"It's more important you go over there where I told you to."
Jan 12, 2011, 12:22 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: YOW
Programs: AC E75K *G
Posts: 7,108
"It's more important you go over there where I told you to."
My wife and two children (7 and 11) happened to be leaving LAX on UA the other day and somehow ended up in some tiny security checkpoint in T7.
There were two conveyors for your crap, along with a metal detector thing and a nudiescope (sp?).
We put all our crap on one of the conveyors. As far as I could tell, nobody really told us to do anything at all. A TSA guy was on the other side of the metal detector and nodded at me, so I send the 7 year old through. The 11 year old followed a few seconds later.
Apparently this was a grievous error. TSA Woman #1 near the conveyors yelled out that they shouldn't have gone through there. Still another TSA lady sheepishly said she's not going to force the children back through the other scanner, and they left it at that.
The thread that my wife and I posed to the world still had to be dealt with via the body scanner, which had a bit of a lineup due to some moron fellow travelers incapable of following the most basic of instructions. I could see it would take a few moments, so I asked TSA Woman #1 if I should probably go through the metal detector to look after my children. She answered, well, what I put in the thread title. She also told the kids not to come back to us.
The kids actually did a decent job with our crap, but the 7 year old can be a little impulsive and could just as easily decided he needed to run off into the terminal. That would have been a major cluster&#$*
Sheer incompetence.
There were two conveyors for your crap, along with a metal detector thing and a nudiescope (sp?).
We put all our crap on one of the conveyors. As far as I could tell, nobody really told us to do anything at all. A TSA guy was on the other side of the metal detector and nodded at me, so I send the 7 year old through. The 11 year old followed a few seconds later.
Apparently this was a grievous error. TSA Woman #1 near the conveyors yelled out that they shouldn't have gone through there. Still another TSA lady sheepishly said she's not going to force the children back through the other scanner, and they left it at that.
The thread that my wife and I posed to the world still had to be dealt with via the body scanner, which had a bit of a lineup due to some moron fellow travelers incapable of following the most basic of instructions. I could see it would take a few moments, so I asked TSA Woman #1 if I should probably go through the metal detector to look after my children. She answered, well, what I put in the thread title. She also told the kids not to come back to us.
The kids actually did a decent job with our crap, but the 7 year old can be a little impulsive and could just as easily decided he needed to run off into the terminal. That would have been a major cluster&#$*
Sheer incompetence.
Jan 12, 2011, 1:12 am
#3
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 453
Yeah and one day somebodies kids are going to go missing because of this crap of the kids being programmed to do everything the TSA Agents are telling them to do. Because kids do run off and if some person in the blue uniform tells the kid come with me. More than likely the kid is going to go wherever the trust worthy stranger in the blue uniform takes the kid. So it will be too late when TSA/DHS causes something to happen because they decided to have the parents to teach the kids that the TSA Agent is someone who plays games with them.
Jan 12, 2011, 2:26 am
#4
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 516
I wonder what a judge would say if you were arrested because you walked through the WTMD to care for your children?
"Your honor, I walked through because my young children were on the other side, completely unsupervised, and vulnerable to anyone who might walk by. I judged my responsibility as a parent as more important than waiting in line for the other screening method."
"Your honor, I walked through because my young children were on the other side, completely unsupervised, and vulnerable to anyone who might walk by. I judged my responsibility as a parent as more important than waiting in line for the other screening method."
Jan 12, 2011, 4:38 am
#5
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: South Hill, Washington
Programs: AA 1M mile Gold, AS, BA, WN, SPG Gold
Posts: 174
Well, I had thought that TSA SOP openly aiding and abetting theft of people's property during pat-downs, especially if they opt out, was bad enough, but this is just outright horrifying. Things can be replaced; children cannot.
I'm grateful everything turned out alright, Zom, but I'm most sorry they put you through such a horrible and scary experience.
I'm grateful everything turned out alright, Zom, but I'm most sorry they put you through such a horrible and scary experience.
Jan 12, 2011, 7:36 am
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Northeast Kansas | Colorado Native
Programs: Amex Gold/Plat, UA *G, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott LT Gold, NEXUS, TSA Disparager Unobtanium
Posts: 21,606
Jan 12, 2011, 8:38 am
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Newport Beach, California, USA
Posts: 36,062
My wife and two children (7 and 11) happened to be leaving LAX on UA the other day and somehow ended up in some tiny security checkpoint in T7.
There were two conveyors for your crap, along with a metal detector thing and a nudiescope (sp?).
We put all our crap on one of the conveyors. As far as I could tell, nobody really told us to do anything at all. A TSA guy was on the other side of the metal detector and nodded at me, so I send the 7 year old through. The 11 year old followed a few seconds later.
Apparently this was a grievous error. TSA Woman #1 near the conveyors yelled out that they shouldn't have gone through there. Still another TSA lady sheepishly said she's not going to force the children back through the other scanner, and they left it at that.
The thread that my wife and I posed to the world still had to be dealt with via the body scanner, which had a bit of a lineup due to some moron fellow travelers incapable of following the most basic of instructions. I could see it would take a few moments, so I asked TSA Woman #1 if I should probably go through the metal detector to look after my children. She answered, well, what I put in the thread title. She also told the kids not to come back to us.
