Abundance of caution...and pepper spray
 

Out of an abundance of caution, a JFK TSA'er pepper sprayed himself and five coworkers to determine if the pepper spray was real.

http://gothamist.com/2013/03/27/tsa_...epper_spra.php

I mean, really, just when you think the TSA couldn't possibly be and dumber, they go and prove you wrong.

As my four year-old would say, "He's so silly!"

Mike

Doesn't it just make your day? :D

They just can't get out of their own way.

I'd say a combination of stupidity and karma. Either way it put a smile on my face to hear about this!

Six TSA agents in the hospital over this. It's a proud day at the agency.

I wonder how Blogger Bob can spin this one. I would be extremely pissed off if I was one of the 6 that were sent to the hospital.

What's the TSA equivalent of a Purple Heart?

A six-pack of Cinnabons?

Another one for the Hall of Fame :)

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/christ-y...bel/47/94b/78a

Bottomless pit of incompetence. Incredible.

Yeah, and I thought I saw a puddy tat :rolleyes:

And with that, something doesn't make sense as there's this....

and then this......

:confused:

If I'd sprayed five coworkers with pepper spray to "test [my] hypothesis" when I was an Air Force cop, I would've gotten at least an Article 15 - essentially the last line of punishment before a court-martial proceeding. I wonder what (won't) will happen to these yahoos since the incident is already being covered up as an accident by the TSA.

Pepper spray doesn't "accidentally" discharge. It's specifically designed not to for obvious reasons. Even the civilianized versions aren't just aim and shoot. And if the bottle was damaged and leaking, only the person picking it up and maybe one other would be affected. Not FIVE.

There is no equivalent. Nothing TSA does is worthy of a Medal for Valor.

:D:D ROTFL, just when you think you've heard it all.

Don't try to apply logic or rational behavior to the TSA. The other five may have been just innocent[sic] victims, but this clown is apparently a highly-trained BDO :rolleyes: and should be demoted back down to the baggage hall.

Even if you're certain it's a laser pointer, you DO NOT point it at anyone else.
Indicative of the general intelligence level of TSA workers I suppose.

"To protect the traveling public, our brave TSOs wrestled the pepper spray to the ground and discharged the contents. Every day, our highly-trained officers risk their lives on the Front Line of the War On Terror to prevent harm from dangerous items like this." :rolleyes:
A purple face? :D

Does one have to feel even slightly ashamed/guilty for the word "schadenfreude" to apply?

The pepper spray discharger brings visions of this episode of the Simpsons, especially around 0:40 or so.

That it needed a trip to the hospital would be funny too, if our taxes weren't paying for it. Pepper spray exposure is not a hospital level event.

Just can't make this stuff up !!!

Famous last words: "Hey, want to see something neat?"

I had a coworker many years ago that would say this from time to time and we would all dive under the heaviest table we could find.

Wow, I hadn't even read the article when I posted the above, but look how close I got:
You literally can't make this stuff up; my attempt at a joke was indistinguishable from the real TSA statement!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCeD2gF9jUo

Pepper spray.

DIABOLICAL.

Does he reside at Birch Family Services or work there?

Maybe you should work as their PR. ;)

If they ever DO find a bomb in their searches, they will detonate just to make sure they found the big one.

TSO finds gun.

Wonders if loaded.

BANG!

Yep.

(Bolding mine) Even worse.....

And WillCAD - I've been sprayed with it as part of training. It's HIDEOUS. Fortunately I never carried it. (You can't as K9)

thanks, I just chortled beverage up my nose ^

Many years ago I got a very peripheral dose of the stuff when some brain surgeon sprayed it inside a store where I was shopping. My throat closed up and felt like I has swallowed a Brillo pad, my eyes teared and swelled, and I could barely breathe until I left the vicinity of the vile, vile stuff. I had no idea what it was until later, but it cleared out the whole store.

My earlier post, though, included a link to a YouTube video of the Light Grenade scene from Mom and Dad Save The World, in which the most DIABOLICAL weapon concocted by the planet of idiots was a grenade emblazoned with the words, "PICK ME UP." Each person picked it up... and vcanished. Then the next one picked it up... and vanished. Soon, it was down to two guys, and as the next-to-last guy reaches for the grenade, the last guy opens his radio and says, "We're going to need reinforcements down here!"

