Sunbeltblog comments
Here is the TSA's side of the story, including an incident report:
http://www.tsa.gov/approach/myth...ters/
index.shtm
Sounds and looks like she was being a jerk. It sure looks to me like she intentionally dumped the water on the floor as soon as they got past security.
Sure she may have been acting like a jerk.
But keep in mind that this rule about liquids is meaningless and ridiculous in the first place, and to harrass a mother over this type of nonsense is just gross.
She was, in her own way, practicing civil disobedience against a bad law, and if you've ever been around a mother with a toddler, you know how incredibly stressful airline travel is these days -- only aggravated by rules like this. I do emphasize with her attitude, although I wouldn't say I agree with her tactics.
It is far "easier" to act like sheep with the TSA -- that I have learned. And arguing about a stupid law with a TSA agent is itself pretty stupid, as there's nothing they can do about it. So in that sense, she wasn't being all that smart about the situation.
But what if everyone simply refused to follow a bad rule? The outrage at the outset over the liquid ban resulted in the TSA backing down quite a bit, and they continue to back down.
Actually, the ban is a direct result of the thwarted plot to use liquid explosives on aircraft from the UK to the US last August. As the threat still exists, so does the ban.
We count the traveling public as important partners in security and appreciate the two million passengers per day that comply with our regulations.
Christopher:
First, thank you for posting my job, and please let me assure you that I respect the amount of work the TSA does.
However, people in technical fields are baffled by this rule. If a panel of chemists can actually show conclusive proof that liquids such as these could make a bomb on a plane, I'll change my stance with vehemence. So far, I have yet to see any shred of evidence that this is even possible.
Moreover, banning liquids in small quantities makes no sense. All it takes is four or five terrorists each bringing on small quantities of liquids in order to bring on a larger quantity. You might as well ban all liquids on all planes if you desire consistency.
Again, if people can really see that the rules of the TSA are based on sound science, they'll change their mind. But if the TSA insists on promulgating laws based on poor science that end up harassing passengers needlessly, you won't get the support you'll need on the far more important things.
Just out of interest I had a look at the vids and incident report. This woman clearly tried to use her job as an excuse for special treatment and got annoyed that it didn't work. The staff were doing their job and her action of deliberately tipping the water on the shiny floor was reckless and stupid. She is very lucky that older lady who walked across the wet floor just behind her didn't slip and hurt herself. As an officer of the Secret Service she ought to know better than to carry on like this.
She was in the secret service? then she should have pulled out the talking dog, the raygun and whatever else they give you in Men in Black and gone postal.
Christopher: might I humbly suggest that these laws will eventually put your staff at more at risk from random passengers that you're supposed to be protecting punching you in the face, than some random terrorist blowing up your plane.
Eventually a situation similar to this one will result in someone too trigger happy for their own good blowing away a stroppy passenger. then all hell will, as they say, break loose.
Aside from the fact that I can think of many, many ways to get around this stupid "security precaution" (and if I can do it, you can be pretty sure the terrorists can too), if you hurl all your money at locking down your airports in a way that not only inconveniences the terrorists but also the people using your facilities legitimately (to the point where going to an airport is almost unbearable), the terrorists will....simply alter their plans slightly and go blow something else up anyway.
If you think you can stop them by turning America into Colditz, you're incredibly shortsighted.
Oh, and I call BS on your "mythbusters" page, too. Its obviously been thrown up to combat any negative press off the back of this story - because all your other "myths" seem to have fallen off the page.
On behalf of England, thank you for making every. single. trip. to the States one long, endless procession of being greeted with aggression and suspicious glares as we make our way into your country.
we really enjoy and appreciate it.
thanks also for insisting on dragging out two of my work colleagues and giving them the rubber glove treatment, every. single. time. they fly to the states because the committed the heinous crime of not being born white with blue eyes and blonde hair.
they really love your crazy racial profiling!
but thanks most of all, for the fact that your colleague decided to impress everyone with how tough they are by threatening to arrest the mother if she dared move to put shoes on her child's feet.
how impressed i am! how compelled i feel to rush back to the states and witness the same disregard for anyone and everyone that passes through your doors!
