TSA and Breast Milk: AGAIN!!
Jun 18, 2017, 10:17 am
#46
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Even with that I question the veracity of the tweet.
Last edited by sunshinekid; Jun 19, 2017 at 9:59 am
Jun 18, 2017, 11:03 am
#47
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I do not question the veracity of the tweet. If TSA disagrees, they have the camera footage to prove that this did not happen.
A family used to traveling with baby food and breast milk encountered an unusual situation. They were told they had to open all containers of baby food for screening. They had hours of travel ahead and knew the food would spoil. The alternative was for mother or dad to choose which one of them would undergo a particularly thorough physical frisk.
Because they had traveled with breast milk and baby food many times and never encountered this, they followed up. Here is TSA's response (bolding mine).
https://consumerist.com/2013/06/19/t...rs-a-pat-down/
A family used to traveling with baby food and breast milk encountered an unusual situation. They were told they had to open all containers of baby food for screening. They had hours of travel ahead and knew the food would spoil. The alternative was for mother or dad to choose which one of them would undergo a particularly thorough physical frisk.
Because they had traveled with breast milk and baby food many times and never encountered this, they followed up. Here is TSA's response (bolding mine).
TSA allows passenger’s to travel with medically necessary liquids and gels, including medicines, baby food and breast milk, in excess of 3.4 ounces and we ask passengers to show these items to our officers at the checkpoint so they can be screened separately. TSA uses technology called a Bottled Liquid Scanner (BLS) to screen these items at the checkpoint. Use of this technology does not require that the jars or bottles be opened. If, however, the jars or bottles cannot be screened with the BLS, like in this case, because the food labels completely covered the jars, TSA officers will employ liquid test strips to screen the contents. Use of the strips requires that the jars or bottles be opened. TSA does note on our website that officers may need to open these items to conduct additional screening. If the passenger refuses to allow officers to screen the liquids or gels in the manner necessary, standard protocol calls for the passenger to undergo secondary screening, which includes a pat down and swabbing of his/her bags and possibly his/her hands with our Explosive Trace Detection (ETD) equipment. Absent the proper screening of the liquids or gels, the secondary screening and use of ETD will alert officers if the passenger has been handling explosive materials.
Last edited by chollie; Jun 18, 2017 at 11:09 am
Jun 18, 2017, 12:04 pm
#48
Join Date: Apr 2017
Posts: 41
I do not question the veracity of the tweet. If TSA disagrees, they have the camera footage to prove that this did not happen.
A family used to traveling with baby food and breast milk encountered an unusual situation. They were told they had to open all containers of baby food for screening. They had hours of travel ahead and knew the food would spoil. The alternative was for mother or dad to choose which one of them would undergo a particularly thorough physical frisk.
Because they had traveled with breast milk and baby food many times and never encountered this, they followed up. Here is TSA's response (bolding mine).
https://consumerist.com/2013/06/19/t...rs-a-pat-down/
A family used to traveling with baby food and breast milk encountered an unusual situation. They were told they had to open all containers of baby food for screening. They had hours of travel ahead and knew the food would spoil. The alternative was for mother or dad to choose which one of them would undergo a particularly thorough physical frisk.
Because they had traveled with breast milk and baby food many times and never encountered this, they followed up. Here is TSA's response (bolding mine).
https://consumerist.com/2013/06/19/t...rs-a-pat-down/
Are you using an article from 2013 to prove something that happened 4 days ago?
The reason to question the tweet is that she claimed that the inside of the container would be swabbed. I do not believe it.
TSA, the agency, is not that stupid.
Jun 18, 2017, 12:15 pm
#49
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Jun 18, 2017, 1:04 pm
#50
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We do not actually know if the 'academy' trains TSOs to dip the strips or just to wave them. We do know that each TSO is permitted to use his/her discretion.
