Utah man posts video of TSA searching shirtless boy

[CreekDog]

Source: Salt Lake Tribune

...The video, posted on YouTube by Utah Valley University student Luke Tait, shows a young boy being patted down while he is wearing no shirt. The filmer, Luke Tait, wrote that “the boy was shy so the TSA couldn’t complete” the search.

The child was physically resisting agents, Tait said.

“Twice before the video starts, his dad had to hold him and pulled his arms up in a V-shape to allow the TSA agent to continue,” he told The Salt Lake Tribune.

The father pulled the boy’s shirt off “in frustration,” prompting an agent to shout, “Sir, sir!” Tait said.

In a statement posted late Sunday to the TSA’s blog, a spokesperson wrote that the father removed the boy’s shirt “in an effort to expedite the screening.”

...

Tait said he walked toward the father and son to talk with them after agents sent them into the terminal, but a man in a dark suit pulled him aside. The man had just been speaking with TSA agents, Tait said, but he did not show a badge or identify himself.

“He started to question me: ‘Why was I recording the procedures of TSA?’ ‘What are your plans with this video?’ ” Tait said. “I said it looked like something was going on; I never saw a shirtless young boy getting patted down.”

The man then told Tait to delete the video in front of him, arguing the video invaded the family’s privacy.

“I said, ‘I’m not going to do that,’ ... and left for my gate.”

...
Tait’s video, which had been viewed nearly 190,000 times on YouTube as of Sunday night, was posted on the heels of debate over whether pat-downs and full-body scans are invasive security measures.

Read more: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/50725057-76/tait-tsa-video-shirt.html.csp

---

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSQTz1bccL4

[Whoa_Nelly]

1. From the guy who made the video...

from his youtube statement: (go to the youtube link in the OP here and read his statement)

My gate was a long way off, but about 15 minutes after arriving 2 TSA agents came and sat 15 feet or so away from me. I stood up and moved so that they were in front of me and then took a picture. A 3rd and then a 4th agent came and sat down with the others. They would occasionally glance at me and talk on their walkie-talkies. I don't know why they were there or if it was a huge coincidence but they stayed for 30-45 minutes and left just before I boarded the plan. Interesting to say the least, intimidating? Maybe a little...

Intimidation, and then more intimidation by TSA...:wtf:
Are they directed to be monsters, too? Obviously, they were not going to haul the guy off for making a video, but how soon before this also becomes another "You gave up your rights", and they stick on another rule for arrest and/or fine for not complying with TSA request to delete things from your phone or camera?

[thereismore]

24. A brave guy. How long before we get arrested for videotaping TSA agents? nt

[TheEuclideanOne]

32. Do you think Obama will consider the arrest as "inconvenient" or "frustrating"

once it does come to that point.

[saigon68]

99. HE CERTAINLY DOESN'T CONSIDER HIS FUTURE

Many in amerika are extremely pissed right now

The idea that 19 religious nut jobs with box cutters taking out six hundred or so scumbag bond traders is the source of have their Penises and Vulvas groped, is going to haunt this guy.

If you love the never ending commercials of how my excellent Rep Steve Kagen was beaten by thousands of NASTY Nancy Pelosi videos

You are really going to love the election of 2012

[TheEuclideanOne]

100. That is one thing that frustrates the heck out of me

I saw some headlines that the head of the TSA is considering changing the procedure to a less intrusive one. That's right, the head of the TSA sees the obvious outrage but the president of the United States doesn't.

The opportunity costs here are just unmeasurable and get larger and larger by the day. The wackjobs on the other side are feeling 100% justified in their viewpoints now, which is more of a crime than anything. I have had arguments with these flaming idiots who make these overly emotional arguments based on no facts and pure disinformation. And it fucking worked! They spent the last two years with this strategy, one which Obama knew about, and it worked like a charm. Now, if they can prevent the country from moving forward for another two years, they can win 2012. And the people that are unemployed think that they actually won a victory. Fucking shameless!

[skepticscott]

104. Exactly

I won't be surprised if very soon there aren't rules in place forbidding any use of cameras in the screening areas...

[saigon68]

34. The New amerika

[CreekDog]

43. Does everybody feel safer that they took 2 agents off some other duty to harass this guy?

...the returned Mormon missionary who has told everybody his name and why he made this video?

this is what they are protecting us from? yes.

oh and 7 year olds. :banghead:

:eyes:

[tblue37]

73. You said, "Obviously, they were not going to haul the guy off for making a video. . . ."

But I don't think it is obvious at all that they won't do just that! I bet it will soon become an arrestable offense--or at least a something we could be fined for. Our Constitution is, as W said, just a "damned piece of paper" now.

