TSA holds 12 y.o. girl in wheelchair for 1 hour, for ‘explosives’

TSA wouldn’t let mom comfort crying daughter throughout ordeal.

 
The TSA has done a mostly good job lately of staying out of the news for being complete idiots, but with the holiday season approaching, we may be hearing more soon. In this case, the TSA held a young girl – away from her parents – for an hour while trying to figure out why she tested positive for explosives.For the millionth time, everyone wants to be safe, but is this type of behavior doing anything positive for the process? Common sense needs to play a much more important role with the TSA.
Was this really necessary?

The girl suffers from brittle bone disease and was flying to Tampa, Florida, for treatment on Sunday. But the TSA detained her in Terminal A of DFW Airport after randomly selecting her for an explosives test.
When a screener swabbed Walser’s palms and fingers, Daniels said her daughter tested positive for explosives…
Daniels said she couldn’t comfort her crying daughter because screeners ordered her to keep back during the hour it took bomb experts to settle the situation.

It’s interesting that the story cleans up the language of the TSA official talking to the young girl. Here’s what they say the official said:

“It’s okay, you didn’t do anything wrong, we’re going to get you on your way,” an official said to Shelbi Walser, 12, as she cried on a video her mother recorded.

Not quite. Here’s what he actually said:

“It’s okay, you don’t do nutt’n wrong.”

I raise this because it speaks to the level of training and education.

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Thu Dec 13 20:26:52 PST 2012

Parents criticize TSA for handling of girl in a wheelchair

"I am by no means undermining our safety in the air. After 9/11, by no means am I doing that. But when it comes to children, common sense is not in a textbook," said Tammy Daniels, reacting the TSA’s handling of her daughter in a wheelchair. view full article