.....by the way, i have unlimited supplies of common sense going cheap on the black market. western union payment preferred 
Also, will you consider putting the below on your mythbusters page too?
http://www.techography.com/
artic...070518215439795
...yeah, gotta love those airports.
I'm glad to see that dangerous terrorist plots like this one are being foiled by the fine security personnel.
To Christopher...
You are kidding, right? This is considered acceptable behavior by TSA Staff? I watched the video...and if that bitch grabbed my arm when I was pushing a stroller, she would be picking her teeth up off the floor. Since when did blond women with children hit the top of the terrorist charts.
And how about responding to the "myth" as linked by Paperghost?
Didn't think so.
--She was, in her own way, practicing civil disobedience against a bad law,
...
--But what if everyone simply refused to follow a bad rule?
They had that...it was called the Doctrine of Nullification, which, during the Civil War, when the North won over the South, was determined to be illegal in all parts of the U. S. So, upon disobeying "bad" laws, don't be surprised if you're in a bit of a predicament.
I've already stated my thoughts on this, but I'd like to add that we have a duty to follow all laws, including ones that we believe are poorly written, as long as they do not require us to perform one or more unethical actions. Putting up with a security policy doesn't require anyone to compromise their moral standards.
Of course, all citizens also have the right to try to change laws that are poorly written...but that doesn't give them the right to BREAK those laws.
Aaron, I do agree, and I'm not condoning her behaviour. But I am saying that I do emphasize with her behaviour.
"but I'd like to add that we have a duty to follow all laws"
...is a frankly terrifying notion.
"including ones that we believe are poorly written"
.....it gets worse before it gets better...
"as long as they do not require us to perform one or more unethical actions."
I find a woman threatened with arrest simply for wanting to put shoes on a child who may well have been distressed because of idiocy on the part of someone displaying little common sense to be unethical on the part of the person *representing* that law, as opposed the one supposedly "breaking" it.
But as we're supposed to have a "duty" to follow those laws, even the badly written ones (with no mention of what to do about the fools carrying those laws out) I guess we have to obey the hivemind and pick up our sheep costumes.
"Putting up with a security policy doesn't require anyone to compromise their moral standards."
Watching the circus unfold certainly compromised my moral standards.
"but that doesn't give them the right to BREAK those laws."
Sometimes, the only way to change a law IS to break it. Thank God for Monks who set themselves on fire. Thank God for Rosa Parks. Thank God for civil disobedience and fighting against racial segregation.
And wait, isn't the very notion of what your country is based on mired in the roots of revolutionary, law breaking activity in the form of kicking the crap out of the English?
I mean, if you don't want the place, I'll quite happily tell the Queen we can move back in.
But you can't have it both ways.
Civil disobedience? Phhhtt!
You know what the airline rules are when you book your ticket. She knew darned well that liquids were prohibited and stood there in line holding on to a bottle of water AND the sippy cup anyway. Come on! A smart person (such as one employed by the Secret Service?) would have the good sense to drop the bottle in the trash can (that is conveniently provided at every airport I've been to) and empty the sippy cup in the trash as well while she stood in line.
I can empathize with her frustration at a situation got out of hand - but she brought it on herself. I agree that the video looks like she dumped the water on purpose.
That isn't practicing civil disobedience. It was being antagonistic -- which is a different thing altogether.
Personally, I think the current airport security situation is a joke and offensive. I agree that the rules are stupid and are far more of an affront to my rights and my person than they are a safeguard. I hate the rules. But by god I know what they are and I follow them when I fly because I understand the consequences if I don't. No matter how innocent I might think I look. The TSA's current job when evaluating for threats is to disregard how innocent you look (e.g. aw, look at the cute toddler and his mom) and focus on how you behave. And antagonistic, flashing-my-badge behavior isn't going to help your case.
"That isn't practicing civil disobedience. It was being antagonistic -- which is a different thing altogether."
That's awesome, except you're taking my use of "civil disobedience" and twisting it to mean something else entirely. I never said the woman at the airport was practicing "civil disobedience", did I? Quote time:
"Thank God for Rosa Parks. Thank God for civil disobedience and fighting against racial segregation."
