magellan315

Then you should have said something at the time it happened to stop it or after it was over asked to speak to a supervisor. Coming here to complain about what happened when you did nothing to stop it or challenge it is pointless and ridiculous. You can either be part of the problem or part of the solution.

Trollkiller

With as many kids that go missing or run off with perverts they met on the internet the question to me would not be out of line.

How easy would it be for someone to say that a 14 year old was thier kid when the 14 year old has no ID to show?

The question was not pointless and if the conversation went as decribed, I don't see it as being improper.

bdschobel

And how many might that be? Come on, you can't really be serious? Why don't we stop mothers with strollers in the mall and make them prove their maternity? Who knows, with "as many kids that go missing," kidnapped by strangers, you can't be too sure. Last time I was at the mall, I'm just sure I saw a woman with a baby that didn't look like her. A kidnapper, for sure! Thank goodness we have the wonderful TSA to catch those people when they try to fly off somewhere.

And, while we're being silly, thank goodness that my son is 14 years old and not 14 months old! If the TSA clown had asked those questions of a 14-month-old, he might not have gotten satisfactory answers, and I'd be sitting in the slammer today! And we'd all be safer, right?

Bruce

Trollkiller

I am very serious and I think if you back up a bit you will see that I am correct.

You said
Children that are abducted are usually instructed not to speak to anyone with the threat of violence to themselves or loved ones as the penalty for disobeying. Do you remember this case? This kid was a virtual slave. If I remember correctly at some point he was allowed in public because the pervert had broken him. When asked by an authority figure (cop) the kid spilled the beans.

You and your son by your own admission were not speaking to each other or the TSO. The screener took a few seconds to ask two questions, neither were very probing.

If on the slim chance that you were a pervert not a parent those couple of questions would have given your son the chance to escape.

Those couple of questions insured that a minor was not in danger without putting an undue burden on an innocent person. Please don't let your dislike of the TSA or TSOs blind you to the fact the screener did nothing wrong.

bdschobel

It was 7 a.m. and we had just flown 15 hours nonstop from Dubai! We hadn't spoken simply because we were tired and wanted to continue on our connecting flight. (Note that Dulles makes international arriving passengers leave security and re-enter, which is what we were doing.)

But the bottom line is that this is just another example of mission creep at the TSA. Find terrorists, protect air travel. Fine, that's their job. Look for people abducting children? Not fine. Get back to work!

Bruce

oneofthosepeopleyouloveto hate

I tend to agree (although I have no sympathy for kidnappers).

I think some TSOs are struggling desperately to make their jobs personally meaningful in some way. They should find another way!

Parents (esp. w/ small children) are stressed-out enough at the checkpoint as it is!

Global_Hi_Flyer

Correct. It's part of the TSA turning themselves into a criminal dragnet to justify their existence.

Wonder what's next.

studentff

I'm sorry, but IMO the consequences of this (common) "think of the children" mentality is nearly as dangerous as the civil-liberties destruction caused by TSA.

I used to live in Indiana, an area quite prone to tornadoes. For those not familiar with the concept, many residents keep weather radios in their homes that will set off an alarm in the event of a tornado warning, so that they have time to seek shelter. The government brain trust decided that it would be a good idea to use the weather-radio alert to announce "Amber Alerts" anywhere in the state. As a result of this policy, I got jolted out of bed at 2 a.m. several times for child-custody-dispute "abductions" that occurred over 100 miles from my home. So guess what I did--turn off the weather radio. That didn't increase anyone's safety. But I actually had conversations with people with a "think of the children" mentality so strong that they didn't mind the idea of a reverse-911 call to every home, in the middle of the night, for an "abduction" that was hundreds or even thousands of miles away.

The number of non-family kidnappers, non-family pedophiles, etc., is quite low. The odds any of us not in law-enforcement or social-service jobs will ever encounter a true hostage-child in our daily lives are vanishingly small. Trying to protect children by destroying civil liberties (or just destroying the peace) by setting up what will inevitably be unproductive dragnets is no better than whipping up hysteria over 4-oz shampoo bottles.

T-the-B

Oneofthose has hit the nail squarely on the head.

A portion of the TSA employees have realized that their job contributes nothing meaningful to transportation safety and security. Some of those will continue to just go through the motions because its a paycheck, others will try to come up with something that could be meaningful. This begats the mission creep at all levels from the individual screener on up.

oneofthosepeopleyouloveto hate

Well, I wouldn't say "nothing" -- but I'd put my odds at catching a real, live terrorist on par with those of interrupting a kidnapping!

And I do believe the mission creep is a bad thing.

T-the-B

I too wouldn't say "nothing"; however I stand by "nothing meaningful".

MrAndy1369

What's next? Hmm...asking to prove that the CD's/DVD's you have are not pirated? Asking for reciepts for everything in your bag/the clothes you're wearing? Your credit score? Laptop for child porn? Asking kids to prove that they're going to school? Drug tests? Background checks with the IRS/governments for being behind in payments? How else can they get more involved with our lives?

oneofthosepeopleyouloveto hate

Please, Andy, don't give them ideas!

MrAndy1369

.....and isn't it a sad state of affairs when we actually are sharing those opinions, and feel nervous about "giving them any ideas"? Shows how bad things has became already. @:-)

doober

This thread was referenced on the blog and here are comments by screeners in at attempt to justify questioning minors:

Emphasis mine.

I am beginning to agree with Andy - is there nothing in which the TSA and its agents believe it should be involved?