Originally Posted by
Vidiot
(my ellipsis)
That's astounding, and I can't think of a single security-related reason for that. (I can think of several reasons behind that, but they have all to do with authoritarianism and control.) That seems like a civil-rights violation in itself. TSOs are now asserting that they have the authority to compel you not to speak?
Happened to someone I know at SAT. Helpless, wheelchair-bound, partially paralyzed, confused, in tears and begging to know what was happening and what she had done wrong and calling and begging for her husband. She hadn't flown for a couple years (since the disabling stroke) and obviously had missed out the shift from wanding if you alarmed. TSO's stepped forward to block her husband from her line of sight and told him he was not allowed to speak to her.
All that BS about you can have a family member, bla-bla, is just that. Like everything else, it's up to the TSOs at the checkpoint, and if they're in a nasty mood, you're in for a bad time.