Fisher1949

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZdp13LFtOY

Fortunately the son had the courage to continue filming despite bullying by TSA and LEOs.

Sent to Drudge, Stop TSA Scanners and Alex Jones so look for it to show up elsewhere. Also have a screen capture in case this goes missing.

VH-RMD

how can it be possible that the message about filming still appears to have failed to gotten through to so many clerks?

Can't the TSA staple the memo to their pay slips or something?

How hard is it?

JakiChan

As much as I sympathize with her I also don't think that sort of reaction is helpful. Being upset is one thing, screaming is something else.

Also, it would seem that the TSA still hasn't learned that photography at the checkpoint is legal. If I pull out my 60D and 70-200 for those close up shots I wonder how they'd react. (The drag queens at the pride parade lose the plot when they see a big white lens.)

average_passenger

wow, this is America, land of the free?!!!! Corrupt police/ tsa authorities.

I hope www.elliott.org picks this up. Also, curious what blogger Bob will say about the filming/no filming issue. He'll probably make up something, it seems that the tsa can make up any rules that they want to.

Good for the son for sticking up for his mother!!!!!!!! At least there are some decent people left in the world.

If anyone lets this happen to their wife, mother, daughter, girlfriend, grandma, and not protest and protect them, SHAME on them!!

Too bad this didn't happen in Texas, maybe the cops there might have been more sympathetic.

Ari

^

average_passenger

well, the tsa agents yell/scream at the passengers all the time! How is she supposed to react if she really thought she was just violated? Maybe she was just really upset?

Also, with the recent air rage incident where fighter jets were scrambled over a reclining seat, I'm betting that there will be more incidents of airport/airplane rage. Air passengers can only take so much before someone really just over the edge...

CitizenTerrorist

Because it is to the TSA's benefit to not tell their TSOs. Intimidation is a VERY powerful tactic. Most people are going to put their cameras down when an authority figure orders them to do so, and to many people, TSOs are authority figures.

If it reaches a critical mass, the population at large will realize that a TSO has as much law enforcement authority as your local rent-a-cop. If it gets to that point, though, the TSA will long have had its authority statutorily limited. In other words, before the "screw you, you don't have the authority" crowd reaches critical mass, the "don't touch my junk" crowd would have already succeeded.

Kudos to this guy (Ryan?) for standing up for his rights. And kudos to him for remaining calm and reasoned through the entire situation despite TSOs and, for some reason, a misinformed employee of SWA raising their voices at him.

Speaking of which, please tell me SWA has already moved to fire that guy. He doesn't even have a basic understanding of the legality surrounding the screening process and certainly has forgotten anything he was taught about customer service. He's got no business interacting with customers and certainly doesn't know some of the basics about security that someone with the title of "security coordinator" should know.

While I can't hear all of what the officers were saying, they seemed reasonable enough in their response to him. The one early in the video asked, then backed off without threats. The officer at the exit seemed to be helpful and calm. I can't hear what the third officer said, but it sounds like he's explaining that they would have to re-clear security and trying to get a calm account of what happened. If that's representative of the LEOs at PHX I think they can also stand tall.

Further edit: One of the TSOs said during the exchange with the SWA employees that, "this is the second time this family has done this." If that's indeed true, I revoke all my kudos. Staging an incident like this is absurd and should fall squarely within the "interfering with the screening process" arena. Screaming for a LEO with a claim of being molested at a checkpoint in a staged incident? Appalling.

Lara21

Oh they got the message. They just don't want to show up on Youtube. So if they can they are going to stop you from filming them doing what they are doing through intimidation. If it doesn't work no big deal because papa Pistole and mama Napolitano will protect them from the big bad passenger who made them look dumb.

JakiChan

If your friend jumped off of a bridge would you jump off a bridge too?

(Wow, I sound just like my mother! )

A bit of self control in these situations goes a lot way. Walk softly and carry a video recorder - the ultimate big stick in these situations. Which her son did, but she did not.

CitizenTerrorist

I don't want to judge without all of the facts, but it looks like she had asked for a police officer without the screaming. If she felt (or if it is indeed true) that the TSOs were ignoring her request then absolutely she should raise her voice. If being calm (or at least quiet) doesn't get you an LEO then creating a HUGE scene absolutely will.

red456

It bears repeating: Kudos to this woman's son!

Perhaps I missed it but do we know what happened to the mom? I applaud her, too, for screaming. Somehow or another people need to make their displeasure with the TSA known far and wide - this woman did just that.

JakiChan

I guess I've just never seen anything good from causing a scene that way.

Getting my stuff back, pulling out a phone in front of the screeners and calling 911? That's more my style.

TheGolfWidow

I really don't think summoning the airport police is the answer in these situations. It was painful to see the officer just shrug his shoulders when the son tries to explain why his mom lost it: "My mom was molested." :shrug:

FetePerfection

Please know I am not defending TSA here but...I think there was a similar YouTube video of this family in a yelling match with TSA - I think the father was getting groped in the first video. So in this recent video it seems this family was primed for drama and the mother took this opportunity to become hysterical...for the camera.

I do shake my head at the continued ignorance of filming at checkpoints - good grief when is TSA going to stop using that tired excuse?

Again, I am not defending TSA but I am a little less sympathetic for mom.

(if I am incorrect about a previous video then never mind...)

red456

Events are staged all the time in order to make a point. I see nothing wrong with it.