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Nightmare at Reagan Airport

NowPublic.com — Mother stopped and harassed for no good reason.....sippy cup water...

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  • tpodr, on 10/11/2007, -12/+94"We still have the barricades up. You know how it is...makes the suburban commuters feel safer being inconvenienced. Makes 'em think we're doing our jobs."
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/ngp/529970678/
    • darkstorm777, on 10/11/2007, -149/+7Only posting under the first comment cause I want this to hit the front page.

      Dugg +1
    • TriZz, on 10/11/2007, -42/+106*****. It's National Airport. We, here in the DC area, refuse to call it Reagan National Airport.

      ...on that note, that sucks that this happened so close to me. Don't hold it against us, we're good people.
    • washingtonydc, on 10/11/2007, -16/+32@ TriZz

      I was going to say the same thing. What a person calls DCA is very good indicator of who they are. You can learn if they're local or what their politics are.
    • DivisibleByZero, on 10/11/2007, -6/+55@trizz

      If you live in the DC area, there's plenty of corrupt/crazy stuff going on close to you.
    • donkz, on 10/11/2007, -32/+21The only thing that is more dangerous than an idiot is an idiot with authority power willing to execute it.

      Then again, who knows, maybe she did spill the water on purpose. Can never trust these "he said, she said, and she thought" stories 100%
    • laplacian, on 10/11/2007, -51/+20"Nothing I've read about or experienced comes close to what Monica Emmerson experienced while at Reagan National Airport"

      Hmm, let's see: she tried to bring water through the screening gate. They told her to leave and finish it first before going through security. She then spilled it on the floor, and they made her clean it up and she missed her flight. All of this from her point of view of course.

      If missing your flight is considered a "nightmare" then maybe things really aren't that bad.
    • sundancekid503, on 10/11/2007, -73/+27If this petty event is a "nightmare" to her, then life must be pretty damn good.
    • mal1964, on 10/11/2007, -10/+38Some people think this only happens in Mexico
    • EtherGnat, on 10/11/2007, -42/+88I think the TSA restrictions are silly, but I doubt we're hearing entire story. It's entirely possible that this woman was belligerent and confrontational and the TSA agents were just trying to do their job. Without any third party collaboration there's no way to know what happened. I frequently travel with electronic and medical equipment that leads to my bags being searched almost every time. It's a hassle, but I'm polite to the TSA agents and I've never had them be anything but polite in return.

      On the other hand I've worked retail and customer service in the past and seen customers start yelling and screaming over almost ANYTHING. I've been yelled at for our hold music, our store having a caricature of a gay author on the wall, green balloons a customer didn't like, and everything else.

      I'm all for trying to get ridiculous rules changed, but there's no sense attacking the TSA agents; they don't have control over anything. If things really happened exactly the way she says, then it was really wrong, but have some skepticism people.
    • magus_melchior, on 10/11/2007, -5/+76"There's nothing more dangerous than a resourceful idiot."

      --Dilbert
    • magus_melchior, on 10/11/2007, -44/+10@sundancekid: Congratulations, you're a jerk. Welcome to my block list.
    • usrlocalbin, on 10/11/2007, -26/+92I'm tired of this STUPID ***** we are put through to fly in a damned airplane.
      Do these TSA idiots get their kicks from being complete utter assholes to people for no reason? Just let the lady pour out the ***** water and let her go. She didn't even have nail clippers or anything else on her.
      Give power and authority to anyone, and it will be abused. This is how we as humans are, whether we like it or not.
      Even though I'm sure that this 'war on terror' is complete 100% utter *****, (educate yourself and you'll soon realize its not what they are telling us it is) we do need security measures for flying in airplanes.
      But comeon now.....***** like this happens way too much.

      ***** this government, and ***** those god damned neo-conservatives who do their damned best to keep Americans scared with their ***** to keep their agenda going.
    • sundancekid503, on 10/11/2007, -28/+23@magus_melchior
      Because I don't think missing a plane over a silly sippy cup incident is a "nightmare" you're going to block me? With all that's going on in the world today, do you really think that this incident qualifies as a "nightmare".

      I can see you disagreeing with perhaps, but that's a strange thing to block someone over. Oh well, have fun.
    • polybot, on 10/11/2007, -32/+11The real reason people hate Americans. Whinging whining spoiled brat self righteous upper middle class ***** who treat service level people like crap for even the most insignificant inconvienience, then writes a blog about it.
      Idiot brings liquid through a security check, has a hissy fit at the people who are simply doing their job, manages to "spill" water from a cup designed for a 1 year old, pisses everybody off, including everyone else waiting who had taken the trouble to arrive prepared. A real ***** nightmare!
    • razor150, on 10/11/2007, -6/+72Who cares if the woman might have been belligerent and confrontational? Last I checked this country is still free and neither being belligerent or confrontational is illegal. It isn't the TSA's job to harass someone just because they don't like them, that is abuse of power.

      I am sick and tired of people trying to say it is alright for Cops, or TSA or whatever to mistreat, arrest and harass people who have done nothing illegal. If they don't like dealing with unpleasant people they should get in a different line of work.
    • deelirium, on 10/11/2007, -6/+24Let's see, the mom, her fiance, and the kid all miss their flight. That's probably near $900 down the drain. Sounds like a nightmare to me.
    • OBKenobi, on 10/11/2007, -13/+10So, this wasn't another attack by Zombie Reagan?

      http://www.zombiereagan.com/

      Security is not worth the price of slavery. Don't let the apes win.
    • JohnboiWaltune, on 10/11/2007, -5/+20"That's probably near $900 down the drain."

      Nah, the airline just puts you on the next open flight. Worse comes to worst, you spend the night in the airport.

      My worst story was when the rent-a-cop took away my shampoo and soap because the containers were 3.4 ounces, greater than the allowed 3 ounces.
    • Monstradamus, on 10/11/2007, -0/+19Why am I not surprised by this story?

      I remember I was in St. Petersburg's (Russia) Pulkovo airport a year ago - the only security check we went through was a luggage scan and metal detector when entering the airport and a luggage scan and metal detector when going through to the gates, both of which took no more than 5 minutes (wait and all),
    • molecool, on 10/11/2007, -4/+35Welcome to the new United States of America - all your bottles and bodily fluids are belong to us.
    • deelirium, on 10/11/2007, -5/+17"Nah, the airline just puts you on the next open flight. Worse comes to worst, you spend the night in the airport."

      Really? I'll take your word for it, but the last time some family of mine missed their flight the airline wanted them to pay full prices for new tickets to get on another flight.
    • Malakym, on 10/11/2007, -4/+10See, this is why I always drive up to BWI than go to the National Airport. Nothing happens in BWI. Ever.

      On another note, DC area has it's ups and downs in terms of politics. The rest of the city's population and I don't really give a ***** about what goes on on Capital Hill.
    • koleka, on 10/11/2007, -12/+8Completely ridiculous. What a crap country. Hopefully US citizens are getting a taste of what the US is doing to the rest of the world. I say karma.
    • dhughes, on 10/11/2007, -3/+18 Being a former Secret Service (agent?) employee I doubt she would be belligerent and confrontational, she was probably used to the type of situation she was in and had the training to cope with it.
    • xaviel, on 10/11/2007, -5/+9Welcome to Communist China...Oh...wait...
    • BlackMask, on 10/11/2007, -16/+3For all its worth, I believe a former US secret service agent should be educated enough to learn the latest aviation security laws and arrive at the airport prepared. And if that's not possible somehow, then she should be smart enough to at least take a quick glance at the laws and act accordingly by either letting go of the silly sissy or whatever crappy cup it is or emptying it before joining the passenger boarding area's queue. I mean for christ's sake, as a former secret service agent, show some respect towards the law.