[subterranean]

75. Evidently they are already detaining people for recording videos.

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local-beat/Passenger-Chooses-Strip-Down-Over-Pat-Down-109872589.html?dr

Wolanyk was arrested for refusing to complete the security process. A woman, identified by Harbor police as Danielle Kelli Hayman,39, of San Diego was detained for recording the incident on a phone.

[FiveGoodMen]

94. It's clearly just a "damned piece of paper" to the Constitutional scholar in the White House as well

[reggie the dog]

82. this is why i smoke a joint in the parking lot before going in

then wash my hands and face to get the reefer smell off... that way their efforts to intimidate come off more as something to laugh or skoff at, plus it makes the 2 hours of being a cow go so much faster...

[The Backlash Cometh]

2. Do you all think it's odd how TSA is allowing all these photo opportunities?

[LisaL]

6. No, I don't think it's odd because nowdays almost everyone

has a cell phone.

[The Backlash Cometh]

7. Well, the police have problems with it.

[thereismore]

42. Yes, I heard. If they have nothing to hide... oh nevermind. nt

[truth2power]

3. The video invaded the family's privacy????...

Apparently the meaning of "irony" is lost on these thugs.

[LisaL]

4. Yes, if TSA was so concerned about privacy,

why would they be patting people down in public or have them go through nudie scans?

[herbm]

37. I want the TSA perverts doing this crap in the public where we can see this crap. If the TSA thinks

this will die down, they're crazy. This is a point where the left and the Tea Party meet. Maybe the only one for now.

[LibDemAlways]

5. Yes, that's rich isn't it? In an effort to cover their

giant guilty asses, the goons try to argue that the guy who took the video invaded the boy's privacy. I'm so glad the full story is now being told.

There are only 2 ways to get the groping and nude-o-scope crap to stop. One is for people to drastically curtail travel by air so the airlines really start to feel the economic pressure. The other is for people to keep the pressure on the goons. I applaud the guy who took the video and hope that people all around the country will continue to document and post this shit.

[Gormy Cuss]

9. AND call or write complaints to the TSA, Congress critters, the White House. n/t

[RKP5637]

13. Looks like the Gestapo to me. This isn't going away, it will only get worse, and

will be on buses, trains, streets, private cars. Why does anyone think this is going away. IMO it will only get worse, this is just the beginning. Does anyone think we have a democracy?

[xxqqqzme]

39. That slapped me in the

face as well. Genetic lapse.

[Swampguana]

8. This doesn't sit right with me

[MsPithy]

10. Are we really so sure we won the cold war?

The "Papers Please" law and now, being intimidated for taking pictures, reminds me of the old cold war spy movies, only we aren't the good guys anymore.

[RKP5637]

16. Exactly ... that's what I was thinking in post #13. This is just like WWII and the

old cold war spy movies, and we aren't the guys with white hats. I find all of this chilling, I grew up then. It's all the same BS now here. The people are the same types, just different names, different country.

[saigon68]

20. NO NO its more Change you can believe in

Thugs and Hoodlums on the loose

[christx30]

79. I was listening

to the local news radio station the other morning on the way to my morning job, and they were talking about a new local thing where police would have the power to stop you for absolutely no reason and ask to see your drivers license and insurance card. So you are driving to the store, staying a good 3 or 4 mph under the limit, driving responsibly, ect. A cop would STILL have the power to stop you and ask to see your ID. It's supposed to be a crackdown on illegal immigrants and people that drive without insurance (because the thought of someone that doesn't want to give State Farm $150 for September chills me to the bone).
I say that it is another 10 degrees on the pot that is slowly boiling the frog. Where does it end?

[struggle4progress]

11. Response to "Young Boy Strip Searched by TSA"

... the video .. is now perched at the top of the Drudge report ...

Their son alarmed the walk through metal detector and needed to undergo secondary screening. The boy's father removed his son's shirt in an effort to expedite the screening. After our TSO completed the screening, he helped the boy put his shirt back on. That's it. No complaints were filed and the father was standing by his son for the entire procedure.

It should be mentioned that you will not be asked to and you should not remove clothing (other than shoes, coats and jackets) at a TSA checkpoint. If you're asked to remove your clothing, you should ask for a supervisor or manager.

http://blog.tsa.gov/

[KansDem]

14. I always take off my coat, sweatshirt, etc, and place them in the bin before stepping through...

...the metal detector.

I learned this from a woman in front of me who was taking off her sweatshirt (tee-shirt underneath) to place in the bin when she was told by the TSA agent that she didn't have to do that before stepping through the metal detector.

