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Originally Posted by clarence5ybr
To throw out some food for thought, why are so many people so opposed to screening small children for explosives? My take is as follows: Terrorists are not stupid. I think they realize the pax would fight against a 9/11-style hijacking, so any commercial aircraft terrorist acts are likely to involve attempts to blow up planes. Screening all pax and baggage for explosives would prevent this from occurring (assuming successful screening). Terrorists are insane. Would a person who can rationalize killing hundreds or thousands of innocent people and is willing to end their life in the process really hesitate to have their young child die as well (especially if the deluded thought is that the child will become a martyr)? I think not--especially if they know that they are subject to screening, but a child is not. If you talk to someone who works 'loss prevention', you will find that children are quite often used by parents as unwitting shoplifting accomplices (the parent shoves items under the child's coat, for instance). What will stop a terrorist from strapping their child with explosives if they are exempt from screening?
My point is that if explosives detection ("the puffer") is worthwhile, it should be applied to all pax, not just those older than four. Given my understanding of the technology, I don't see why they can't let a parent accompany a child through the puffer so the child doesn't get scared/upset. Exceptions to this rule are: 1. If the parent(s) is selected and decides not to be separated from the child while waiting for selectee screening. TSA will accomodate the parents' desire by having the child wait with the parent; however, the child will have to undergo additional screening. 2. If the child alarms the WTMD after a second attempt. (Standard screening SOP.) 3. If the child is wearing a cast, brace or other medical device that requires additional screening methodology. (Standard screening SOP.) And the reverse of #1 also applies: if the child has to undergo additional screening for whatever reason and the parent did not alarm the WTMD nor is the parent a selectee, but the parent does not want to leave the child alone in the waiting area, then the parent can accompany the child but will have to undergo additional screening as well. I agree that the screeners who were laughing at the child ought to be disciplined. However, perception is everything here, and I'm not doubting the OP. Sometimes, a screener may smile or laugh in an attempt to calm the child. I'll do this sometimes when I realize that the child may be intimidated by the whole process: "OK, partner. First thing I need you to do is remove all metal items from your pockets. Did you remember to take out the keys to the car? How about your cell phone? What? You don't drive a car?...." (Usually, the parents laugh first, and the child relaxes...all is well.) If the screeners were laughing at the fact that a child was selected or at the child's reaction to the process, then that was totally unprofessional, and I would hope the OP submitted a complaint. |
Originally Posted by Bart
If the screeners were laughing at the fact that a child was selected or at the child's reaction to the process, then that was totally unprofessional, and I would hope the OP submitted a complaint.
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Originally Posted by doober
Clarification, please. I hope you're angry at the TSA agents in LAS laughing at the crying child and not the OP's questions.
Mike |
Originally Posted by JennDeau
I am not American and I am an expat living in China so i really wasnt au fait with the regulations, but I did actually ask to see the airline supervisor at LAS to ask why yet again I had SSSS and why my 2 y/o had been selected. She sort of gave one of those shrugs and said we had been targeted for whatever reason (probably like I didnt have my mileage card when I checked in) and that it is against federal law to deselect anyone who is given a selectee boarding pass. She said that the airline could not do anything about our selectee status.
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Originally Posted by justhere
Which airline was this? Nice to know that they lied to you about deselecting someone who received SSSS. I'm sure there are guidelines to follow, but as long as they are followed, it is not against the law to remove the 4 S's.
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Originally Posted by Bart
All passengers are screened, including small children. The point here is that this child was selected for additional screening beyond what everyone else receives because of the SSSS on the boarding pass. The airline ticket agent should have exempted the child from this manner of screening. The TSA checkpoint supervisor should have exempted the child from this manner of screening once it was discovered that the airlines failed to do so.