      I can't remember clearly, but some rug-headed terrorists in London previously tried to use a mixture of some sort of liquid to create and detonate a bomb in mid-air while on a flight although the attempt went in vain, fortunately. As far as I can remember, several flights were cancelled and delayed that day. And when I was travelling from NYC to Vermont, I had to ditch a 4.2 ounces bottle of Curve Crush For men (worth $40) because 1) I cared less about learning the existing laws before arriving at the airport. Otherwise I would have kept the bottle at home. 2) I decided to respect the authority because after 9/11, security HAD to be beefed up to quell subsequent threats from turban-heads. Of course I could have thrown a fit like the bitch in the article and lived to tell the world the tale, but isn't that just too lame?
    • tehgoatman, on 10/11/2007, -9/+12Welcome to Nazi America.
    • MasterThief117, on 10/11/2007, -3/+1@TriZz
      We are...?
      Oh right, right
    • ours, on 10/11/2007, -0/+9@monstradamus

      Try Moscow airport. They frisked everyone coming in and out! Metal detector rang for every watch, penny, high iron in blood or whatever. It just rang for everybody. Kudos for having cute Russian blondie babe doing the frisking :-).
    • weiran, on 10/11/2007, -2/+9Last time I went to America, I was greeted by an extremely arrogant customs officer who made it seem like he was doing me an enormous favour by checking my passport when its his job to, and then a soldier with a M16 on exit.

      Fun.
    • Myonosken, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4Seriously, frisk them with a metal detector and let them go.
    • godzilla808, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4If you talk to people who travel, a majority have seen Stupid TSA Tricks -- agents not paying attention, abusing authority, making arbitrary decisions, etc. It's great that stories like this get covered on Digg, but the bottom line is this: until we all start bugging our Senators/Representatives, this will *not* stop. So, after you click Digg It, go over to http://www.eff.org/congress/ to get the contact info for your Senator and/or Representative... and use it!
    • SnuKs, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1She's former Secret Service. I'm sure she has friends in the inside to make that TSA agent's day feel like hell.
    • jwaddell, on 10/11/2007, -0/+7Ask yourself which Pres candidate will end this TSA nonsense. I can only think of one. You know who it is.
    • dkla, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3@ Trizz and washingtonydc

      The same thing happens here in Los Angeles: there is a "Ronald Reagan Freeway" but nobody calls it that. We just call it "the 118 freeway" and people still get confused when they hear Reagan Freeway on the traffic reports... :)
  • nycole365, on 10/11/2007, -24/+62This is so sick!!! TSA should be ashamed!
    • davidhildreth, on 10/11/2007, -66/+21the rules are pretty clear, no liquids through security.
    • Pseudorious, on 10/11/2007, -11/+50@davidhildreth

      The rules are clear. From the article:

      "TSA's rules allow passengers to take up to three ounces of liquid on board; they also allow parents to take milk or baby formula on board in larger quantities than that, if declared to TSA."

      Did you read the article?
    • abhiroop, on 10/11/2007, -16/+3but the hassle in calculating the amount, etc....its better just not to do it at all.
    • Wolfie351, on 10/11/2007, -19/+12@ Pseudorious

      Read it yourself. It was neither breast milk OR formula. AND she had more than 3 ounces. Water is available after the screening point and on the plane itself.
    • xoxuxox, on 10/11/2007, -16/+22http://www.boingboing.net/2007/06/14/tsa_detains_woman_ov.html

      Reader comment: (with picture!)

      "Your article about this sippy cup airport hell reminded me of something that happened to me recently.

      A while ago while flying out of PDX, a TSA person made a family unpack a bag because there was liquid containers inside. Upon unpacking it, it wasn't just a few. The ENTIRE bag was full of sippy cups and bottles etc all full of stuff for their bratty kid. The TSA sheep saw the amount of bottles and called over some supervisor. The supervisor glanced at it and waved them through. I was in such shock that I took this (bad) picture with my camera phone of the tray full of bottles.

      After this, I spoke to the supervisor. I asked why that person was let through pointing out that they could be on my flight and I was in danger now.

      He rolled his eyes and said "They're formula for their kid." to which I said, now a bit louder "NO! They're containers of liquid!" He shrugged. I said "So if I have a kid with me, I can just bring however much liquid on a plane. Any other TSA loopholes you can tell me about?" He said he couldn't tell me and I'd have to "find them for myself" and once more security started walking over, I felt it was time to walk away.

      The only thing I hate more than stupid rules for the illusion of safety is when they arbitrarily just throw them away. It's a way of blatantly admitting they do nothing but continue to ruin life for anyone who wants to travel."

      The TSA are consistently hypocritical.
    • Wonderkind, on 10/11/2007, -3/+57Everyone I've spoken to FEARS the TSA because they an ***** you over at a whim, and if you complain, you'll be immediately arrested.
      I saw the TSA harrass an Army Staff Sergeant and a Sergeant, in full uniform and a military drug sniffing dog.
      They could have exercised a bit of discretion with this lady and her little boy.
      Say what you want, I hate the ***** they put us through. It isn't necessary.
    • EarlOfLade, on 10/11/2007, -17/+8What the hell were they thinking?
      That the mom fed her kid liquid explosives in order to blow up the kid and the airplane?

      Wow, it's a miracle that the Americans don't overthrow the government with all their guns.
      But I guess you love to be poked up the ass from time to time.
    • psychoselya, on 10/11/2007, -1/+13@ Pseudorius and like abhiroop said,
      The issue with the TSA rules regarding non-milk/formula is volume. The liquid must be in a container that clearly states the volume of the total package, and can't be handwritten (i.e. it is ideally a retail bottle of some sort).
      Also, if you give them any reason to dislike you, they will make sure you miss your flight, because the government crushed their souls a long time ago. One of my good friends works for TSA at the Philly airport and he asks me to end his life weekly...
    • Pseudorious, on 10/11/2007, -2/+5@Wolfie351

      I was only responding to davidhildreth's assertion that liquids are not allowed, nothing more. I would hate for any diggers taking flights to think this is the case.

      TSA Regulations: http://www.tsa.gov/311/index.shtm
    • MasterThief117, on 10/11/2007, -2/+7I don't even see what the hell the purpose for the TSA anymore.
      I am pretty sure after 9/11, if some jackass tries to jack a plane, I guarantee that that person will regret living.
      People who fly don't take ***** from anyone any more, well, except from the TSA.
  • wiredmessiah, on 10/11/2007, -7/+37This makes me very sad
    • DoogieHowitzer, on 10/11/2007, -17/+7She should have known better... not about the sippy cup, but that most of the TSA employees have nothing better to do than to look for excuses to feel powerful, and she clearly was putting up a fight, and giving more than a couple excuses to make themselves feel powerful. She's lucky she wasn't arriving into Dulles just south of there. My cousin gave a security guard there some of her signature lip, and she ended up with the "white glove" treatment, and there wasn't anything she could do about it, except "relax, and take it".
    • bluechips23, on 10/11/2007, -2/+23Actually this makes me really angry. People getting harassed by cops once or twice is okay. But this thing happening regularly like every other day is actually really disgusting. I hope that staff gets fired.
    • abhiroop, on 10/11/2007, -17/+9I have flown countless times, and because I am Indian I have been stopped countless times. It is a fact of life and I have accepted it. For example recently I flew to Detroit International (from London) to look at some colleges with my parents. They questioned me at the immigration counter for a long time, I think in an attempt to probe a hostile reaction (the lady kept pointing to the monitor and saying something to her colleague, seemed very suspicious). Then my bags were searched, only my bags mind you not even my parents.