The kids actually did a decent job with our crap, but the 7 year old can be a little impulsive and could just as easily decided he needed to run off into the terminal. That would have been a major cluster&#$*
Sheer incompetence.
There were two conveyors for your crap, along with a metal detector thing and a nudiescope (sp?).
We put all our crap on one of the conveyors. As far as I could tell, nobody really told us to do anything at all. A TSA guy was on the other side of the metal detector and nodded at me, so I send the 7 year old through. The 11 year old followed a few seconds later.
Apparently this was a grievous error. TSA Woman #1 near the conveyors yelled out that they shouldn't have gone through there. Still another TSA lady sheepishly said she's not going to force the children back through the other scanner, and they left it at that.
The thread that my wife and I posed to the world still had to be dealt with via the body scanner, which had a bit of a lineup due to some moron fellow travelers incapable of following the most basic of instructions. I could see it would take a few moments, so I asked TSA Woman #1 if I should probably go through the metal detector to look after my children. She answered, well, what I put in the thread title. She also told the kids not to come back to us.
The kids actually did a decent job with our crap, but the 7 year old can be a little impulsive and could just as easily decided he needed to run off into the terminal. That would have been a major cluster&#$*
Sheer incompetence.
This is unbelievable (I believe you, I'm just astounded at the depth of the stupidity of these TSOs).
Jan 12, 2011, 9:19 am
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: MSP
Programs: Fallen Plats, ex-WN CP, DYKWIW; still a Hilton Diamond & Club Cholula™ R.I.P. Super Plats
Posts: 25,415
Understatement .... the pit is bottomless, the depth is infinite.
Jan 12, 2011, 9:34 am
#12
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Orange County, CA, USA
Programs: AA (Life Plat), Marriott (Life Titanium) and every other US program
Posts: 6,411
Should this happen again, I'd suggest that you immediately call for the airport police and tell them that TSA is insisting that your two young children be left alone, unsupervised and separated from their parents.
This is unbelievable (I believe you, I'm just astounded at the depth of the stupidity of these TSOs).
This is unbelievable (I believe you, I'm just astounded at the depth of the stupidity of these TSOs).
Jan 12, 2011, 9:45 am
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Newport Beach, California, USA
Posts: 36,062
I always insist that my stuff remain in my direct sight-line. I've had issues with TSOs about this (primarily at SNA), but a quick demand for a supervisor has resolved it. Kids should not be separated from their parents. Period. It's an open invitation for bad things to happen.
Jan 12, 2011, 9:48 am
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Newport Beach, California, USA
Posts: 36,062
And, if you allow your daughter to go into the restroom without you (if you were traveling without a female spouse), would you agree that you should be subject to arrest for child endangerment? I agree that TSA can be annoying, but let's not get carried away with ourselves.
Jan 12, 2011, 10:26 am
#15
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Northern California, in the redwoods, on the ocean.
Posts: 437
My wife and two children (7 and 11) happened to be leaving LAX on UA the other day and somehow ended up in some tiny security checkpoint in T7.
There were two conveyors for your crap, along with a metal detector thing and a nudiescope (sp?).
We put all our crap on one of the conveyors. As far as I could tell, nobody really told us to do anything at all. A TSA guy was on the other side of the metal detector and nodded at me, so I send the 7 year old through. The 11 year old followed a few seconds later.
Apparently this was a grievous error. TSA Woman #1 near the conveyors yelled out that they shouldn't have gone through there. Still another TSA lady sheepishly said she's not going to force the children back through the other scanner, and they left it at that.
The thread that my wife and I posed to the world still had to be dealt with via the body scanner, which had a bit of a lineup due to some moron fellow travelers incapable of following the most basic of instructions. I could see it would take a few moments, so I asked TSA Woman #1 if I should probably go through the metal detector to look after my children. She answered, well, what I put in the thread title. She also told the kids not to come back to us.
The kids actually did a decent job with our crap, but the 7 year old can be a little impulsive and could just as easily decided he needed to run off into the terminal. That would have been a major cluster&#$*
Sheer incompetence.
There were two conveyors for your crap, along with a metal detector thing and a nudiescope (sp?).
We put all our crap on one of the conveyors. As far as I could tell, nobody really told us to do anything at all. A TSA guy was on the other side of the metal detector and nodded at me, so I send the 7 year old through. The 11 year old followed a few seconds later.
Apparently this was a grievous error. TSA Woman #1 near the conveyors yelled out that they shouldn't have gone through there. Still another TSA lady sheepishly said she's not going to force the children back through the other scanner, and they left it at that.
The thread that my wife and I posed to the world still had to be dealt with via the body scanner, which had a bit of a lineup due to some moron fellow travelers incapable of following the most basic of instructions. I could see it would take a few moments, so I asked TSA Woman #1 if I should probably go through the metal detector to look after my children. She answered, well, what I put in the thread title. She also told the kids not to come back to us.
The kids actually did a decent job with our crap, but the 7 year old can be a little impulsive and could just as easily decided he needed to run off into the terminal. That would have been a major cluster&#$*
Sheer incompetence.