Mommyblogger Nic tells the horrifying story of how TSA agents took away her child because the clip on his pacifier set off the metal detector yesterday.

Link to Article

But I'm sure we all feel safer now, right?

i think the entire TSA thing is a joke...provides no added security at all, only provides them jobs...

Such horror, a few minutes of separation to ensure that the child wasn't being used to smuggle a gun on to a plane. But I guess a terrorist would NEVER do such a thing in your opinion, Bugs?

Not everyone is perfect. But I am on the better safe than sorry side.

I can't access the site, but that was my first thought BF.

Take the fricking thing out of the kid's mouth for two seconds and let them walk through the metal detector. Then give it back to the kid.

sarcasm font, right?

That would have been a better solution, had the mother used her brain cells (and knowledge of what her child might have that was metal) in the first place instead of forcing the agent to figure it out.

i know nic. she wouldn't exaggerate.

It's a totally thankless job...even worse than banking.

Seriously, tho, the American public demanded safety measures after 9/11. TSA requirements have eased up some in the recent past. But metal is metal. If the son's pacifier clip was metal, the mom should have slowed down enough to think to remove it. Or buy a special plastic traveling one. Or better yet, don't give the kid the pacifier to begin with. They're horrible and totally unnecessary....oooppppsss. sorry, I jumped soapboxes there, didn't I?

OMG... it's not like she walked through with something metal on purpose, she forgot to remove one item, and immediately identified her mistake when she heard the beep. From what's provided by the link, TSA didn't even give her the option to remove it and rescreen the child. The agent told her he was going to pick up the kid to inspect him; he didn't tell her he was going to walk off with the kid to interrogate him!

i'll be sure to pass on all the parenting tips that you all have provided. i'm sure she'll appreciate it.

ummmm...but are you qualified to give parenting tips?

i need to know in order to calibrate the proper weight to apply to your opinion


kthxbai!

Uh:

"I can't access the site, but that was my first thought BF."

no, miscuit, i'm not. i don't have kids. but the rest in this thread seem to. i'm passing their advice on to nic.

<---- has no children and will therefore keep his piehole shut.

they should have got the guy from Walmart to slap the kid around a bit, that would have taught him

B_F, I think you're missing the point. Perhaps you didn't read the linked blog post. See, the TSA agent asked to hold the woman's baby and then walked away from the woman. Do you have kids? If so, try to picture yourself in the same situation. You hand your kid over to someone you don't know from Adam and he walks away with him or her. I don't have a problem with the agents checking the kid out more closely, but they must be made to do it in the presence of the parents.

Did you just misunderstand or are you willing to sacrifice your kids for your own security?

its not like the metal detectors have changed, take off the binkie put it in the tray and give it back to the baby after you go through. I have seen them take babies through before myself, they take it from the mom, to make sure it isnt a risk and take it through the detector themselve. I could see why they would search a baby who was still setting off the alarm without the mother. It would seem hinky to me. You have to take some self responsibility and know ahead of time what goes through and not. Don't blame it on the TSA, they are just trying to do their job.

Is there a full moon?

I'm agreeing with kms and BF!

Although I have no children, so please calibrate the weight you give to my opinion accordingly.

thank you!

::calibrating::


::trashing opinion::

I found this to be very distressing... the fact that they gave the child back to the mother in order to board the plane with.

Ugh. Parents.

SURVEY SAYS:

::dials calibration knob so needle points to "diddly-squat"::