"Oh, yes I do," she replied rather matter-of-factly, "'Cause I don't want anyone touching me!"

I got the impression that she might have been patted down on a previous flight because of her baggy, outer garments.

[CreekDog]

26. i do too, but i get patted down anyway...and more

just saying.

[LibDemAlways]

17. You have sanitized this somewhat.

According to the guy who took the video, the child was very uncooperative with the TSA goons - smart kid. The "enraged" father pulled the boy's shirt off because the boy refused to stick and keep his hands up in the air like a criminal suspect. The tsa goon felt the boy's crotch. The child clearly pulled away at that point.

Also, in his description of the incident, the man who took the video says the child did not set off the metal detector. He was pulled aside for extra screening anyway.

Finally, the man says he was then questioned by TSA. They wanted to know what he was going to do with the video. Clearly a cover-their-asses move. They continued to follow and observe him until he caught his flight.

[struggle4progress]

36. Child seems confused but untraumatized; father doesn't seem terrorized

Drudge no doubt wants to blow hard

[CreekDog]

40. working extra hard to make this sound okay aren't ya?

why? is that helping Obama really?

why would defending this help Obama?

[struggle4progress]

111. I consider your noisy outrage over this particular video to be dull and uninspired

[reggie the dog]

85. i had cops touch me like that when i was 12

it is traumatizing, some 30 something can touch your dick even if you dont want them to and for nothing, the cops searched us dozens of time like that looking for drugs beginning when i was about 12, we didt even use weed until dozens of dick touchings by the cops later when i was nearly 15.... war on drugs in the 90's, war on terrorism today, same shit all around.

[tomm2thumbs]

86. ...

agree

out of literally hundreds of millions of passengers, we have a handful of incidents

perspective

[CreekDog]

92. You seem more concerned with Drudge than the kid

and besides, even if the search of that kid made you safer --could you sleep at night knowing such a thing was done to make you safer?

at what point does your conscience kick in and say, "well, if that's what it takes to make me safer, let me be less safe...that kid's well being is more important than my illusion of safety."

but none of us are getting through to you.

[struggle4progress]

110. I'm not going to second-guess every kid's dad: there's not enough time in the day

[olegramps]

103. Your have a rather confusing handle while supporting this crap.

[struggle4progress]

109. Facts first, analysis second: not the other way around

[tomm2thumbs]

22. your handle should be

struggle4sanity

thanks for bringing some into the story :)

[Boudica the Lyoness]

54. I'm a mother and a grandmother

If someone touches my children's genitals without my permission, I get extremely angry and traumatised.

It's a basic natural instinct that has enabled us to survive for millions of years. Most living creatures have this instinct.

Don't you dare expect me not become terrorised and traumatised when I have to watch my off spring get molested. This is only going to get worse if we don't stop it. If these people, who are in control, think they can take pictures of people's naked bodies and squeeze our genitals and breasts and not get a negative reaction, they shouldn't be in control of anything.

[Matariki]

12. Lesson: upload videos and photos of questionable TSA & police actions IMMEDIATELY

Because I suspect there will be arrests, fines and phone confiscations coming soon.

[TheEuclideanOne]

112. Amazed that hasn't happened yet

All they have to do is say that if you photograph TSA agents groping passengers, it will show the terrorists what our screening systems are like. Easy argument to pass through. Definitely low hanging fruit and it will certainly happen soon. A similar example is how they prevented people from taking pictures of the BP Oil spill. Who thought the american people would ever let that happen, right?

[Diclotican]

15. CreekDog

CreekDog

It got my blood boiling first time I saw the clip. And this stupidity from a government agency, who defently know they was on the deep end of the pool, and wanted not just to destroy the evidence, but also tried their best to intimidate by sitting and looking about the person, who had a clip who show TSA doing some really nasty bad stuff... And I can understand why a father in pure frustation could be angry.. A 5 year old kid are no danger to anything other than itself, and I doubt that a 5 year old have the habit of blowing himself, or anyone up with a bomb on his/her body..

This clip on youtube show a side of a total madness by a government Agency, who belive they are over the law, and can treate their customers as they please. It wil take a long time, with a lot of sivil disobience to make TSA to a propper protective agency, who might IS doing its job, instead of making air travel missrable for everyone... It exist other agencyes, who are doing the same job, withouth treating everyone with that treatment.. Israel is known to be doing a great job, screening everyone, and do it in a way that is low key, and secure thing... And that is just one of many agency's who have been doing that for many years now.