The more dangerous something seems, the more it screams PICK ME UP to a TSO.

Anyone want to speculate on the outcome if a passenger had picked up an odd item at the checkpoint, 'tested' it and pepper-sprayed 5 TSOs?

I suspect the last thing on his mind was to either toss it or turn it in to the lost and found.

How is it even possible to confuse a pepper spray can with a laser pointer ?!

"This TSO does not represent the tens of thousands of employees who can go a full day without injuring their co-workers..."

That's it. You people have held me back long enough. I'm going to Clown College!

Mike

I had tear gas training when I was stationed overseas in the 1980s. The thing they forget to tell you is that the stuff stays in your clothes until you get undressed and wash your clothes. We were tearing up on the drive back to the main base until we realized what was going on.

TSA


edit to add: A comment in the Daily Mail

"TSA.....When just ordinary Idiots won' t do.."

*snicker*

Since it was an "accident", the 6 probably got administrative leave with pay for the trip to the hospital. The taxpayer will pay for long-term effects of the spray.

WOnder what would have happened if they had confiscated (er, made the passenger "voluntarily surrender") the item and they tossed it in the big barrel where it might have gotten punctured.

I wonder if they reviewed the checkpoint tapes to see if the tapes backed up the official story about a group of TSOs trying to safely analyze and disarm an unknown item at the checkpoint.

Or perhaps the tape showed a TSO picking something up, laughing and clowning around with his buddies, the way you do when you think you might be disarming a dangerous item.

Hillarious thread. Thanks guys

ABC News said they trying to reach the hero who wrestled the rogue laser pointer to the ground before it transformed into pepper spray (well not saying it in those words) but he has not returned their calls.

Wonder why?

His facebook page says he Graduated from John Jay College of Criminal Justice so they must be proud of him too.

From his resume (which is the same as his linked in above I believe)

Additional Information
Ambitious security professional with more than seven years of experience providing exceptional security services to protect the general public. Six years spent in progressively-senior positions within the United States Department of Homeland Security. Proven track record in high-stress situations that require immediate and independent action. Along with a thorough knowledge of security policies, procedures and expertise in conveying technical language into simpler terms. Experienced with a variety of populations, including at-risk youth and trained to be attentive to suspicious behavior to prevent threats before they occur. Committed to moving forward, with a particular interest in progressing into management positions to help organizations manage and develop staff into sound performance.

Where he also details his responsibilities at the tsa (where he's apparently worked since 2006 in a couple of positions)

Behavior Detection Officer/Master Transportation Security Officer
U.S. Department of Homeland Security/TSA
August 2011 to Present
Perform passive observation and engages in voluntary encounters.
* Determine whether individuals may be involved in harmful activities against transportation systems.
* Assess multiple individuals simultaneously and use defined methods to detect unusual behavior.
* Works closely with team members to assess individuals.
* Documents identified behaviors as the basis for referrals.
* Ensures that superiors are aware of all ongoing activities.
* Prepare incident reports.
* Use established factors to determine whether elevated suspicion exists.
* Report security issues, and concerns to mitigate risks.
* Convey technical language into simpler terms for the traveling public.
* Provide expertise in interpretation of standard operating procedures.

Yet he somehow got pepper spray and a laser pointer confused. OK

Well it's good his resume is already out there, and he's probably been looking for a new position, hopefully he will need it soon.

Now, that's entertainment - LMAO on a pre Good Friday day for many travelers. More TSA training for him :rolleyes: but unlikely to change or yield a diffferent outcome, given his vast :o experiences and expertise as stated in his Linkedin - if you believe in his credentials. :td:

When in doubt, don't press it, don't squeeze it, don't pull it, don't move it, and don't aim in ... just look at it straight with your eyes (then, again, maybe not )

Dammit, just call the bomb squad and yell, evacuate the area, keep everyone away, out of an abundance of precaution - afterall, it might be a miniature IED and let the real LEO handle it :confused:

This is going to be an interesting Incident Report to be written up and read about ...

If this stunt was pulled by the traveler, s/he would be a lot of trouble and charges filed for a variety of ...