pat down for milk? and bonus tsa bozo
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Boston environs
Programs: AAdvantage
Posts: 559
pat down for milk? and bonus tsa bozo
Flying through ORD today, two things happened:
1. My young son had a sealed chocolate milk
box with us. I declared it, and they said
ok, but then you have to have a pat down.
How is this anything other than
punishment, particularly since
in the "sterile" [sic] area, they were
giving me the choice to
or not (and lose DS's milk if not)...?
2. Bozo agent objected to my booties;
was overruled by another agent.
ORD TSA is routinely the worst. In BOS
yesterday, two milk boxes for DS and they
swabbed them, no groping.
--LG
1. My young son had a sealed chocolate milk
box with us. I declared it, and they said
ok, but then you have to have a pat down.
How is this anything other than
punishment, particularly since
in the "sterile" [sic] area, they were
giving me the choice to
or not (and lose DS's milk if not)...?
2. Bozo agent objected to my booties;
was overruled by another agent.
ORD TSA is routinely the worst. In BOS
yesterday, two milk boxes for DS and they
swabbed them, no groping.
--LG
#3
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: DFW
Programs: AS, BA, AA
Posts: 3,670
http://www.tsa.gov/traveling-formula...milk-and-juice
Although formula, breast milk, and juice is inspected at the checkpoint, you, your infant or toddler will not be asked to test or taste the breast milk, formula, or juice. Our Security Officers may test liquid exemptions (exempt items more than 3 ounces) items for explosives. Officers may also ask you to open the container during the screening process.
When traveling with your infant or toddler, please keep these important tips in mind:
Separate these items from the liquids, gels, and aerosols in your quart-size and zip-top bag.
Let Officers at the security checkpoint know you have these items.
Present these items for additional inspection once reaching the X-ray.
You are encouraged to travel with only as much formula, breast milk, or juice in your carry-on needed to reach your destination.
You are allowed to bring gel or liquid-filled teethers, canned, jarred, or processed baby food in your carry-on baggage and aboard your plane.
When traveling with your infant or toddler, please keep these important tips in mind:
Separate these items from the liquids, gels, and aerosols in your quart-size and zip-top bag.
Let Officers at the security checkpoint know you have these items.
Present these items for additional inspection once reaching the X-ray.
You are encouraged to travel with only as much formula, breast milk, or juice in your carry-on needed to reach your destination.
You are allowed to bring gel or liquid-filled teethers, canned, jarred, or processed baby food in your carry-on baggage and aboard your plane.
#4
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: DFW
Programs: AS, BA, AA
Posts: 3,670
Flying through ORD today, two things happened:
1. My young son had a sealed chocolate milk
box with us. I declared it, and they said
ok, but then you have to have a pat down.
How is this anything other than
punishment, particularly since
in the "sterile" [sic] area, they were
giving me the choice to
or not (and lose DS's milk if not)...?
2. Bozo agent objected to my booties;
was overruled by another agent.
ORD TSA is routinely the worst. In BOS
yesterday, two milk boxes for DS and they
swabbed them, no groping.
--LG
1. My young son had a sealed chocolate milk
box with us. I declared it, and they said
ok, but then you have to have a pat down.
How is this anything other than
punishment, particularly since
in the "sterile" [sic] area, they were
giving me the choice to
or not (and lose DS's milk if not)...?
2. Bozo agent objected to my booties;
was overruled by another agent.
ORD TSA is routinely the worst. In BOS
yesterday, two milk boxes for DS and they
swabbed them, no groping.
--LG
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nati...icle-1.1766297
#5
Moderator: Coupon Connection & S.P.A.M
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Louisville, KY
Programs: Destination Unknown, TSA Disparager Diamond (LTDD)
Posts: 57,956
#6
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 3,526
The screener is a clerk, not an officer, and as others have pointed out, you obviously don't know the rules.
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Boston environs
Programs: AAdvantage
Posts: 559
Let's not debate who's the worst. But file a complaint about this, maybe it will actually accomplish some good:
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nati...icle-1.1766297
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nati...icle-1.1766297
ORD is also where that other officer grabbed my ponytail from the back with no warning (I think I posted about it here on FT and some allies described it as verging on assault).