Diclotican

[RKP5637]

18. Obama apparently supports all of it ... n/t

[Iowa]

23. Yep... This is Obama's TSA, and he's behind it 100%.

[saigon68]

33. He will be a one termer

He will never carry Wisconsin again

[RKP5637]

41. I think he is too. The dems I know are looking toward the primaries for a challenger.

[Iowa]

48. Yep. A strong challenger is desperately needed, IMO...

After the disastrous 8 years of Bush-The-Dumber, the country was desperate for change. Unfortunately, the country was conned into electing another status-quo corporatist who was masquerading as an agent of change. By 2012 we will have squandered four years before undoing the worst of the Bush years. Lets hope we don't waster another four.

[RKP5637]

53. I know exactly what you mean. We here feel like we were dropped off a cliff. During

Bush's reign what kept us going was knowing it was 8 years to endure.

Now we've endured 2 more years of corps. and big money first. I'm so tired of these corporatists and the highly monied elite preaching to the rest of us as they push this nation into a country of serfs trying to take away what little many of us have left.

The majority of the citizens have become an inconvenience to the oligarchy. Now we have moved or are rapidly moving into being a fascist nation if they have their way. I think a lot of citizens do not pay enough attention to what is going on ...

[Boudica the Lyoness]

56. He doesn't deserve another four years.

I would like to see a real Dem leader challenge him, someone who's proven they can lead. Maybe Howard Dean.

[CreekDog]

27. Diclotican

Thanks for saying!

[Diclotican]

74. CreekDog

CreekDog

Just doing my best, in my small way;) I know I can't do to mutch, but if we all was doing our little thing, the world would change for something far better than today.. And a monstrum like TSA would be "killed" long before it was making into the monster it is today...

And I know, if anyone had tried to pat down a child of me, and using metodes I do not approve of, or was against evertyhing I stand for, I would raise hell and more. And I am not a person who often IS making hell about things.. But a child of me, would be the difference between a gentle, rather softspoken man, and a bear protecting the cubs, with its life... I would have at least, after that treatment, ask for his bag nr, his name, and the name of the superior officer.. And send in a protest against something that was clearly against everything sensible thing.. Worst case scenario, a couple of dusins of SWATs had to came to stop me tear down the TSA stand into small peases. And I am not a nice person when angry, rather a bulldozer on steorides... To pat down a little child, who was clearly uncomfortable with it like that.. At least a TSA employer should use common sense when treating a little child.. You use common sense when acting with small kids, and try to reason with it. Most of the times a kid wil understand.. And the few times a child wil not understand, it is maybe becouse it is tired, or are uncomfortable with the situation. Then you try to do it as easy as you can do, and better let the parent take care of the rest... I can understand the dad, who might be furrious and just wanted to show that the kid was not a treat to anyone..

And the only reason We know about it, is becouse it was filmet - and taken to youtube... If it was not been filmed, we might never have seen this and the treatment of everyone who travel by air would be worse as TSA would treat others with indignety.. Just thingking about it, old, or disabled persons, treated with pure, simple comtemt, been humiliated by government officals, and even had a lot of pee over them, becouse a zealous TSA agent, who could not understand that the person had indeed a medical reason for it all.... And the stories we know, is just the tip of the iceberg I fear... How many are been treated that way, and have no luck to have someone who takes pictures, or video clips, or other means of proof for this treatment?

Diclotican

[tomm2thumbs]

19. so are we to bring up the boy's father on charges for 'molestation' ?

(given that the story notes the boy's father did the shirt removal of his own accord, not at agents' request)

Imagine that. A rational explanation appears, and yet so many folks just LOVE to jump on the conspiracy theories before finding out the facts.

100's of millions of people fly in America every year, and yes, we have a few videos/stories floating around about deviations from the standards. Pretty good statistics - not perfect - but far from how folks are painting the picture out in the press.

But what do I know - I travel all the time, and I've been patted down on many occasions - and haven't lost my dignity, nor my sanity, as a result.

_ _ _

Thanks for posting the story - with actual details of the event.
*US fly stats http://www.bts.gov/press_releases/2009/bts019_09/html/bts019_09.html

[LibDemAlways]

21. The boy's father was "enraged" according to the guy who

took the video because his son, using a whole lot of common sense, refused to stick and keep his hands up in the air like a criminal suspect. In other words, the exasperated father took the shirt off to show the tsa goon that the kid wasn't hiding anything. I'm confident this was not a pleasant encounter.

If some pervert at the airport felt my child's crotch, I would be enraged too.

[tomm2thumbs]

25. I appreciate your view

I am specifically addressing those that were accusing the agents of molesting the boy by taking off his shirt/or asking him to. (Which apparently was not the case.)

