I find the whole story ridiculous. I don't know any parent that would allow their child to be interrogated and/or terrorized and just stand there and do nothing, for any length of time. If the guy was so threatening, you tell him to back off - immediately. Since that was not the immediate reaction of the parents I suspect the "threat level" of the guy was at blue. Maybe yellow if he was really big and had a scary voice and a beard.
>>"Tell the nice man your name" I suggested.<<
Yeah-right. Parents who feel their children are being terrorized, harrassed, and interrogated aren't going to "suggest" anything - they're going to get between the child and the threat and grow fangs and go foamy. I think the author was just looking for something to bash the airport security guards over and could have done a LOT better than that if he put the effort in