Exceptions to this rule are: 1. If the parent(s) is selected and decides not to be separated from the child while waiting for selectee screening. TSA will accomodate the parents' desire by having the child wait with the parent; however, the child will have to undergo additional screening. 2. If the child alarms the WTMD after a second attempt. (Standard screening SOP.) 3. If the child is wearing a cast, brace or other medical device that requires additional screening methodology. (Standard screening SOP.) And the reverse of #1 also applies: if the child has to undergo additional screening for whatever reason and the parent did not alarm the WTMD nor is the parent a selectee, but the parent does not want to leave the child alone in the waiting area, then the parent can accompany the child but will have to undergo additional screening as well. I agree that the screeners who were laughing at the child ought to be disciplined. However, perception is everything here, and I'm not doubting the OP. Sometimes, a screener may smile or laugh in an attempt to calm the child. I'll do this sometimes when I realize that the child may be intimidated by the whole process: "OK, partner. First thing I need you to do is remove all metal items from your pockets. Did you remember to take out the keys to the car? How about your cell phone? What? You don't drive a car?...." (Usually, the parents laugh first, and the child relaxes...all is well.) If the screeners were laughing at the fact that a child was selected or at the child's reaction to the process, then that was totally unprofessional, and I would hope the OP submitted a complaint. |
hmph...i was SSSS'd along with both my parents when i was 11, so that means the tsa shoulda been fined, huh?
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Originally Posted by n5667
(Post 5131138)
It gets confusing because so many adult passangers act like children, so at some point the lines just started to blur... :D
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Originally Posted by Bart
(Post 5134405)
All passengers are screened, including small children. The point here is that this child was selected for additional screening beyond what everyone else receives because of the SSSS on the boarding pass. The airline ticket agent should have exempted the child from this manner of screening. The TSA checkpoint supervisor should have exempted the child from this manner of screening once it was discovered that the airlines failed to do so.
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Originally Posted by n5667
(Post 5128672)
Point being, as you go through the metal detector, and over to the side for selectee screening, if you come into contact with your daughter (or anyone) at those stages, she'll have to recieve selectee screening regardless of if her ticket designated her a 4S or not because you have not yet been cleared.
- Get SSSS. Makes me unhappy - Decide to make others unhappy. - Try to start conversations with as many people as possible in full view of TSA screeners. - Ha Ha! Lots more "selectees" Is this a correct interpretation? [Just to be clear, I would never intentionally do such a thing to someone I did not know]. :) |
Ummm actually sounds like the TSO's got it right
IF a child is a selectee, AND a parent is a selectee, THEN both the parent and the child have to undergo Selectee screening. That is directly from the SOP.
The SOP doesn't say both parents have to be selectees. Most Supervisors would interpret the SOP language as, " if one parent is a selectee, then the child must be treated as a selectee. " I suppose it would be possible to get a child through with a non-selectee parent and then have the child deselected, without informing the TSOs that the other parent is a selectee. Personally, I am not too concerned with 1 year old selectees, whether their parents have selectee status or not. CHildren cry for numerous, numerous reasons at the checkpoint. Children often think you are TAKING their toys, if you tell the parent a toy needs to go through the xray. We all know they are getting the toy back, but the child is apparently unaware of that. Yes that is slightly amusing, and might get a chuckle from a TSO. I don't think its grounds for anything to happen to the TSO. |
Originally Posted by CLELOSER
(Post 7543370)
CHildren cry for numerous, numerous reasons at the checkpoint. Children often think you are TAKING their toys, if you tell the parent a toy needs to go through the xray. We all know they are getting the toy back, but the child is apparently unaware of that. Yes that is slightly amusing, and might get a chuckle from a TSO. I don't think its grounds for anything to happen to the TSO. Please explain HOW this scenario of a child been distressed is "slightly amusing" |
Originally Posted by CLELOSER
(Post 7543370)
CHildren cry for numerous, numerous reasons at the checkpoint. Children often think you are TAKING their toys, if you tell the parent a toy needs to go through the xray. We all know they are getting the toy back, but the child is apparently unaware of that. Yes that is slightly amusing, and might get a chuckle from a TSO. I don't think its grounds for anything to happen to the TSO.
Looks like you've never been a parent before. |
Originally Posted by CLELOSER
(Post 7543370)
CHildren cry for numerous, numerous reasons at the checkpoint. Children often think you are TAKING their toys, if you tell the parent a toy needs to go through the xray. We all know they are getting the toy back, but the child is apparently unaware of that. Yes that is slightly amusing, and might get a chuckle from a TSO. I don't think its grounds for anything to happen to the TSO.
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no kids.....but
I am pretty certain a child isn't going to be traumatized for having his or her toy taken away for two minutes.
If we tried to avoid crying children all the time, there would be no such thing as mall santas. The ones who responded seem to forget that crying kids are stressful to TSOs, as well as their parents. |
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