The more I fly, the more I see real variation in training, politeness, quality, etc. of the TSA employees depending on time/date/location.
--LG
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Boston environs
Programs: AAdvantage
Posts: 559
--LG
#9
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: WAS
Programs: SPG Plat. Marriott Plat. Hilton Diamond. Hyatt Diamond. IHG Plat.
Posts: 2,580
Flying through ORD today, two things happened:
1. My young son had a sealed chocolate milk
box with us. I declared it, and they said
ok, but then you have to have a pat down.
How is this anything other than
punishment, particularly since
in the "sterile" [sic] area, they were
giving me the choice to
or not (and lose DS's milk if not)...?
2. Bozo agent objected to my booties;
was overruled by another agent.
ORD TSA is routinely the worst. In BOS
yesterday, two milk boxes for DS and they
swabbed them, no groping.
--LG
1. My young son had a sealed chocolate milk
box with us. I declared it, and they said
ok, but then you have to have a pat down.
How is this anything other than
punishment, particularly since
in the "sterile" [sic] area, they were
giving me the choice to
or not (and lose DS's milk if not)...?
2. Bozo agent objected to my booties;
was overruled by another agent.
ORD TSA is routinely the worst. In BOS
yesterday, two milk boxes for DS and they
swabbed them, no groping.
--LG
Sucks OP. Sorry
Uhhm... food and beverages for young children are permitted.
http://www.tsa.gov/traveling-formula...milk-and-juice
http://www.tsa.gov/traveling-formula...milk-and-juice
Although formula, breast milk, and juice is inspected at the checkpoint, you, your infant or toddler will not be asked to test or taste the breast milk, formula, or juice.
#10
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
Chocolate milk is still milk, and milk for young children is allowed.
When you come up with dairy milk that isn't breast milk, you've found a non-mammaries' source for "milk" that isn't breast milk.
The problem with the TSA is that it doesn't even know how to operate according to laws and regulations where terms are appropriately defined; then again, the TSA has a problem with even operating in a generally consistent manner. One of the only things about the TSA that is consistent is that it is inconsistent; and it can't even properly run a glossary.
It's not so much as prohibited as it is restricted in ways that may be inconsistently applied -- but that is sort of a given as this is about the dog and pony show that the TSA operates.
When you come up with dairy milk that isn't breast milk, you've found a non-mammaries' source for "milk" that isn't breast milk.
The problem with the TSA is that it doesn't even know how to operate according to laws and regulations where terms are appropriately defined; then again, the TSA has a problem with even operating in a generally consistent manner. One of the only things about the TSA that is consistent is that it is inconsistent; and it can't even properly run a glossary.
It's not so much as prohibited as it is restricted in ways that may be inconsistently applied -- but that is sort of a given as this is about the dog and pony show that the TSA operates.
Last edited by GUWonder; May 26, 2014 at 10:23 am
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Boston environs
Programs: AAdvantage
Posts: 559
The situation is that my son is allergic to corn and soy, which means that almost every food we could buy post-security would send him into anaphylaxis (yes I have an epipen but hope not to use it in the airport!). So I asked and was told that any "juice-box sized item" of that nature, for a young child, would be acceptable.
I can make up a whole day's food for him with almost all solids, but the lack of a non-corn/soy-ingredient drink with more calories than water (he is also failure-to-thrive, needs to gain weight, so isn't supposed to drink too much straight water) - was difficult without some kind of milk boxes. Most juice boxes have ascorbic acid derived from corn.
I specifically asked if I needed a doctor's note and was told that a chocolate milk or regular milk box was in the category of a "juice box" and shouldn't be a problem - which it normally isn't.
I also have a kind of visceral problem having to explain my son's detailed medical history to a TSA goon whose only goal is to humiliate me. But that's just me.
--LG
#12
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 3,657
http://www.tsa.gov/traveler-informat...essary-liquids
According to that site, such liquids in excess of the 100ml limit may necessitate additional screening, which might include a patdown.
Of course, it is regrettable that some airports perform the patdown and others do not, and there's no way for an ordinary passenger to know what the proper expectation should be.
