Navigating airport security lines can be a bit of a challenge with kids, to say the least, but nothing could have prepared one 4-year-old little girl and her family for the horrible treatment she received from TSA officers in Wichita, Kansas.
Michelle Brademeyer was flying home from a wedding with her mother and two kids when her mom set off alarms in the airport security line. She was detained by TSA, at which point Michelle's daughter, 4-year-old Isabella, ran over to give her grandmother a hug. And because witnessing a small child offer their grandparent a gesture of affection is so incredibly threatening to national security, TSA agents determined she must be carrying a gun and tried to take her into a separate room to give her a full body pat-down.
Wait -- it gets worse.
When poor little Isabella became (understandably) hysterical and scared, she tried to run -- and that's when the TSA threatened to shut down the entire airport if she didn't cooperate. At that point, she was taken into another room with her mother for the pat-down, where she refused to let TSA officers touch her. They called for back-up and threatened to make the family leave the airport entirely, until a manager showed up and finally checked them and allowed them to pass through security.
And for the life of me, I have no idea how Michelle Brademeyer was able to keep her composure and remain calm while all of this went down. Because if TSA had treated my son that way? Yeah -- I'd be locked up right now instead of sitting at my kitchen island typing this post. I'm sure of it.
I've flown several times a year with my son since he was about 4 months old, and luckily, we've never run into any sort of problem with TSA. I always try to be as calm and collected as possible when we pass through the line, and I always make sure he doesn't leave my side for a second. But kids will be kids, and sometimes you really can't control what they say and do, even when they aren't trying to get into any sort of trouble.
And if someone accused my sweet, kind, loving 6-year-old of carrying a gun, insinuating that he's some sort of terrorist? I'd totally lose my cool for sure. I can't think of anything worse while traveling than having to watch your child get scared out of their mind by total strangers who don't know the difference between a hug and a concealed weapon.
Stories like this really make me think twice about getting on another plane with my kid -- though air travel is kind of inevitable. But I think I'd better work on my temper a bit before we set foot in another airport, just in case my son is feeling particularly affectionate in the security line. I'd hate to wind up in jail instead of taking a family vacation.
Have you had any bad experiences with your kids and TSA?
Image via kalleboo/Flickr
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Comments 13
I traveled with my 4 month old son and one TSA officer wasnt going to let us through because i had a bottle of wate,r fomula in a small container, and empty bottles. I had to argue with him that I had already check and knew it was allowed, it wasnt until another (female) TSA officer saw what was hapening and clarified for him that it was indeed allowed as long as they could test my water bottle. Oh how i gave a smug smile!
Beaularson91, don't you know you're just supposed to let the little one starve? Or, since he's four months old, surely he could handle a nice bag of peanuts!!!
I truly understand why the TSA is in place, and I'm sure they do a lot to help, but they really need to start hiring people with basic common sense. Thank goodness for you the other office was there to help you get through!
Does anyone really believe that the airplanes were made safer by molesting and traumatizing this child? The only ones who do are fools and cowards. How many times do these things have to happen before Congress demands replacement of this agency?
There were a total of 84 TSA workers arrested in the last 16 months including 12 arrested for child sex crimes, over 25 for theft and even one for murder. Crime, abuse and incompetence is so widespread in TSA that even Kip Hawley, the last TSA Director, has called for its overhaul.
This just demonstrates how stupid and sick the whole TSA approach is and why it needs to be overhauled. TSA has done more damage to our liberty, way of life and morality than Al Qaeda could have ever hoped to do.
Everyone that keeps their mouthshut just to get to their plane on time is the problem....when I go on vacay in june I will be going to the airport 4 hours early...just incase I need to explain my rights. People are sheep, I did 24 hours in jail for a DUI when I was 19. The police are not allowed to touch you like these minimum wage goons are, sorry not happening. You guys do know enough history I hope that the nazi's were not even this bad. They are not doing it for terrorists, if they stopped any it would be on the news!!! They are doing this to see how far down they can push us. Just like the state interjects in how we raise our kids! I am an American, you shall not search me without probable cause or a warrant. It is all you that roll over that our degrading our freedom. And BTW more people are killed by bees, lightning, hell toasters, each year then terrorists.