TSA Theater of the Absurd

Did you hear about the latest  innocent American traveler thought to be a "terrorist" by airport security?

In a previous post, I told you the story of how  TSA took a child's play dough from him in New Orleans. Well, they're at it again. This time TSA targeted a developmentally disabled child  believed to be a terrorist in Philadelphia. 

A four year old developmentally disabled boy who walks with leg braces and who only learned how to walk recently, was traveling with his father and mother from Philadelphia to Orlando, Florida. When they were going through the security machines, TSA told the parents that the child had to remove his braces. The father informed TSA that his son could not walk without the leg braces.  That did not allay TSA concerns as they continued to demand that the boy take the leg braces off. The boy's mother offered to walk him through the detectors once they took the leg braces off. Well, that was not good enough either. They said the boy had to walk through the detectors himself without any assistance.

Thankfully, the boy was able to walk without getting hurt or falling. He certainly could have fallen and injured himself only because the TSA required that the disabled boy take off his leg braces.

TSA eventually apologized for the way that this boy and his family were treated.

But, guess what TSA said they should have done instead.  Ann Davis, Spokeswoman for the TSA, said you guessed it that the boy should have been  taken to a private room and swabbed for traces of explosive materials.

Apparently, as ridiculous as it seems, young American children, particularly four year old disabled children with leg braces, are thought by TSA to be terrorists connected to Al Qaeda who have to undergo strict scrutiny to see if they are carrying any explosive devices.

In all of my years of schooling, I would never have predicted that a four year old developmentally disabled child from Camden, New Jersey could have the ability to blow up a plane or terrorize other passengers.

You learn something every day.

TSA Theater of the Absurd