I do know that back in the day when they were hanging around boarding gates testing liquids, some of them weren't content to wave the strip over the opening, they tried to get it as close to the surface of the liquid as possible, meaning on occasion the end of the strip dipped into the container. I can easily believe that a screener who knows about rubbing genitals hard to get 'evil traces' on their gloves thinks that rubbing a test strip on the side of a container will get a 'better' sample than just waving it over the top.
Jun 18, 2017, 3:14 pm
#51
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Your post is confusing. I don't have to 'prove' anything. TSA's own website speaks for itself. I provided the cite because the practice of opening and testing containers is not new.
We do not actually know if the 'academy' trains TSOs to dip the strips or just to wave them. We do know that each TSO is permitted to use his/her discretion.
I do know that back in the day when they were hanging around boarding gates testing liquids, some of them weren't content to wave the strip over the opening, they tried to get it as close to the surface of the liquid as possible, meaning on occasion the end of the strip dipped into the container. I can easily believe that a screener who knows about rubbing genitals hard to get 'evil traces' on their gloves thinks that rubbing a test strip on the side of a container will get a 'better' sample than just waving it over the top.
We do not actually know if the 'academy' trains TSOs to dip the strips or just to wave them. We do know that each TSO is permitted to use his/her discretion.
I do know that back in the day when they were hanging around boarding gates testing liquids, some of them weren't content to wave the strip over the opening, they tried to get it as close to the surface of the liquid as possible, meaning on occasion the end of the strip dipped into the container. I can easily believe that a screener who knows about rubbing genitals hard to get 'evil traces' on their gloves thinks that rubbing a test strip on the side of a container will get a 'better' sample than just waving it over the top.
Last edited by sunshinekid; Jun 18, 2017 at 3:48 pm
Jun 18, 2017, 6:46 pm
#53
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TSA has a website that says containers may be opened, that is not the discussion. We travelers are very familiar with test strips used on opened liquid containers. Has anyone else every claimed that TSA swabbed the inside of a container full of breast milk? Deliberate contamination of infant food is beyond the stupidity of TSA as an agency.
The level of stupidity that TSA's groupthink mentality can reach is nothing short of mind-boggling. I cannot address this specific incident, but I do not doubt for a second that somewhere, at some level, there are TSA managers or executives who are stupid enough to actually order that sealed baby foods and beverages be opened and the interiors swabbed for ETD testing. Whether that has actually happened, I do not know, but I do believe that it could.
Jun 19, 2017, 8:10 am
#54
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An agency stupid enough to use the TAT probes on jet aircraft as handholds to climb into the plane is stupid enough to do anything.
Jun 19, 2017, 8:42 am
#55
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TSA has a website that says containers may be opened, that is not the discussion. We travelers are very familiar with test strips used on opened liquid containers. Has anyone else every claimed that TSA swabbed the inside of a container full of breast milk? Deliberate contamination of infant food is beyond the stupidity of TSA as an agency.
So why do you find it so hard to believe that TSA would go over the line with breast milk when they are known for obsessing and going over the line anytime anything remotely connected to sexual organs is involved?
Jun 19, 2017, 9:00 am
#56
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I can tell you from personal experience how asinine TSA can be.
I traveled a few months after having back surgery but was still under orders to wear a back brace any time I was not in bed, especially if standing or walking. I explained that to a TSA screener who insisted that my medical device had to be removed for me to go through TSA security and that the item had to be x-rayed. No amount of reasoning would convince that prime example of a TSA screener that he was exceeding his authority and not complying with TSA policies.
If you take a look over the history of TSA and its employees there is no limit to the infractions on the part of TSA screeners, from abuse, strip searches, feeling up young kids, sexual assault, and on and on.
Before saying TSA screeners can't be that stupid you should do some research and find out just how stupid TSA screeners have already proven themselves to be.