      The best thing to do, is stay calm and answer the questions. Most importantly listen to what the security personnel tell you to do. You only have "cases" like this article, where the passenger does not listen and do as their told. its true at the airport TSA is god, but there's no getting around it, if it bugs you that much don't fly!
    • Wonderkind, on 10/11/2007, -1/+34"If it bugs you that much, don't fly."

      That's a bad answer. The security of the sky does not require or merit harassment.
      IF it bugs people that much, we should fix what is wrong.
    • abhiroop, on 10/11/2007, -12/+4what I'm saying is that, I personally don't have a problem with it, basically it doesn't bug me, if you let it get under your skin, and try to attack it then you will have a horrible experience. I have been put off flights, missed connections, lost bags. Unfortunately the airline industry is massive, they make mistakes, and the TSA or any other airport security are not trained to be courteous, they are trained to find terrorists, with the ethic that everyone is guilty. Which I personally think is fine, if I have to wait an extra few minutes to have a safer flight then I don't see the problem. BUT if you do have such a HUGE problem with the security then just don't fly. You can try to change it, adn maybe even succeed but it would mean less secure airlines. Or at least less the illusion of safety.
  • Failuretothrive, on 10/11/2007, -54/+8She needs to sue! But also common sense would tell anyone not to risk bring any fluids into an airport.
    • darkstorm777, on 10/11/2007, -10/+99No, thats crap. its a cup that a baby is drinking from, chances are, if its anthrax, or some sort of biological weapon, the kid would be dead. The fact of the story is.......this country is *****.

      Ever see a TSA agent? They are ***** Rent-A-Cops. Mall Security guards that get paid to act like they have authority. You are rightmthough, she needs to sue, and she needs to go as high up that ladder as it can go to send some sort of message to TSA execs to train their monkeys to not pull ***** like this.

      Its going to get to the point where people are not going to want to fly anymore. The the Airlines will eventually loose revenue. Hit the sons of bitches where it hurts, but its the same thing with gas prices, no large enough group of people will ever do anything about it.
    • strategy, on 10/11/2007, -3/+12"Its going to get to the point where people are not going to want to fly anymore. The the Airlines will eventually loose revenue. Hit the sons of bitches where it hurts, but its the same thing with gas prices, no large enough group of people will ever do anything about it."

      Where have you been? The airlines have been losing money for years now.

      I forget who did the study, but I read an article from around the time when Clinton was bolstering security in airports to combat terrorism. It made a pretty good case for the idea that anti-terrorism measures actually cause more deaths: the increased cost of tickets force people to drive, which is obviously much more dangerous than flying.

      I wish I had a source on this one, but I'm not skilled enough with google.
    • abhiroop, on 10/11/2007, -6/+5The problem wasn't with the cup, it was with the water!
    • orxor, on 10/11/2007, -0/+12"Its going to get to the point where people are not going to want to fly anymore."

      I already feel that way. I just bought a car that's tons of fun to drive and If I have a choice between flying or driving for a day I'd rather just take the car. I'd recommend that to anyone just get a car that's a blast to drive and it won't seem like such a chore.
    • deelirium, on 10/11/2007, -1/+15@abhiroop

      If the problem was really with the water, then why didn't they just let her go through the second after she drank the water, spilled it, then cleaned it up? Or, why didn't they just let her spill it out and get back the sippy cup?

      The truth is that the TSA hires idiots so they can pay them minimum wage. And you can't expect idiots to have a very keen sense of discretion, so instead they have to follow these "no tolerance-type" policies.

      And when the terrorists figure out another way of doing bad things, the government will respond with more rules. The terrorists will find yet another solution, and there will again be more rules. This will continue ad infinitum to the point where we'll accept almost any rule, even if it requires us to strip naked and be subject to a full cavity search just to get on a plane.

      Security or liberty, but not both.
    • abhiroop, on 10/11/2007, -8/+1But it was going to be that simple. She could drink the water and the rejoin the queue. Ok she dropped the water, fine, but then she tried to call her fiance over. That was probably the breaking point. Personally I don't see what the TSA did wrong, she was obviously acting hysterical.
    • deelirium, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4@rjune

      No, we're both wrong. Transportation Security Officer (screener) jobs usually start at $23,600 a year, not including the locality pay percentage (somewhere between 12-18%).

      For example, in Phoenix you would start at $26,720, which includes locality pay. That's about $12.84 an hour.

      Check it out on CareerBuilder or the TSA website yourself: http://tinyurl.com/2v7gm4
  • obliviousfool, on 10/11/2007, -5/+129Congratulations folks! We're now afraid of water in sippy cups.

    I've got an idea. Let's see these policymakers come up with something that *isn't* fear for a while. Fear, fear, fear and more fear ...that's all they have.
    • kushed, on 10/11/2007, -21/+49The real Terrorist is the Bush Administration. Look how much terror they have inflicted upon us, fear makes sheep follow the one with the bravest voice, for example someone who acts like a cowboy.
    • bluechips23, on 10/11/2007, -11/+19Tomorrow they will be afraid of diapers. ***** this administration!
    • AgentofId, on 10/11/2007, -1/+15You're kidding, right?! That wouldn't serve them at all... a population living in constant fear is an easy one to control.
    • ChuyMatt, on 10/11/2007, -4/+3Um... I have been afraid of diapers after I had to change my little sisters way back in the 80s!

      A full diaper can create chaos in a flight cabin rather quickly. A force to fear, indeed.
    • LaueOfficer, on 10/11/2007, -0/+6Don't blame the administration, this isn't anything new. blame the system, blame the ENTIRE government, blame ourselves. Saying "***** this administration" doesn't stop them, you have to DO something. That is what our country is built on, King George laughed at our letters, one after another. So what did we do? We kicked his ass! We put things right and fixed it up. Unfortunately, this isn't a one time thing, this is a measure that must be repeated. Stop blabbering, you are no better than Congress when you do that, start acting.
    • SoloMalee, on 10/11/2007, -0/+7Now there's an irony in itself...I don't want to travel to the US anymore...why?

      Because I'm scared of this kind of crap happening to me...go figure!

      War against Terror? - We lost...everyone's crapping their pants over the trivialities of daily life (Ruck sacks, innovative adverts, Sippy Cups, Nail Clippers, Hand Creams...)
  • 13east, on 10/11/2007, -6/+74This has nothing to do with safety... it is just the TSA and airport officials acting like dicks because they can. They only got away with this because the woman didn't know her rights... these assholes know they can get away with this kind of ***** because most normal folks aren't correctly educated as to what they can do and how far the airport security can go in regards to security. The line is further blurred because we let them get away with almost anything just so we can feel safe at the airport and in the air... in fact the attacks in the past occurred not because we had not enough laws but due to incompetency at not enforcing the ones already in place.
    • tobiasly, on 10/11/2007, -12/+1I'm glad so many people have been able to try and convict these TSA agents after hearing one side of the story.

      "in fact the attacks in the past occurred not because we had not enough laws but due to incompetency at not enforcing the ones already in place."