As for a father that finds it a better solution to simply tear his own child's shirt off in public to expedite things along makes me think little of that person's parenting skills. If the kid was already shy about the events, it would not be an ideal response from his father/guardian in my opinion.

[CreekDog]

29. Look back at old DU posts for my previous opinions about TSA...I was formerly supportive

but the past few years have changed my mind.

it's a joke now.

one day i was sitting getting the full workover and noticed old ladies and a guy in a wheelchair getting the full workover. did i see anybody else getting it? no, not that time, and not usually.

this is a joke and i refuse to make it look like it's anything less than a joke lest they think TSA's approach is actually making them safer.

if they don't want to take the heat for searching shirtless kids, then don't search them.

[LibDemAlways]

64. Seattle airport - summer of 2003. I watched while an

old lady in a wheelchair - and I'm talking very elderly - had her shoes yanked off and was hoisted up and ordered to stand. She couldn't of course and started to sink back down. Finally, two big burly guys held her up and she was wanded and received the bra strap treatment.

The look on the woman's face was one of sheer terror. Her daughter stood nearby crying, begging the goons to stop, and calling out "My mother suffers from Alzheimers. Please leave her alone." All to no avail of course.

I would hate to even think about the treatment that poor woman would receive under the new indignities.

Terrorizing elderly Alzheimers patients and young children could only happen in a police state. That's what we've allowed ourselves to become.

[WolverineDG]

68. Well, the Alzheimers patient could have forgotten she was carrying a bomb

the TSA was only doing their part to keep us safe from senile terrorists.

:sarcasm:

dg

[CreekDog]

71. if you had a problem with your legs, they used to let you sit down but force you to hold up your leg

while they wanded it.

yup. they did that for a few years, even though it's actually kind of difficult to hold up one's leg as far as they want long enough for them to move around it with a wand (it's much slower in this process)...

furthermore, the people they are doing this to, a lot of them don't have the physical ability to actually do what is being required.

so you get the kind of crap you witnessed.

and it's all about protecting us from old ladies in wheelchairs with Alzheimer's from blowing up a plane. people can say that's not what it's for, but sit in any waiting area where there's full inspection going on and that is largely what you see --people who appear to have medical issues that set off the metal detector.

and what about CastScope? are you aware of this forced xray? millions are being spent on this...to xray people on average 10 times or more! that is xray people who have casts and artificial limbs. TSA people with no radiation training get to aim a handheld radiation device at your body and take 10 or more xrays with it.

http://www.tsa.gov/approach/tech/castscope.shtm

i'm so done with TSA. they are the stupidest agency to ever exist and when they are flypaper for new stupid ideas.

[newspeak]

95. I just got back from a flight and watched

TSA search this man who was in a wheelchair--had him stand up and in front of the rest of us pulled up his shirt and lowered part of his pants--he was wearing a brace. I thought at the time, the disabled don't stand a chance. I was embarrassed for the man, having to hold out his arms with his shirt up while they felt around his brace.

[southern_belle]

62. Thank you eom

[olegramps]

105. You are a piece of work.

Now you attack the parent for the search of a little child. When they came for the Jews I wasn't concerned... I think that TSA has a position for you.

[kag]

52. Here here.

I've told my kids (especially my 12-yr-old daughter) that the only people who can touch her privates are herself and her doctor, and, if absolutely necessary, me. If some TSA guy thinks he needs to feel my daughter's breasts for "security's" sake, then he/she would have to deal with me. And I'd be more inclined to report him or her to the cops for sexual assault than to help them disrobe my child.

My husband and I have decided not to fly. He sometimes has to travel for work, and he has told his boss that if he needs to go out to HQ, they'll just have to wait an extra day for him to DRIVE out.

I heard somewhere that this policy is going to cause more accidents (and probably deaths) on the highways. I think that's true.

[CreekDog]

28. who would be willing to grope a shirtless boy?

the "oh but someone else took off his shirt" CYA notwithstanding.

[reggie the dog]

87. did they grab your dick

like they did to the kid in that video???

[fatbuckel]

101. It`s hard to excite people with just facts, if there`s no real story. Just ask FoxNews.

[mandy11]

30. Looks like child molestation to me.

This whole new TSA thing is SICK. What's sicker is that it's just theater and won't make anyone safer. What's sicker still is that people defend it.

[Name removed]

31. Deleted message

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

[CreekDog]

38. Isn't it odd? Vocal Obama supporters thinking they need to defend this?

yikes.

[originalpckelly]

35. Sounds like the video we had up here, wonder if we helped with the view count?

Probably, DU does get a lot of viewers.

[TheWatcher]

44. So, any TSA defenders care to take THIS one on?

After all, it's not a big deal, faux outrage, loving, necessary, funny, cute, trendy, and Of The Lord, right?