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Boston environs
Programs: AAdvantage
Posts: 559
And I'll stop you right there. At that point, your son's chocolate milk is not a beverage for a child. It's a medically-necessary liquid, at which point a different set of rules applies:
http://www.tsa.gov/traveler-informat...essary-liquids
According to that site, such liquids in excess of the 100ml limit may necessitate additional screening, which might include a patdown.
Of course, it is regrettable that some airports perform the patdown and others do not, and there's no way for an ordinary passenger to know what the proper expectation should be.
http://www.tsa.gov/traveler-informat...essary-liquids
According to that site, such liquids in excess of the 100ml limit may necessitate additional screening, which might include a patdown.
Of course, it is regrettable that some airports perform the patdown and others do not, and there's no way for an ordinary passenger to know what the proper expectation should be.
It's still very unclear to me how a pat-down after the fact, which might or might not be accepted (because they said I could leave the milk and not be groped), could be of any security use.
Are they imagining that after scoping/detecting me electronically, that there is something pat-able that would be in any way connected to the milk box? And that I coerced some random little boy to accompany me cheerfully and pretend the milk box was his?
The box was an obviously-commercially-sealed item, too.
Honestly, the whole liquid ban is so stupid to begin with, but I wasn't even challenging their little rule in general, but complying with it! Maybe I should have brought the email answers from before, but then that could also look like talking back to my TSA superiors and get me more groping
I'm bewildered by all of this, unless I conclude that the pat-down is a punishment for someone using a granted exception, administered by TSA goons at some locations where they take this kind of attitude.
--LG
#14
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 3,657
Regrettably, you've stumbled into the area frequently discussed here: the inconsistency exhibited between the TSA corporate office (where you presumably called) and the checkpoint you entered, or even between two different checkpoints. TSA chooses to state that it varies its procedures from checkpoint to checkpoint in order to make it more difficult for terrorists to know what to expect at a checkpoint. Of course, (a) that same inconsistency makes it difficult for ordinary passengers to know what to expect, and (b) cynics claim that TSA uses "varied procedures" simply to cover up for its poor performance in executing its own procedures.
It's still very unclear to me how a pat-down after the fact, which might or might not be accepted (because they said I could leave the milk and not be groped), could be of any security use.
Are they imagining that after scoping/detecting me electronically, that there is something pat-able that would be in any way connected to the milk box?
Are they imagining that after scoping/detecting me electronically, that there is something pat-able that would be in any way connected to the milk box?
Which could've been resealed after you introduced your contraband into the box.
It wouldn't be the first time. Of course, it's not unique to the TSA; there are plenty of times and places where employees choose to enforce their rules to the letter in order to punish a client, or to register a protest against superior authority, or any number of other reasons.
#15
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The TSA rules don't say chocolate milk for toddlers and infants is excluded. Rather it says milk, regardless of type, is allowed based on consumer.
TSA HQ is inconsistent with itself.
Some TSA HQ policies are designed in such a way that TSA screeners can't possibly always abide by all TSA policies concurrently applicable for a given situation and not violate one or more TSA policies while attempting to do it all.
The whole mess of a situation with inconsistency at the TSA is a product of the TSA failing to follow the K.I.S.S. principles, operational principles which are even more necessary when dealing with a distributed workforce: (a) whose actions aren't technically constrained by automated controls to prevent deviation; and (b) whose competency levels are going to gravitate toward being mediocre even at best.
The blame for the TSA mess and mess-ups is best assigned to the top. Unfortunate as some of us find it, the country has got the TSA which the country deserves.
TSA HQ is inconsistent with itself.
Some TSA HQ policies are designed in such a way that TSA screeners can't possibly always abide by all TSA policies concurrently applicable for a given situation and not violate one or more TSA policies while attempting to do it all.
The whole mess of a situation with inconsistency at the TSA is a product of the TSA failing to follow the K.I.S.S. principles, operational principles which are even more necessary when dealing with a distributed workforce: (a) whose actions aren't technically constrained by automated controls to prevent deviation; and (b) whose competency levels are going to gravitate toward being mediocre even at best.
The blame for the TSA mess and mess-ups is best assigned to the top. Unfortunate as some of us find it, the country has got the TSA which the country deserves.