      Enforcing the rules already in place? You mean like no liquids @ the security checkpoint?
    • continuity, on 10/11/2007, -1/+14You're exactly right. This has nothing to do with safety. I'm struck by the similarities between this story and one that was up a few minutes ago about the guy who got robbed by cops in Mexico. This is the type of thing that happens in countries with weak or nonexistent constitutions.

      People abusing authority with impunity because they can. It's the first view you get of a police state being born.

    • miriclaire, on 10/11/2007, -2/+15On the contrary--this woman knew her rights and knew she was detained against her will. But she had no recourse. What can you do when you are being threatened by gorilla bafoons!?
    • rderveloy, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2"On the contrary--this woman knew her rights and knew she was detained against her will. But she had no recourse. What can you do when you are being threatened by gorilla bafoons!?"

      Simple, take a deep breath and call your lawyer.
  • gRegorLove, on 10/11/2007, -3/+97TSA: Terrorists Screening Americans.
    • bsmeteronhigh, on 10/11/2007, -2/+7Geeeeeesh. Everybody knows if you want to hide something...hide it in poopy diapers!
    • mr100percent, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1Take Scissors Away
      Thousands Standing Around
    • godzilla808, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1Thieves Steal All
  • feckineejit, on 10/11/2007, -4/+50WTF is going on here, this 'screening' is clearly out of control and these thugs are harrassing law abiding citizens for no reason other than they have power. I feel less safe flying lately because I know they are all a bunch of idiots. having a high school dimploma or equivalent means nothing if they don't
    know how to deal with people. I personally know a few people who work for the TSA and it is probably becuase they were fired from mcdonalds.
  • Gadren, on 10/11/2007, -4/+54What do we do? Every few hours I'm reading a new story about the decline of America, about the loss of respect for law, for privacy, for freedom, for common sense! But I feel so helpless... what can I do? I'm starting to wonder if America is truly in an inescapable downward spiral that can't be fixed by anything save revolution.
    • fuzzmeister, on 10/11/2007, -16/+9Sorry, but Rent-A-Cops abusing their power isn't exactly new, and isn't really a reason for revolution. Not to say that it shouldn't be fixed, though.
    • dracostimpy, on 10/11/2007, -9/+34Simple: Don't fly. Ever. Only when the airlines have lost enough revenue that they demand TSA reform will anything be done. In the meantime, if you MUST fly, add sippy cups to your "do not carry" list.

      Another thought: I see now that some new ultra-cheap airlines are charging only $10 a seat for some flights... I suggest a money-well-spent act of civil disobedience might be to load yourself up with random bits of metal and small containers of assorted colored fluids, then buy a cheap ticket and go tie up the TSA screeners for about 3 hours if you have nothing better to do. Also, make sure to rub a variety of peculiar scents on yourself so the sniffers/dogs go nuts. A handful of throwing caps rubbed on your pantleg ought to make them go ***** for a while. It would also be preferable if you're a fat, nasty slob who no screener would want to have to pat down for contraband, so if your hotornot rating is above 4, stay home. Heck, maybe you're an exhibitionist looking for a legal way to practice your art... what better way to show off your junk and maybe get a brief rub & tug, all for only $10!

      Hopefully, that'll speed the line up for everyone else while they're busy taking you apart piece by piece... I suggest that you speak to them in pig latin or jibberish to make it even more interesting. I know doing so might be begging for trouble, but it'll at least give them back a bit of the torment they give the traveling public every damn day. If you do, please blog it so I can live vicariously through you since I'm far too sexy to do it myself (I'm a 4.3).
    • JackBurden, on 10/11/2007, -10/+27Leave.

      That's my plan. As soon as I get my degree I am leaving. It will be interesting to live in a democracy for a change. I am looking forward to it.

      There is just no way that I can justify starting a family in the United States. At this point it would be irresponsible. And now in the age of the interweb and the free-flow of money across borders there's no need to be a US citizen to do business here. It's a no-brainer.
    • nblsavage, on 10/11/2007, -2/+14@dracostimpy - good idea...won't work. The airlines will just beg for more federal funding.
    • Bob042, on 10/11/2007, -3/+12@dracostimpy
      I think you mean "what better way to show off your junk and maybe get a flight to Guantanamo , all for only $10!"
    • licoricewhip, on 10/11/2007, -6/+10JackB :: Where would you go? I am interested to know as I might like to go someplace better than America some day.
    • maximusGeek, on 10/11/2007, -15/+6JackBurden - "As soon as I get my degree" .... as soon as you enter the real world, hang out in the stats for a little while first, then talk about leaving. - I think this is a case of you dont know what you dont know
    • dggeek, on 10/11/2007, -5/+8@dracostimpy

      I'm all for civil disobedience, even if it means getting arrested. Your suggestions are likely to get you a trip to Guantanamo.
    • dracostimpy, on 10/11/2007, -1/+6The Gitmoing of US citizens just got overturned by the courts; as long as you're a US citizen, you should be able to avoid being disappeared until after you're tried and convicted. That said, I'm not sure our own justice system is much better than a military tribunal these days, so disobey at your own risk. Maybe try to get John Stossel to come with you to record it... they can't mess with him, because he's John Stossel!
    • miriclaire, on 10/11/2007, -0/+14Come to Canada--a little saner here. Of course, you may have to DRIVE to get out of the US safely.
    • AgentofId, on 10/11/2007, -2/+2gadren, the answer isn't obvious? I Guess public schools are even worse off than I thought...

      We live in a democratic nation, there are elections right around the corner. If you really want to make a positive change... do what most Americans don't, and take the time to really research the candidates; find one with a good track record... and get the word out. Bush is in office, and all this ***** has gone down because not enough of us could be bothered to vote (note: I've voted in every election i could since I've reached legal age). So do the research, then get out there, motivate people, explain to them _why_ it's important to vote, and maybe, just maybe things will improve.

      All the bible-thumpers, mouth breathers, isolationist morons, etc., already understand this, as do the people they put in office... perhaps it would do the rest of us some good if we actually activated/organized as well as they do for once. So... instead of whining about "an inescapable downward spiral" Why not ***** do something? You'll find that actually trying to educate people/get the word out will do a hell of a lot more to influence things than whining on digg ever will.
  • mikelieman, on 10/11/2007, -3/+32Are we, as a Nation, brave enough to deserve the blessings of Freedom and Liberty, or have we already lost them?

    • Jambi, on 10/11/2007, -4/+17We've lost them. Our political elites (of both parties) have decided that what they really want to do is to turn the country into Singapore.
    • LaueOfficer, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3Then ***** do something!
  • mindgraffiti, on 10/11/2007, -10/+40@gadren
    We are watching the end of the American Empire. Congratulations to all the politicians who "got theirs" and left the rest of us holding the bag: they're rich and the world hates us. I'm an American who hates living in America. Sad day, isn't it?
    • sundancekid503, on 10/11/2007, -22/+6"We are watching the end of the American Empire."

      Umm, no. This story has nowhere near as noteworthy and epic and you make it sound. It's not like prick security guards and overprotective/annoyed mothers are something new in this country.
    • dggeek, on 10/11/2007, -3/+15"This story has nowhere near as noteworthy and epic and you make it sound"

      Yes, if it's not headline news it's not a detriment to American freedoms. Nothing to see here. Move along.
  • DeskFlyer, on 10/11/2007, -34/+19"Monica Emmerson was detained for 45 minutes. She wasn't questioned about possible ties to terrorists. Her carry-on items weren't rigorously searched -- or even searched again. Neither the police nor TSA took any action that indicated that they through she might be a security risk. She was just detained, harassed and threatened with arrest. All because of a sippy cup with water in it."