[LibDemAlways]

65. Read the entire thread. They're here. They've even

accepted at face value TSA's laughable "explanation." TSA for dummies I guess.

[TheWatcher]

90. Yes, I see. Just Breathtaking

Stockholmed, Good Little Compliant Americans.

I have never seen such desperate defense of Propaganda for our burgeoning Police State.

There comes a point where Party Loyalty, Cognitive Dissonance and support for "The Football Team" borders on the absurd.

The Rationalizations and justifications have become so weak and laughable it's embarrassing.

I do notice that one particular one is absent, as always.

And as always, that's just very interesting.

[uppityperson]

45. So "the father removed the boy’s shirt" and a TSA person objected?

And the guy videoing it didn't get the father's permission? And TSA said ""You should not remove clothing (other than shoes, coats and jackets) at a TSA checkpoint," the blog states. "If you’re asked to remove your clothing, you should ask for a supervisor or manager.""


Hmmmmm. Thanks for the update.

[LibDemAlways]

50. After the tsa person objected to the shirt removal, he

proceeded to touch the kids crotch, and the child backed away.

The father only removed the shirt because he was "enraged." The kid refused to be treated like a criminal suspect. He wouldn't do the hands over the head routine. The father clearly didn't know his rights, and no one was going out of their way to inform him.

Also, the guy who took the video tried to talk to the father, but was approached by tsa goons who wanted to cover their asses by harrassing him about the video.

I have nothing but admiration for someone willing to document abuse and share it with the world.

[uppityperson]

51. "enraged" is subjective from guy taking video. I'd like to hear from the dad

I prefer to not jump to a conclusion unless I have more facts. Showing a clip of something is good, but I'd like to know more.

[Boudica the Lyoness]

58. Do you think any decent dad would be okay with his son

being publicly groped around his genitals by a stranger,in public?

[LibDemAlways]

63. No use arguing with a person like this who obviously believes

in submission to authority no matter what. Sad state of affairs when US citizens so willingly give up their 4th Amendment rights.

[uppityperson]

66. Because I don't make assumptions I "believe in submission to authority"? Oh bullshit

Because I would like to hear from the father of this kid makes me a believer "in submissin to authority no matter what"?

Pshaw. It is so much easier to call others names than consider what they are saying, isn't it?

[tblue37]

76. We do not know what the dad was enraged about. He might have been angry at his son

for not cooperating rather than at the TSA guy. Also, we do not know that the child objected to holding his hands up because "he didn't want to be treated like a common criminal." All we know is that the child would not hold his hands up. My guess is that he reacted when the TSA agent began to frisk him once he held his hands up and retracted his arms self-protectively, not because he had any notions about "being treated like a common criminal."

I am as disgusted by this stupid security theater as anyone else, but it does nothing to clarify our position and support our points to pile on misinformation or questionable interpretations of the events. The reality is sufficiently bad, but when we add stuff that simply isn't there, then our position runs the risk of being "Rathered"--i.e., the true part gets discounted because it is considered to be "tainted" by the false part.

[uppityperson]

77. Exactly, we don't need to add more than is already there.

And subjective opinions are just that. Thank you.

[CreekDog]

91. As all these kids grow up, I wonder how they'll think of law enforcement

what with a scary pat down and inappropriate touching among the first and most jarring memories of law enforcement in uniform.

and i wonder how that will change our country.

[LibDemAlways]

93. Read what the guy who took the video said. He said the child

would not hold his hands over his head and was very uncooperative.

And, if the father was more upset at the child than the tsa pervert who was fingering him, I feel sorry for the child.

[AnOhioan]

114. One of a handful of comments in this thread that ....

are well-thought out and do not contribute to the "the sky is falling" attitude so prevalent concerning this topic.

Thank you

[tomm2thumbs]

89. he seemed pretty quick to remove his kid's shirt in front of everyone

I wouldn't give his dad much credit here

[olegramps]

106. Of course when all else fails attack the parent to justify the nonsense.

[Wanet]

46. Another "terrorism" event coming

They will allow or create one, to justify taking away our rights. --Wanet

[cliffordu]

47. Those motherfuckers.

Whoever authorized this shit needs to go.

It's disgusting beyond all imagination.

Is this REALLY the United States of America?

[ebbie15644]

49. Everyone strip down

to your underware to fly!!! I think everyone should show up for the week in their best under ware for there "pat down"!!