I traveled a few months after having back surgery but was still under orders to wear a back brace any time I was not in bed, especially if standing or walking. I explained that to a TSA screener who insisted that my medical device had to be removed for me to go through TSA security and that the item had to be x-rayed. No amount of reasoning would convince that prime example of a TSA screener that he was exceeding his authority and not complying with TSA policies.
If you take a look over the history of TSA and its employees there is no limit to the infractions on the part of TSA screeners, from abuse, strip searches, feeling up young kids, sexual assault, and on and on.
Before saying TSA screeners can't be that stupid you should do some research and find out just how stupid TSA screeners have already proven themselves to be.
Jun 19, 2017, 9:55 am
#57
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I do not believe that as an agency TSA has instituted "open breast milk containers and swab the inside of the container." I do believe that all of TSA is so ill-trained that at a local level even the FSD would order contaminating food intended for infants.
But did [The Acting Head of TSA] order it....No, I do not believe [the Acting Head of TSA] ordered it.
Even with that I question the veracity of the tweet.
But did [The Acting Head of TSA] order it....No, I do not believe [the Acting Head of TSA] ordered it.
Even with that I question the veracity of the tweet.
Jun 19, 2017, 10:21 am
#58
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It does not matter what the head or acting head of TSA or the FSD or the website says.
The key words are: 'the screener has the final say'.
If a screener decides to stick his finger in the liquid (like they often do with creams and other items in checked bags), that's his call.
Think I'm wrong? Once upon a time, if you reported something like this, TSA would say the employee would be retrained. Now they are more honest. If a pax complains, TSA says 'that is not how we train our employees'. They do NOT say 'the employee is wrong and will be disciplined for not following established rules' because there are no established rules. Unless they think it's something that might hit the news, they don't even bother to suggest that the pax submit a formal complaint to OIG.
The key words are: 'the screener has the final say'.
If a screener decides to stick his finger in the liquid (like they often do with creams and other items in checked bags), that's his call.
Think I'm wrong? Once upon a time, if you reported something like this, TSA would say the employee would be retrained. Now they are more honest. If a pax complains, TSA says 'that is not how we train our employees'. They do NOT say 'the employee is wrong and will be disciplined for not following established rules' because there are no established rules. Unless they think it's something that might hit the news, they don't even bother to suggest that the pax submit a formal complaint to OIG.
Jun 21, 2017, 2:42 pm
#59
Join Date: Aug 2012
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TSA strikes out at breast milk yet again
A new mom traveling through @DENAirport has her baby's food dumped by @TSA. At 5 & 6, why the breast milk was tossed & TSA's response. #CBS4
Here is TSAs response:
CBS4 reached out to Denver’s TSA office and received the following response: “While TSA’s top priority is to ensure travelers arrive to their destinations safely, we also strive to provide the highest level of customer service at our checkpoints. Officers are trained to screen breast milk, and medically necessary liquids, which includes procedures to resolve alarms. In this particular case, standard checkpoint procedures were not followed to resolve the alarm. We’ve reached out to the passenger to apologize for any inconvenience caused during the screening process and scheduled a refresher briefing for all DEN TSA officers on screening oversized liquids, including breast milk.”
Thanks Ballagh @TSA @DENAirport for flagging my breastmilk as an explosive and giving me the option to pitch it or call the bomb specialist!
Last edited by petaluma1; Jun 21, 2017 at 6:41 pm
Jun 22, 2017, 5:58 am
#60
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We’ve reached out to the passenger to apologize for any inconvenience caused during the screening process and scheduled a refresher briefing for all DEN TSA officers on screening oversized liquids, including breast milk.”
The intimidation is working:
She said she didn’t argue, because she didn’t want to get pulled into a back room and get patted down.
A few minutes later, she was overcome with emotion.
“I just started crying,” she said, “because I really didn’t know what to do…that was my son’s food.”
“I just started crying,” she said, “because I really didn’t know what to do…that was my son’s food.”
Last edited by TWA884; Jun 22, 2017 at 8:06 am Reason: Merge consecutive posts by the same member for readability