    OMG what a nightmare! :rolls eyes: It's not like they hauled you off to jail or something. Grow the ***** up. As much as I hate the TSA (even though I was issued an airport SIDA badge by them), this story smells like exaggerated BS. She didn't even get the names of any of the authorities involved. Report the assholes to the director of airport operations next time. Buried as lame.
    • nblsavage, on 10/11/2007, -19/+3Likewise cretin.
    • FiascoJones, on 10/11/2007, -20/+10I couldn't agree more. This isn't a scenario of an innocent woman being harassed for no good reason. She shouldn't have been going through the checkpoint with the water, and I'm sure she was less than friendly to the TSA people. She was probably bitchy to the TSA people, and they were probably beeing assholes right back at her.

      I agree that most TSA people are jerks, I hate having to deal with them. But on the flip side, their job must SUCK. They constantly have to deal with people ignoring all the signs and instructions about what is or is not acceptable to bring through security, many of whom when stopped probably get snippy, bitchy, or down-right combative. The system sucks, sure, but do some people on here really think she should sue?! First off, she would lose since she doesn't have any case. Second off, it would add to the already over-whelmed legal system another inane case. Thirdly, she doesn't deserve any compensation if she can't read a damed sign!
    • heaintheavy, on 10/11/2007, -9/+7And guess why I buried your comment...
    • Leviathan777, on 10/11/2007, -5/+11The TSA hates us for our freedoms.
    • williamdyer, on 10/11/2007, -1/+16The TSA are worthless goons. If everyone greeted them with "What a worthless piece of crap you are." their morale would be wrecked and the TSA would go away. These are weak, uneducated, simple-minded people. A concerted effort at denigrating them would break their little minds.
    • brat7718, on 10/11/2007, -10/+2The lack of comfort from the TSA not with-standing, the security is there for a reason. WE HAVE NOT BEEN ATTACKED AGAIN SINCE 9-11. So you Libs get off your Socialist soapboxes and sing kum ba ya somewhere else. But we get this because this mother doesn't know how to shut her kid up! No. It's a good word to use when you are parenting and somehow we as a society have forgotten that too. Drop the drink get another when you are past security and thank your lucky stars you are protected in America, otherwise LEAVE and don't come back. Start a commune or Socialist habitat somewhere else. GET-OVER-IT. Live free or live somewhere else!!!
  • jd33, on 10/11/2007, -3/+39I miss my sippy cup :(
  • bagelpirate, on 10/11/2007, -21/+12"which accidentally spilled because I was so upset with the situation."
    Thats bs right there, she probably threw the water out, thats why they held her.
    • tobiasly, on 10/11/2007, -9/+6People are digging you down because they want to revel in their righteous indignation, but I bet you're right. I thought the exact same thing as I read that line. There are two sides to every story; she makes it sound like she was being just as polite and non-threatening as can be the whole time. If she was acting like an uppity I-don't-have-to-do-what-you-say bitch then I don't blame them at all for making an example of her.

      Sure these security people make mistakes and some of them overreact or get on ego trips or whatever but most of them are just trying to do their jobs with little resources or appreciation. I wouldn't have much tolerance either if I had to deal with pissed off passengers all day who think that everyone has to follow the rules besides them, then (like this woman) throw tantrums like kids when they don't get their way.
    • Leviathan777, on 10/11/2007, -6/+18Either way, if you support the treatment this woman undisputedly received for dumping a quarter cup of water on the ground, then it's because you are a complete and total ***** who hates freedom.

      Go live in China - they like your kind of authoritarian ***** there.
    • tobiasly, on 10/11/2007, -7/+4"the treatment this woman undisputedly received"

      Undisputed? Really? I must have missed the other half of the article. Please forward me a link to your article of the TSA agents describing how sweet, pleasant, and innocent this poor woman was to them while they harassed her for kicks.
    • williamdyer, on 10/11/2007, -0/+11@Leviathan

      Actually, in China, the airport screeners are more polite and more efficient. And less intrusive.
    • bagelpirate, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1I got dugg down for calling BS on her "Accidently" spilling it, now the video comes out showing her dumping it out.

      I even was told to move to china
  • redfan, on 10/11/2007, -2/+32I have to wonder, has airport security, be it the TSA or whoever governed it prior to 9/11, ever stopped an actual attempted attack against an airplane?

    Even if the story is exaggerated (and I don't doubt that parts of it are), this is all made possible not by the politicians, neocons, fearmongers, etc. It's all made possible by the "well its an inconvenience but its worth it for our safety" crowd. They're the ones who need to take off their blindfolds and see that's its just a show being put on to make them feel safe.

    Let the FBI, CIA, etc. do their jobs stopping terrorists before they ever get to their airport. And let the rest of us bring our bottled water onto the airplanes.
    • tehpwnrate, on 10/11/2007, -3/+21You're definitely right. I'd like to see some info on that too.

      With regards to the quote, "well its an inconvenience but its worth it for our safety,"
      I'd rather live in a free society with some inherent danger than a society like this where this happens to an average American mother because some people are so afraid to be afraid.

      But yes, it's really an illusion anyway. Keeps us scared.
    • heliox, on 10/11/2007, -6/+2How many times has the TSA seized knives, guns, clubs etc?
    • ezflip, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3@Heliox

      I don't know, but the got my god damn tweezers. Heaven forbid if someone gets stabbed as I am plucking my eyebrows in the bathroom.
    • thekow, on 10/11/2007, -1/+2Yeah, they did - remember Dude With the Exploding Shoebombs? Isn't he the reason we take our shoes off?

      Regardless, I agree with you (and, apparently, 90% of this thread) in that the "increased security measures" are *****. Let's stick with a metal detector and a bag scanner, please.
    • JasonKiddy, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2"Let the FBI, CIA, etc. do their jobs stopping terrorists before they ever get to their airport. And let the rest of us bring our bottled water onto the airplanes."
      Yeah - cos that worked soooo well a while ago didn't it?
      Living in any 'free' society will always be dangerous. Deal with it. If your freedoms are important a little risk is worth taking. And don't doubt it is a LITTLE risk.
      Even if ALL your security was removed - what would the worst-case-scenario actually be?
      Not all that bad really.
    • ORBREWDAD, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2Umm..Shoe Bomber was stopped by the passengers ON THE PLANE. TSA didn't do a damn thing to stop him.
    • rderveloy, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2"With regards to the quote, "well its an inconvenience but its worth it for our safety,"
      I'd rather live in a free society with some inherent danger than a society like this where this happens to an average American mother because some people are so afraid to be afraid."

      "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself!" - Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 1932
  • liberalplacebo, on 10/11/2007, -15/+11.........yet every Democrat presidential candidate wants the federal government to be in charge of YOUR healthcare.

    If you think voting Democrat is a good idea maybe you should look at just how fvcked up the TSA is!! This woman is OBVIOUSLY not a Middle Easterner....so WHY are they harassing her??