[dennis4868]

55. TSA's version of the event is very different...

FROM THE TSA:

On November 19, a family was traveling through a TSA checkpoint at the Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC). Their son alarmed the walk through metal detector and needed to undergo secondary screening. The boy's father removed his son's shirt in an effort to expedite the screening. After our TSO completed the screening, he helped the boy put his shirt back on. That's it. No complaints were filed and the father was standing by his son for the entire procedure.


It should be mentioned that you will not be asked to and you should not remove clothing (other than shoes, coats and jackets) at a TSA checkpoint. If you're asked to remove your clothing, you should ask for a supervisor or manager.

[Boudica the Lyoness]

57. The TSA pervert

touched the lads genitals. That alone shouldn't be allowed.

[tblue37]

80. And the boy instinctively recoiled and pushed the man's hands away.nt

[LibDemAlways]

60. The TSA's sanitized version doesn't square with what

the guy who took the video reported online. Find the video on YouTube. His full explanation has now been posted.

[WolverineDG]

70. Never believe anything until it's been officially denied.

TSA says the alarm went off. An eyewitness says otherwise.

dg

[tblue37]

78. The person who videotaped the event said the boy didn't set of the metal detector, but was

pulled out randomly for searching.

Frankly, I think that any agent with any sense at all would want to avoid trying to frisk a young kid id he doesn't have to--for many reasons. Some might react like the 3-year-old who freaked out and screamed, "Stop touching me!" Some might just refuse to cooperate, leading to incidents like this one. All trigger fury in bystanders who do not want to see adults pressing the genitals of children.

Some of these child pat-downs are because their tickets have been randomly targeted by the computer, but parents can ask about that when the get their boarding pass and ask to have that changed, as I understand it. But I think some are at the discretion of the agent, and I wonder whether the agents mistakenly though it would be easier to deal with kids than with their pissed off parents. I bet we see fewer and fewer child pat-downs as the agents begin to udnerstand how bad it makes them look to the public--and as they begin to see how badly msot little kids react to being manhandled by strangers.

We teach kids in daycares, preschools, and schools--as well as through various kids' shows on TV--not to let strangers touch them, especially not their "private parts." After all that training, it isn't surprising that some of them will freak out over such pat-downs. They would probably freak out over less invasive and aggressive pat-downs.

Furthermore, "stranger anxiety" is real. It is most noticeable in babies, but even when somewhat older, young children are instinctively hardwired to recoil from strangers who approach them with what seems to be "intent." In nature, strangers are very dangerous to small children, and most of the children who allowed any stranger to come at them like that probably ended up dead, so he/she didn't grow up to reproduce his/her genes into the next generation.

My kids are adults now, but when they were small, I would never have allowed them to be handled like that by a stranger!

[Demstud]

59. The TSA Response:

"A video is being widely circulated showing a shirtless boy receiving secondary screening from a Transportation Security Officer (TSO). A passenger filmed the screening with their cell phone and posted the video on the web. Many are coming to their own conclusions about what's happening in the video which is now perched at the top of the Drudge report and being linked to in many other blogs and tweets. We looked into this to find out what happened.

On November 19, a family was traveling through a TSA checkpoint at the Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC). Their son alarmed the walk through metal detector and needed to undergo secondary screening. The boy's father removed his son's shirt in an effort to expedite the screening. After our TSO completed the screening, he helped the boy put his shirt back on. That's it. No complaints were filed and the father was standing by his son for the entire procedure.

It should be mentioned that you will not be asked to and you should not remove clothing (other than shoes, coats and jackets) at a TSA checkpoint. If you're asked to remove your clothing, you should ask for a supervisor or manager."

http://blog.tsa.gov/2010/11/response-to-young-boy-strip-searched-by.html

Just thought I put the full response up, since the reports I've seen leave out a couple sentences.

[LibDemAlways]

61. Doesn't square with what the guy who posted the

video reported. He said the boy did not trip the metal detector. He also said the father was "enraged" and that the child refused to be treated like a criminal and was uncooperative.

He also added that he was approached by TSA afterwards. They wanted to know what he was going to do with the video and expressed concern for the boy's "privacy" - after groping him in public. LOL.

Check it out on YouTube. He posted a full explanation.

[CreekDog]

69. the father removed the shirt because the kid wouldn't hold his arms up like a common criminal

acting like a common criminal is what TSA is requiring of us.

i'm tired of being exhaustively searched.

if you insist on defending this, then i want YOU to go through this EACH AND EVERY TIME YOU FLY.

i want you to experience forced xrays, followed by forced pat downs, i want you swabbed all over for bomb making materials (as i am each time i fly).

if you are going to defend this, you should be getting the full treatment (not just 1 xray and walk on through) but the full thing that a fair portion of us travelers experience EVERY SINGLE TIME WE FLY.

and for what? to make sure the 7 year old isn't a terrorist?

please.

i've had enough xrays in my life, i don't want more.

