Can anyone explain this logic:

Flying back to the K from Montego Bay to the UK via Miami and they pull my 13 year old daughter for SSSS while boarding, so I say ok I'll wait here with my 10 year old daughter at which point I'm told you can't stay here it's a sterile area - i.e. the bit before the jet bridge where everyone walks through to board! A total and utter joke!

On the plus side, both ways through Miami have been smooth and easy through both immigration and security. Tonight at security at 'E' gates I was asked how many with you, I said, myself and my 2 daughters and we weren't required to go through the microwave scanner whilst everyone else had to. Seems to be absolutely no coherence at all!!

TSA's official explanation for such inconsistencies is "unpredictable screening".

Everyone else's explanation for such inconsistencies ... well, let's just say it wouldn't make it past the FlyerTalk language filters ...

Personally, I don't understand the "logic" of pulling a 13yo girl, who is traveling with her mother and 10yo sister, out of line for any sort of additional screening at the gate.

What kind of screening did she get? Bag check? Questioning? ID check? Pat-down?

Separating a minor from a parent seems problematic. Isn't doing so against TSA policy?

I think the cut-off age is 12. Any "child" older than that is "fare game."

She had a pat down, handbag searched and was swabbed for god knows what.

Yes she's 13 and was confused about what was happening and why which in my view was perfectly understandable, however there was absolutely no empathy from the woman dealing with her. My daughter felt very uncomfortable whilst it was going on in full view of everyone

Anyonoe who goes through this egregious violation of their civil rights will be, at the very least, uncomfortable. However, do not ever let the discomfort turn into embarassment, as though you (or she) had done something wrong; this embarassment can lead to requesting private screening, which radically increases the chances for abuse and deviation from the SOP.

Instead, teach her to turn that discomfort into outrage at what is, in point of fact, an outrageous personal violation. Stay calm and never lose your temper, never raise your voice, but never become embarassed. In this situation, your daughter was a victim; she had absolutely no reason to be embarassed and every reason to be angry.

"Full view of everyone" is absolutely vital to prevent further, worse, abuses by these uniformed bullies.

At what airport did this happen? Also SSSS is a boarding pass designation and it is not to be applied in that instance.

Logic? You expect logic from a group who have not read a book since high school? My research here and other places indicates that TSA makes up its own rules according to it's own whim at its own convenience. The SSSS designation happens without rhyme or reason, and there is nothing you can do about it except be victimized by it. Just be grateful that your daughter was not maimed, bloodied and permanently scarred as I was. However, write to the Miami Congressional Representatives (Claude Pepper, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Patrick Murphy in the House and Senators Bill Nelson and Marcus Rubio, Senate) the TSA, and especially Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky. They will open (at least) a congressional inquiry into TSA misdoing there, and that will make people there at least aware of what is going on.

The most critical thing in my research is that TSA is not only clever, but motivated to keep their upper echelons from knowing what is going on under their watch. It only makes sense. When the lower echelons violate their own policy, it makes a bad mark on their own performance review which in turn affects their own promotions and pay raises etc. It is absolutely logical: No one can fix something if they don't know it's broken! And unless you rase _ _ _ _, the people with the power to do something don't know that something is wrong.

According to what I have researched, TSA may not separate a MINOR child from his/her parent. Period. End of discussion. If they said that you could not be with your 13 year old daughter then they are in violation and you need to raise _ _ _ _ about it. The difference between the 12 and 13 is in the invasiveness of the "enhanced pat down" also known as sexual assault every where in the USA except TSA. Also inquire as to the filing of criminal charges against them for kidnapping your child and holding her against your wishes and away from your protection. You won't get anywhere with it, but it will cost them money and take their time, and somehow get into their database. Again - the impossible - if enough people raise enough _ _ _ _ about their mistreatment of us, the greater likelihood of someone in Congress getting the message that we're not going to take their abuse of power any more.

Their only mission is to search for weapons, explosives, and incendiaries, and if that has been exceeded by their actions - according to the narrative that you gave, then you have cause. Demand the name and contact number of the Federal Securities Director at that airport (and send me a copy because I am doing my best to compile a data base for that.) COMPLAIN! COMPLAIN! COMPLAIN! Don't sit still and let these bullies continue not to abide their own operations manual. Once you get the name of the FSD at that airport, the form for his/her e-mail is Firstname . Lastname @ TSA . DHS. Gov. It is likely is that a paper letter will get more attention than an e-mail, but expect them to give you the wrong address at least 3 or 4 times, and don't send it to the airport because the airport will simply return it as undeliverable. Still, an e-mail will give you a record in your out-box of having contacted them. Also write about it to the TSA ombudsman.

We need a few million more people complaining loud and long and clear about TSA's school-yard-bully attitude and intimidation and endlessly exceeding their authority, terrorizing little kids and turning our travel experiences into a travel nightmare. Your help would be truly appreciated by everyone who flies.

> We need a few million more people complaining loud and long and clear

Won't get anywhere. This tactic is outdated. You need to organize a flying boycott to hurt *companies*. Companies own Congress so the only way to get Congress do anything is to hurt the airlines.

You could try to contact Claude Pepper, but you'll need a Ouija board - he died in 1989.

I wouldn't expect anything from Rubio. I e-mailed him about national security issues and got a response to the flavor of, "I'm on an intelligence committee, I know the top-secret details, and, trust me, the government is providing a valuable service."

Oops! But his name is still on the records I researched....

Over the years, I have sent written complaints to the TSA at the address given at the time on their website. (I don't think they list a street address any longer.) Each one came back marked either "undeliverable as addressed" or "no such address."

After 9-11, I was tripped up with the SSSS on my boarding passes several times but I haven't seen one in a few years. In the past, it was just extra degree of reviewing my documents and opening up my luggage for them to review.

But today, they don't even check your boarding passes after you walk through the metal detectors so not sure when TSA would check your boarding pass again.

Sounds like the original OP had a secondary check after boarding by TSA as this was international flight to UK. Not sure why they would swab her or do the patdown for a 13 year old, just sounds weird. Perhaps her name got caught in database but doesn't explain why the inward bound was a non-issue.