    I'll tell you why...political correctness....and it makes me want to puke.
    • FiascoJones, on 10/11/2007, -11/+9You're right, a system starved of adequate funding because of a lack of tax revenue support is proof that all government services will fail when grossly underfunded, so out with the lot of them!
    • chrisldenton, on 10/11/2007, -2/+6This is just an FYI- most "terrorist" attacks and mass killings in this country were not performed by people from the middle-east. The only two acts of terror that were performed by middle-easterners were the two attacks on the WTC (1993 & 2001). The Oklahoma City bombing, the 1996 Olympic bombing, the unibomber, every mass shooting in america, these are just a few examples of acts of terror carried out by American citizens. I don't support this kind of screening at all, and I don't think that anyone should be subjected to it, but your comment implying that only middle-easterners should be subjected to harassment just shows your ignorance. Also, the VAST majority of the above terror attacks that I mentioned were carried out by right-wing extremists (just something to think about).
    • liberalplacebo, on 10/11/2007, -8/+4Tax revenues are way up *****.....you sound like a typical liberal bureaucrat. They ALWAYS blame it on a lack of funding.....that's *****....and you're an idiot.
    • Leviathan777, on 10/11/2007, -2/+5@liberalplacebo, you FAIL at reason.

      His point was that if you underfund a program, and it fails, you haven't proved ***** about the effectiveness of the program. It had nothing to do with tax revenues.

      And there are truly lots of good anti-terrorist programs that are still very, very underfunded. Yet due to the magic of the DHS, my local customs office now has SUVs. What do they need it for? Not one ***** thing. Not that you oppose that sort of thing.

      FAIL
    • clackerd, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2it's been my experience that no government entity is ever properly funded (at least those that deal directly with us commoners). hell, the veteran's administration treats the people who sacrificed themselves for their idiot commander in chief worse than the enemy combatants we hold in cuba. i don't trust any governmental agency - they hire idiots, they are run poorly, and have no impetus to improve. that is why i don't understand this rush to socialized medicine. maybe it works for other countries, but it won't here, if the TSA and the myriad other federal/state organizations are any indication.
  • scabbers, on 10/11/2007, -22/+28Sounds like she threw the water out in a hissy fit, and mouthed off. That's what I'm reading between the lines.

    Remember people, there are always two sides to a story.
    • Leviathan777, on 10/11/2007, -15/+6No, there aren't always two sides to every story.

      Dugg down for idiocy.
    • Wolfie351, on 10/11/2007, -5/+11Sorry scabbers, people like sensationalism. The true irony is that people claim the TSA is overreacting to everything (which I do agree with). But, at the same time, those same people use a story like this to overreact themselves to a situation that is obviously biased and one-sided.
    • desqjockey, on 10/11/2007, -5/+5Could you be anymore of a government shill? Believing things with no evidence at all to back them up just because the opposite of what you are told *could* be true does not make sense.

      Teach the controversy, right?
    • deelirium, on 10/11/2007, -4/+9And so what if she mouthed off? Is that a reason to suspect that she'll blow up the plane? No, and especially not if she got rid of the liquid she brought through security (the supposed "weapon").

      The purpose for detaining someone is to make sure they have no weapons. Sure, she might be a loud jerk mother with a spoiled kid, but just because she deserves a bitch-slap doesn't mean it has to be the government who gives it to her.
    • JasonKiddy, on 10/11/2007, -3/+5And if she did mouth off.... so fecking what?
      She was being treated like scum - by scumbags?
      She had a right to be damn annoyed.
    • KMye, on 10/11/2007, -3/+1"Dugg down for idiocy."

      Look, Leviathan was nice enough to label his own comment appropriately.
  • arichard, on 10/11/2007, -20/+12She was probably being a bitch about it. If you've ever had a job dealing with the public, you know what I'm talking about. It's unlikely that multiple TSA agents did that for fun.
    • Leviathan777, on 10/11/2007, -2/+11You are naive and stupid.

      I've dealt with the general public - video store clerk, tech support - and you are a fool.

      #1. The general public is filled with idiots and obnoxious people. If you can't deal with it, you aren't qualified to do the job. These TSA agents showed themselves to be unqualified.

      #2. Yeah, people screw with the customers just for the hell of it. It's extremely likely that TSA agents mess with people just for fun, not just in this case, but every damn day. I can give you a dozen rules for not being that customer, but I won't, because you probably deserve it.
  • PamalaLauren, on 10/11/2007, -3/+14This is why I don't fly with my child. She has medication as well that I have to declare and I tell you what last time we flew with her (her first time) was just a hassle. But I made sure not to go threw with any water at all. I put all the baby food, formula (powder), medicine and what not in the bin for them to see. I told them exactly what I had. Heck I even emptied the diaper bag totally for them. They seemed to appreciate this and I had no issues. They were very nice to me to because I had no idea what to do and they helped me get the stroller into the machine and what not.
    I tend to think that although this woman was right to be angry it's all about your attitude in the end. And why she didn't pour the damn water out before going through is beyond me. The child could have survived for a few minutes with out the damn cup. They told me I could fill the bottle that they had no problem with that but I just said I'd fill it once I was in the terminal.
  • DivisibleByZero, on 10/11/2007, -22/+13"I unscrewed the cup to drink the water, which accidentally spilled because I was so upset with the situation."

    20 bucks says she intentionally threw the water at the cops.
  • stronglikedan, on 10/11/2007, -18/+10"As I was escorted out of security by TSA and a police officer, I unscrewed the cup to drink the water, which accidentally spilled because I was so upset with the situation."

    Why would she do something so stupid. It's arrogance like this that pisses me off. She should have waited until she was out of the security area. Then this would not have happened.

    Also, why the heck could she not follow the rules in the first place. Is it so hard to pass security with an empty sippy cup and then buy a damn bottle of water to put in it?

    It's her own stupid fault. She got what she deserved. No sympathy points from me.
  • cuoops, on 10/11/2007, -6/+23In the mean time.....other more dangerous people could of got through while they where busy with her.
    • DivisibleByZero, on 10/11/2007, -6/+6I highly doubt they left the security station unattended and let people through. If anything they would have just held up the line and made everybody miss their flight.
    • maximusGeek, on 10/11/2007, -11/+5are you assuming because she is a mother, she is not dangerous?
  • machambi, on 10/11/2007, -15/+9wooo !! nightmare indeed !!!
    a cop detained me for 40 minutes because i was snooty and yelled through the security gate and spilled the water on purpose.. . . .boo hoooo !!!!
  • CUclimber, on 10/11/2007, -3/+26What a useless policy. Does the TSA realize how easy it would be to just tape a Camelbak water bladder between your shoulderblades or to the inside of your leg? A single person could get a couple of gallons of liquid through the checkpoint with no problem if they did that.
    • DivisibleByZero, on 10/11/2007, -5/+6Thanks dude, now that you've said that they're going to start patting everybody down on the way in.
    • maximusGeek, on 10/11/2007, -2/+14A friend of mine was on a catheter for medical reasons the last time he flew... he got his "bag" passed security, no problem.
    • Anonymous3, on 10/11/2007, -4/+2Like in that Con-Air movie...

      re: "The last Mohican is on fire!"
    • williamdyer, on 10/11/2007, -2/+7The whole thing illustrates the futility of airport security screening:

      Why are liquids "banned?" Because neither bomb detectors nor metal detectors nor dogs can detect liquid explosives, like TNT, which is trivially easy to make.

      They then have two choices: Admit the whole thing is a failure and the TSA CAN'T and DOESN'T keep you safe.

      Or they can slather on the ***** even thicker.
  • maximusGeek, on 10/11/2007, -11/+5It is horrific and I agree that its just an illusion of safety but a mother has to pour out watter just like the rest of us. Its only sensational because she has a child. If I refused, I would be put though the same hassle (or worse, I am ethnically ambiguous)
    • licoricewhip, on 10/11/2007, -2/+8ethnically ambiguous!
      That made my day!
  • hangtown2004, on 10/11/2007, -10/+3Friends don't let friends sippy cup LOL
  • Pic0, on 10/11/2007, -5/+16People need to stand up to these assholes (TSA) and make them responsible for their actions
  • licoricewhip, on 10/11/2007, -15/+6The "no liquids" policy is what it is, unhappy child or not.
    • Leviathan777, on 10/11/2007, -2/+6You are right. It is retarded, doesn't make anyone safer, and is really just theater, not security. McLaw.

