgogal]

13. Awful. My son-in-law is heading out tomorrow on a 5000 mile trip

with his 80 year old mother.

They dread it,and both have been flying for years.

It really used to be fun----I took my first commercial flight in 1954 and I was treated like a queen. No More.

[elocs]

2. From this morning here at DU with 21 Recs:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4271330

[dgibby]

3. Jack Cafferty is mopping the floor with the TSA as I type.

He just mentioned it on the Cafferty File on CNN and it's this hour's question. I'd hate to be stupid enough to come to Jack's attention!

[upi402]

6. another great journalist

not many out there getting on the propaganda tube

[dgibby]

18. I love Jack. He takes NO prisoners. n/t

[Zywiec]

5. From Monday here at DU with 25 Recs:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7718218

[monmouth]

7. I look forward to the Shakespeare Fest. this summer in New York

and absolutely will walk it before getting on a plane. Amtrak, a lovely ride and right to the station. Screw the airlines.

[Grand Taurean]

8. And you want to unionize them?

No way in hell!

[Name removed]

20. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[msanthrope]

9. And this is why I go to Disney by Autotrain......

I pack what I want in my own friggin' car.

I have fun with my kid and SO on the train.....a decent meal, a relaxing night.

Highly recommend.

[walldude]

11. THe supervisor replied "Fuck You we do what ever we want no matter

how fucking stupid it seems to someone with a functioning brain.

[housewolf]

12. This happened some time ago... TSA has since apologized and said

that it never should have happened

[ConcernedCanuk]

15. USA - Land of the free, and home of the brave . . . hmmmm

.
.
.

Myself, I decided NEVER to visit the USA again in my lifetime after watching portions of "Shock and Awe" - it worked - I'm shocked - and remain shocked at the slaughter that continues since the initial onslaught of Baghdad . .

I have visited the USA dozens of times in the past, but I don't NEED to, so I ain't gonna.

I feel safer walking unarmed through bear country in Northern Ontario than "braving" the paranoid Homeland Security dudes of our southern neighbors.

I think the Founders of the USA would be a might disappointed in the direction the USA is heading . . .

just a tad methinks . .

[a la izquierda]

16. oh fuck me...

i'm so tired of hearing this crazy shit.

[jberryhill]

17. Nobody Complained When Jesus Made The Lame Walk.

It's a miracle. Hallelujah!

[Loge23]

19. All TSA involved should be fired immediately!

This entire charade at the airport has gotten way past the point of outrage.
In reading some of the posters on this and the other linked thread, I can see that many of us have had issues with these clowns.
My brother is retired law enforcement - he's worse than me about these morons. He thinks they intentionally bait law enforcement personnel as a part of some wacky "who's the boss now" game.
This episode is totally without justification. A police officer, his wife, and a 4 year old in braces. How can this possibly be justified?
Fire them immediately, on the spot, and let walk away in shame through the crowds of people waiting to be abused by their totally fascist tactics.
I can't imagine how the father was able to control his temper. I couldn't.
The last time I had the misfortune of flying I noticed that some people will now try to curry favor by smiling and agreeing with their phony authority either verbally or with body language. I say be as belligerent and reluctantly cooperative as possible. It may slow you down a bit while they run your sneakers through their useless machine, but I refuse to yield to the invaders.
This agency, the TSA, is every bit as dangerous to our freedom as those whom they purport to "protect" us from.
I despise them and I make no effort to hide that fact.

[sfwriter]

21. Makes me burn with anger...

I hate flying now and avoid it.

[MrScorpio]

22. Now they're turning into televangelist

"HEEEEEAL!"

[sharesunited]

23. WHEN did this happen? Wasn't it like a year ago? Why is it being used to smear now?

[Bluebear]

27. I don't know, this was published today. Email the writer & let us know!

[sharesunited]

28. It happened last MARCH. Dredged up now for reasons which smell Republican.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hkbBrITz_yiUxh-QqFYFxfJ70ObwD9DTHCLG1

[Jamastiene]

24. What is probably going to happen next is that his health insurance company

is going to subpoena video of the event and say, "See? Your son CAN walk without those braces. So, we aren't going to cover them any more."

They look for stuff like that so they can deny coverage.

[JVS]

25. It's like a modern dystopian version of the miracle worker

[JackBeck]

26. Disgusting.

If I was in line watching all of this go down, I'd either be filled with an unhealthy amount of rage, or unable to control the tears while witnessing this injustice.