[Bette Noir]

84. Interesting. TSA made me take my pants off in an open corridor

at LAX in 2002. Feeling my knee brace wasn't good enough; they had to see it. After that, I always flew in a dress, and my husband in shorts.

We've jointly decided that flying is completely out, until and unless they stop with the nude photography/groping security measures.

[BobRossi]

67. "Change"

Same coffee, new mug.

[tblue37]

72. Darned fascists don't want any evidence made public. nt

[subterranean]

81. It must be terrifying for some children to be surrounded by uniformed officers

and frisked and searched as if they'd done something wrong.

This boy was targeted for a patdown because he triggered the metal detector, according to the TSA. In the past, that would have been handled by having him remove any metallic objects and go through the detector again. Why isn't that good enough now?

[reggie the dog]

83. i have already made plans to take my daughter to the usa next summer

she is three... its too bad that it will be her last trip to the usa.... i do want her to meet her great grandparents at least once, but it will piss me off so much to see some asshole with a badge molesting my child as the cops did to me for riding my bike around as a teenager, i never got over that trauma of the cops stopping my friends and i so many dozens of times back in elk grove village in the early 90s, they would stop us, pat us down, feel our dicks, say we were small, laugh at us, and if we resisted by talking back or pulling away they would just punch us, now the same state wants to traumatize my kid and i know why, they want us all to be terrified into accepting their shit way of life. they make shit laws, encourage us to do alcohol which is not a mind opening drug and say we are crooks if we do any drug like shrooms, weed lsd or mdma, drugs that open our mind,,, they want us to fall in line while the corporations rape us, the touching of our private parts is a symbol of this. i dont even know if i am going to come back to the usa ever again anymore, i will take my daughter to ireland to hear english or some shit....i would want to punch the guy for putting his hand on my kid like that.

[Name removed]

88. Deleted message

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

[The abyss]

96. TSA employees are NOT certified state or federal law enforcement

The TSA does NOT have arrest or detention powers. Their personnel and organization must rely on civilian law enforcement in all local jurisdictions. The goons running the security checkpoints have zero authority. They are NOT law enforcement.

The TSA can - and will - attempt to bullshit the public into believing they have some sort of authority.

The TSA org draws power under civil statutes NOT criminal statutes. They can NOT arrest nor detain anyone! Their power is akin to the issuing of a summons for a littering violation.

That thug feeling up your teenager this week is NOT trained by a state or federal law enforcement academy. If the local jurisdiction is not playing the game then there will simply be no game - no summons - no ticket.

There will be, and already are, local LEO jurisdictions willing to play "the game".
http://theintelhub.com/2010/11/22/law-enforcement-to-arrest-citizens-who-opt-out-of-body-scanners-and-intrusive-pat-downs/


Prosecution, if any, will reside with the local district attorney's office.

[LibDemAlways]

97. Another aspect of this worth noting is that

TSA goons running x-ray machines are not certified radiologic techs.

Would the average person feel comfortable being x-rayed in a doctor's office by some guy off the street? What makes the government think people are going to feel comfortable submitting themselves to machines run by people who couldn't get a job cooking fries at Mickey D's?

[The abyss]

98. LibDemAlways Thank you! Well stated & observed.

[olegramps]

107. I don't think insulting the TSA agents is the proper way to respond to this invasion of privacy.

The government is taking the position that flying is a privilege rather than a right. We all understand the necessity of security. However, but just when is it over the top? Old people in wheelchairs, three year old children, seniors treated as if they are criminals? Just how much of your constitutionally guaranteed rights are you willing to sacrifice before you have none?

[LibDemAlways]

108. Some of these people have richly earned my contempt.

I have had encounters with people who work for TSA who frankly could not get a job anywhere else. Yesterday I read an article that showed a picture of their recruitment tool - the top of a pizza box. This is not an educated, professional workforce.

Also, while I appreciate and agree with your comments about harrassing children, the elderly, and infirm, you do not address the issue of the qualifications of those taking the x-rays. Simply put, unless they are radiologic techs, which I see no evidence of, TSA is using unqualified people to man the airport x-ray machines. The state of California has stiff requirements for x-ray technicians. It dawned on me that no one is making an issue of this. I have written a letter to state officials and am truly interested in knowing what's going on.

[olegramps]

115. As you pointed out I did fail to address the issue of x-ray machines.

However, I usually only reserve my estimation of people as being idiots for working class Republicans. Could that be a Domino's Pizza Box?

[olegramps]

102. Papers, Please.

[SamW]

113. Original

WTF....