      I, too, am sad that it takes a silly incident like this to alert people to the gradual erosion of our rights and freedom.
    • williamdyer, on 10/11/2007, -1/+9It takes only a few grams of TNT to blow your hand off. The permitted 3 3oz containers would be more than enough to blow a LARGE hole in an airplane. Heck, that's enough to keep the reagents separate until you are on board, thereby making the problem of carrying an unstable liquid explosive moot.

      get it through your head: The gate screening does JACK ***** for safety. It is a show for the sheeple.
  • Kinjiru, on 10/11/2007, -6/+6This is almost as much of a non-surprise as someone getting abused/beaten/arrested without cause/ etc in the USA... esp since Bush and his American Taliban were voted in again (by those morons whom KNOW who they are)

    Can anyone smell LAWSUIT???
    • efinit, on 10/11/2007, -3/+3i don't think there will be a lawsuit. the TSA will just say that they are fighting the terrorists!
  • Khabi, on 10/11/2007, -1/+13"I was also told that I should not disrespect the officer and could be arrested for this too."

    That right there is *****, I would LOVE for someone to threaten me with that. "But judge, he was being a dick"


    Seriously.. it would make my day.
  • sensia3, on 10/11/2007, -3/+6Ahh those lifeless bastadios! Don't ever fly is a not solution to most, since you have to fly in order to cross the country within a day (read CA to NY).
  • deadbaby, on 10/11/2007, -12/+5Keep in mind we're only getting one side of the story here. Maybe she was a major bitch to the screener and got what she deserved. I've been in the front line of customer service before and the customers who are rude to me got the absolute worst service I could offer because of it.
    • heaintheavy, on 10/11/2007, -1/+12Since when is it the job of TSA to determine who is a "bitch" and who isn't?
    • FiascoJones, on 10/11/2007, -11/+3when they start acting like a bitch and throw water on a tsa agent. i think that qualifies
    • Leviathan777, on 10/11/2007, -1/+7@fiascojones, if she threw a couple of tablespoons of water "on" the TSA agent, how did they make her clean it up off the floor?

      Dumbass.
  • scottynz, on 10/11/2007, -7/+19Like Nazi Germany all over again. You people live in a police state. Very sad and scary.
    • endustry, on 10/11/2007, -12/+14Nazi Germany? The Nazis gassed six million Jews. This article is about a lady with a sippy cup.
    • molecool, on 10/11/2007, -2/+7Be patient... give them some time... The Nazis didn't start with the gassing right away - first they harassed the Jews. Then, when they successfully created an environment of fear and suspicion, they felt empowered and curtailed the civil liberties of the Jews (i.e. 2nd class citizens). Then they started to round them up and eventually started extermination.

      We've currently passed the fear and suspicion phase, and we're knee-deep in the 'curtailing civil liberties' phase. Are you planning to wait until they start rounding people up?

      Boiling frog, people, boiling frog....
  • heliox, on 10/11/2007, -5/+11I sense we are not getting the whole story.
    Well, we aren't. There is nothing from the TSA.

  • Crazytree, on 10/11/2007, -2/+23when the sippy cups are outlawed, only the outlaws will have sippy cups.
  • Wolfie351, on 10/11/2007, -14/+6"I demanded to speak to a TSA supervisor" - She had an attitude right from the start

    "The sippy cup was seized by TSA" - No, they checked for liquids and gave it back

    "the sippy cup was the only way her son would drink" - Already catering to her child's every wish, good job

    "as my son was pointing and crying for his cup" - If all else fails, use your child to gain sympathy

    • pixelwerx, on 10/11/2007, -4/+16Even if your assumption is 100% correct, there's a big difference between being a pain in the ass and being a terrorist threat. The last time I checked, being a pain in the ass wasn't against the law.
    • Wolfie351, on 10/11/2007, -9/+4Nowhere in that article does it say she was arrested for breaking any laws. She was held up at a security gate and missed her flight
    • Leviathan777, on 10/11/2007, -5/+9 Wolfie351 thinks it's perfectly fine for an employee at McDonalds to decide you are rude and subject you to a cavity search and make you miss a meeting.

      Why?

      No reason. The unrestrained excercise of power has never led to the harm of any individual.
    • miriclaire, on 10/11/2007, -7/+3Yep--you make sense. Don;t get me wrong-I hate abuse of authority--but she didn't handle this too well.
  • Sheff, on 10/11/2007, -3/+26I completely believe this woman's story. There is no question in my mind to the veracity of these events.

    At least they don't prevent soldiers from returning to duty in Iraq by beating them with a baton and then taser them like they do here in Vegas for bringing a Sprite bottle past security. The worst part is when the other cop makes fun of him for going down after being tasered.

    Video included.

    http://www.techography.com/article.php?story=20070518215439795

    It's all ***** up now. The terrorists have succeeded in eradicating common sense from the general public and the rest of us just taking it.
  • Christo67, on 10/11/2007, -9/+4What happened to her is wrong, plain and simple, but she should have known better than to have water in the only sippy cup her kid would drink from. As a parent with a kid, who's flown too many times already, you have to set your plan and a strategy before you even get to the airport. Park your attitude for 20 minutes while going through security and get pissed later. Smile, be nice and do as they say. Yeah it sucks, but at least you get on your plane and get to where you really want to be.
  • MeanGeno, on 10/11/2007, -2/+10What a joke. Like that mom and her 19 month old are terrorists. What's next? A 7 week old baby terrorists?

    Watch out for the sippy cup terrorists people! He is a dangerous mother *****
  • lavenderblue, on 10/11/2007, -12/+7Is it a little silly that she couldn't bring a sippy cup through security? Yes.

    Does every single person walking through security somehow manage to follow the 'no liquids' rule? Yes.

    She was in a bad mood, broke the rules, got caught, and wants to complain. To top it all off, she made the day of everyone else behind her in line a little bit worse.

    The rules are posted, people. No liquids through security. It's not hard.
    • ahawks, on 10/11/2007, -4/+7See my post below. No liquids eh? How about my insulin?

      And maybe she was in a bad mood because they made her take her baby's shoes and drink away.
    • vulgrin, on 10/11/2007, -3/+14The point isn't that she's complaining about it - the point is that the rules are idiotic and there for NO good reason. How many planes have EVER been blown up by someone with liquids? Zero.

      Remember when El Presidente said after 9/11 for us to not change the way we live "or the terrorists win?" Guess what? The Terrorists are winning. We now inconvience millions of people a year, wasting untold amount of time, money and productivity because a couple guys in Britain MIGHT have done something bad. They were caught and who knows what the hell happened to them - so they were NEVER A THREAT. But yet, we have to do what the stupid beuracrats tell us.

      I think there should be a BIG warning on the side of the plane that says "WARNING: YOU MIGHT DIE IF YOU FLY ON THIS PLANE!" Like McDonald's coffee's "warning - this ***** is HOT!" warning. I figure, if you want to get somewhere that fast, you take the risk.
    • mabhatter, on 10/11/2007, -3/+6no, they took the cup when they found out it had water in it and wouldn't give it back. Obviously, she was letting her child DRINK from the cup and it was only water, so within reasonable expectation, it can be assumed to be actually WATER. She offered to dump it out or drink it, but they wouldn't have that... the only response was basiclly to go to the back of the line all over again and she tried to gulp it on the way back and spilled it.

