Passenger Dies at TSA Checkpoint
 

Passenger Dies In Screening Area Of LAX’s Tom Bradley Terminal

Not much information in the article. Wondering if the person died from some health issue or did TSA finally kill someone with their unreasonable screening?

Maybe they were confiscating his heart meds.

I can honestly see someone gasping and begging for a lifesaving med and a TSos standing there denying the meds because they think the pax is faking and about to do something dastardly with the meds.

Although I can't find it now, there was a report yesterday of a passenger fainting at a checkpoint and TSA screeners basically doing nothing about it other than to harass other travelers.

Possibly part of their training. Neither you nor I have seen or heard the terrifying SSI stuff they are taught at the 'academy'.

I suspect their training tells them what ordinary folks like you or I would never think of. We probably would have just thought someone was fainting, how about help out. A TSO on the frontlines of terror is well aware that this person could be a terrorist faking fainting to distract the checkpoint folks from someone else doing something nasty. The smart thing to do, if you are on the frontlines of the war on terror, is to stay put and let someone else take care of it.

Meanwhile, out of an abundance of caution, maintain strict order at the checkpoint, because other pax might be confused, concerned, frightened - but TSOs have to assume any or all of them could be involved in a plot with the alleged fainter (or dying person). To better maintain mission focus, ignore the fainter entirely, other than an occasional glance to make sure s/he isn't moving.

This is actually a common policy for guards--don't respond to nearby emergencies because they may be staged in order to get past whatever they are guarding.

Generally speaking, I would think things at the checkpoint would be handled the way they would on our factory floor. Someone yells 'super', the nearest supervisor comes over and takes charge. First thing that supervisor does is assign one individual to take the problem while s/he (supervisor) takes visible charge, making sure everyone who isn't directly involved or needed gets back to keeping their eyes and their attention on their regular duties.

Not a great deal of respect being shown regarding the fact that someone, someone who has people who love him/her, suddenly died. This is a real person and deserves kinder treatment from this forum. Perhaps some compassion?

If TSA posted condolences on the blog or twitter or made a press announcement, I missed it.

What has been said about the person who died that you consider disrespectful?

Yes, but I think we can safely assume that TSA had enough staff on hand to spare 1 person to go have a look. Besides, they're not guards. They're baggage screeners with shiny badges.

But they're guards in the sense they're supposed to stop any unscreened people, or sound the alarm if unscreened people do get past.

Are they supposed to stop people? They certainly have no authority to do so. Observe and report, sure, yes. Stop? I don't know of any legal authority for line agents to do that. TSA Police (as in the actual sworn police that TSA has) have the ability.

They can stop you, they can tell you to 'wait right here' indefinitely, they can demand your ID and BP and separate you from all of your belongings - but they can not detain you.

If you do get past them they can do a terminal dump to keep you from getting to a plane.