....you might want to re-attach "and fighting against racial segregation" to give it back its correct context and meaning.
...also, while I'm on a roll, here's a genuine conversation I had with someone from the TSA while attempting to leave America. Is it too much to ask for these people dealing with immigration / holidaymakers / potential terrorists to at least know some rudimentary basics about the countries they happen to be dealing with on a daily basis?
(looks at passport)
"..I'm sorry sir. There's something wrong with your Visa Waiver ticket".
(for those who don't know, it's a small bit of card that contains your name, your age and your Country).
"...what seems to be the problem?"
"You've put England as your Country of Origin".
".......yes?"
"Well, what part of Ireland is England located in"?
"......"
And people wonder why Security Theater is mocked so ruthlessly.
No offense to Chris, but I have never met a TSA employee who wasn't an idiot. Was your local McDonald's not hiring? Ok, some offense meant 
Seriously, the ban on liquids has me scratching my head. So I can't bring a 16-oz bottle of liquid on board but I can bring 8 2-oz containers of liquid on board. I feel safer already. But don't worry, I'm sure no terrorist could conceive of such a cunning plan.
But I am a solutions-oriented guy. I'm going to help you out with a suggestion that, if implemented, will result in much higher satisfaction ratings and much lower incident reports. Hire about 5 or 6 new guys and dress them up the same as the "security officers" (or whatever cute title you bestow on these borderline retards). Station them immediately past the security gates so that passengers can see them. Every passenger that goes through without incident gets a couple of minutes to just mercilessly pound the living shit out of these guys. I can't speak for anyone else, but that would definitely make my flying experience a lot more enjoyable.
I find it interesting that cigar cutters are allowed on board even though most flights are now entirely non-smoking. I also think it's hillarious how things like meat cleavers, spear guns, nunchakus, and (my personal favorite) hand grenades are explicitly forbidden from carry-on.
And one final gem forbidden from carry-on: Snow globes and like decorations regardless of size or amount of liquid inside, even with documentation.
LOL. "But officer, this snow globe is properly documented!"
All arguments regarding TSA regulations and McJobs and civil obedience aside - as relevant and accurate as those arguments may be generally - this chick is a moron.
Security personnel in all situations and especially working airline security are indoctrinated with the idea that their position is critical, and that anyone who causes a problem is a potential threat. This means that when this woman started acting like this, a fear response may have been triggered in these guard people.
At that point, all bets are off. Once the fear response is triggered in the security personnel, you move slowly and you act nice, unless you're willing to take it to the next level. Dumping the water in the middle of the floor is just stupid - aside from being something my six year old would do.
Law enforcement's response to this sort of thing is well documented. Go watch a couple episodes of COPS if you don't know what I'm talking about.
My step-dad was in charge of probation and parole for three rural counties in Nevada for ten years. He is manly and wouldn't admit that a fear response was involved, so call it fight/flight, or whatever makes you comfortable. But that's what happens.
As former law enforcement herself, she knows all of this. She knew exactly what would happen. She has probably done this to someone. Hopefully with a better excuse, but nonetheless.
This doesn't change the fact that she was treated unjustly. It doesn't change the fact that she was singled out by some idiot in a position of some relative power who had a chip on his shoulder for some other reason. Her stupidity doesn't change the fact that
But she knows she would have done exactly the same things once it became a situation, if she were the one with the active badge. She needs to shut her mouth about /that/ part of the experience - or else we need to start having conversations about law enforcement generally.
@ paperghost
"I mean, if you don't want the place, I'll quite happily tell the Queen we can move back in."
The Queen....too funny!
*Calls the Whitehouse as his new little get out if us Brits are moving back in *
HELLO, I need some help here. I was flying from Newark to New Delhi via LHR on the 8th of July '07, and now after unpacking all my bags I noticed that a swiss combo knife, 2 nail-cutters and a bottle of Centrum multi-vitamin pills is missing. All these 4 items were in one of my check in bags, both of which were secured by the "TSA-approved Brinks" locks. Also there's no "Thank you for the loot" card attached. Can someone please explain if the 3rd world countries now have to ship their meds back to the US, so that the DHS & the TSA can feed their malnourished agents???
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