      No, the rules are that you can't have more than 3 ounces... if the cup was almost empty it would have meet the "legal" requirement...and proved the material to be safe. These guys were asses for the sake of being asses, following the letter of the law just to inconvinence somebody.

      It's been 6 years and there's been no issues.. this amounts to "quartering of [paramilitary] troops" having to pass thru checkpoints and searches with threats of force for petty inconviences of the authorities... which is against the very sprit of the USA. The reason that they didn't allow that was because of EXACTLY this kind of thing happening all over the colonies... with the "threat" of indians attacking instead of arabs. Time to rethink what we're doing and anybody who says otherwise is a theat to the nation.
    • jellygraph, on 10/11/2007, -1/+5if i recall correctly, most of them (the brits) have either been released, are still being investigated or are clear... nothing has come of this... it was a fear mongering
    • Leviathan777, on 10/11/2007, -2/+5Cheers to vulgrin for getting it right.

      And a ***** of diarrhea to the press and the Bush administration for not mentioning that the "Liquids on a Plane" plot wasn't even plausible from a pure chemical perspective.
    • comat0se, on 10/11/2007, -0/+9yep the whole "fluids can blow up ur planes!!1" was just BUNK. Charges were dropped, yet we still have the rules... funny how that works

      DHS and TSA = FAIL.
      http://loltapirs.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/tapirfail.jpg
  • blurplevtx, on 10/11/2007, -11/+6I would like to know where she worked at in the Secret Service, as a former US law enforcement officer she should have been able to handle a situation like this and known the rules as well.

    I'm betting it was her attitude that got her the unwanted attention.
    • CamperBob, on 10/11/2007, -1/+10I agree that we don't have the whole story in this case, but hell, even US Senators get this sort of treatment. We have created a 100,000-man security apparatus with the authority and ethics of the KGB and the intelligence and sensibility of Barnum & Bailey.

      And anyone seriously disputes the fact that Osama won?
    • Leviathan777, on 10/11/2007, -3/+3Sorry, dude, CamperBob pwn3d you. It's a big joke and you don't even know it.
    • bradleyland, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3From the Reagan National Airport website:

      Annual Passengers: 17.8 Million in 2005

      When you have that many people moving through your doors, you have to expect that more than a few are going to be having a bad day. Staff has to be able to handle ornery passengers. It's just that simple. The goal is to protect travelers, not intimidate them. In this case, the stated goal is to prevent the passage of more than 3-4 ounces of liquid through security. Once the cup is empty, the goal is satisfied. Why hassle the woman any further?

      All airport security should be conducted in front of cameras that record to media under the control of an independent party. Think, separation of powers. Any security staff that knowingly take a passenger outside the cameras' field of view should be disciplined. Incidents like this need third-party review by sensible people. Judges would make good candidates.
  • ahawks, on 10/11/2007, -1/+10I was diagnosed with Diabetes a year ago (Type 1, insulin dependent). I haven't flown since, but I have been dreading the day that I do.

    I can't imagine how they might treat me, trying to take 2 vials of liquid, plus SYRINGES, onto a plane. And ***** no I am not checking it into luggage. I lose that liquid, and I die.
    • Wolfie351, on 10/11/2007, -3/+5Do you think you're the only one who has diabetes??? Thousands of people with diabetes fly EVERY day and bring their insulin with them
  • djtripp, on 10/11/2007, -11/+1She should have packed the cup (clean and dry, naturally), in her carry on, and then filled it up after she passed security. That was simple, now wasn't it. At least that is what I do, when I bring a water bottle aboard an airplane.
  • sundancekid503, on 10/11/2007, -12/+1oops bury
  • vulgrin, on 10/11/2007, -3/+7Very wierd. I had a dream about something similar just last night - except the angle was that a group of us were handing out bottles of water to every single person in the security line because "they can't arrest all of us!" The point was to show how stupid the restrictions were, and to try to convince people to stop being @#$#@ sheep when it comes to this stuff.

    I think it ended up with me handcuffed to the security station (so they couldn't drag me off) and me getting tazed about 100 times so that I would stop telling people to revolt against the stupidity. But I woke up wanting to organize such an event across the U.S. so that it gets on the news and gets talked about again.
    • mabhatter, on 10/11/2007, -1/+8that sounds like a really good idea... but we're probably being labeled terrorist just talking about a little civil disobedience to a silly "anti-terrorist" law. Hell MLK was on the watch list of the time and we have a holiday named for him now... funny how that works when it really needs to be done.
  • Ninnux, on 10/11/2007, -1/+12This isn't about the decline of America. This isn't about fear. This is about something much more pedestrian and pathetic. This is about some lame-ass loser who was picked on early in his/her life, and now has the opportunity to pick on someone else.

    I know some TSA agents. They're ***** children with way more authority and power than they are capable of wielding.
    • loper, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3I think you have that exactly backwards. There's idiots in any line of work. Americans created these situations that are becoming more and more common. As someone else alluded to above, "Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both." -- Benjamin Franklin.

      As a canadian I won't say you deserve neither, but you've sure lost both.sorry.
  • endustry, on 10/11/2007, -13/+2Ahhh, today's soulless-authoritarian-does-X-to-innocent-everyman article. I see it's from yet another random source per usual and that the entire "***** that *****" contingent is out in force, too. DIGG has become so predictably punk rock.
    • williamdyer, on 10/11/2007, -0/+11I fly a lot, all over the place. I think you have no idea of the depth of hate that the typical flyer has for the TSA.

      If I saw a fuel tanker crash into the TSA off-duty room at an airport and saw 100 TSA screeners run out on fire, I would... laugh. I would ***** laugh. And I'm a nice guy. Like Mr. Rogers nice. I put spiders outside instead of killing them.
    • endustry, on 10/11/2007, -3/+2I agree that TSA agents are usually dicks and that some are even huge assholes but I also step back and realize that they get paid ***** to enforce a constantly revolving set of protocols passed down from some out-of-touch bureaucratic moron thousands of miles away and are basically seen as the enemy by millions of people on a daily basis who can't be bothered with security until the day someone is fishing their charred, decapitated skull out of a crash site somewhere and their family is playing the FEMA card on CNN. For every prick TSA agent, I see at least two self-absorbed fashionistas wearing metal mesh melts or knee-high buckle boots who look like they stepped off the set of the *****' Road Warrior who, despite having heard the same monotonous message every one else has for the previous twenty mindnumbing minutes straight about removing metallic objects and clothing simply can't clue in until they reach the head of the line and then I have to wait for their precious asses to carefully remove their boots one buckle at a time. I somehow doubt that the TSA agent in this first-person blog entry was an angel but if you think mommy was any more civil about her lil sippy cup I remain to be convinced. If people want to get all punk rock about how ***** up the TSA is, at least DIGG a real article on the subject instead of some joe schmoe blogger's take on some altercation he just happened to witness. I hate Fox News as much as the next guy but talk about the pot calling the kettle black.
  • heaintheavy, on 10/11/2007, -4/+2This stupid rule about liquids is useless. Give me a break, why have any liquids at all? It is designed to keep fear in our minds, to perpetuate it. This is so stupid.
  • mal1964, on 10/11/2007, -6/+4If it was spilled milk none of this would have happened.
  • vulgrin, on 10/11/2007, -1/+28Ban people - they are 70% liquid and occasionally 0.10% alcohol.
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