Apr 24, 2012
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A Montana lawmaker is furious after the four year old daughter of one of his constituents was labeled a “high security threat” when the child hugged her grandmother at a security checkpoint at Wichita Mid-Continent Airport.
Michelle Brademeyer, of Missoula, Mon., wrote about the incident on her Facebook page alleging TSA officers called for backup after her daughter would not stop crying and at one point was ordered to spread her legs.
Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-MT) told Fox News that he is outraged over the four-year-old’s treatment.
“Something is clearly very wrong if TSA’s protocol forced them to harass a four-year-old girl until she cried,” Rehberg said. “I intend to sit down with the TSA immediately and demand some answers.”
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The TSA confirmed to Fox News that an incident occurred at the airport — but defended the way their officers handled the situation.
“TSA has reviewed the incident and determined that our officers followed proper current screening procedures in conducting a modified pat-down on the child,” said Sterling Payne, of the TSA Office of Public Affairs.
The Brademeyer family’s ordeal began at Wichita Mid-Continent Airport after they had cleared a security checkpoint. Brademeyer’s mother, who happened to be traveling out of the same airport, set off an alarm and had to be re-screened.
photo from Michelle Brademeyer's Facebook page
Brademeyer’s four year old child was so excited to see her grandmother that she ran over to give her a brief hug. At that point, a TSA officer began yelling at the child and demanded she sit down and undergo a full body pat-down.
“It was implied, several times, that my mother, in their brief two-second embrace, had passed a handgun to my daughter,” Brademeyer wrote on her Facebook page.
She said her daughter was terrified.
“They told her she had to come to them, alone, and spread her arms and legs,” Brademeyer wrote, noting that her daughter began screaming “No, I don’t want to.”
“That is when a TSO told me they would shut down the entire airport, cancel all flights, if my daughter was not restrained,” she wrote. “It was then they declared my daughter a ‘high-security threat.’”
Brademeyer said she tried to pick up her daughter and comfort her but the TSA ordered her to stop. They were eventually escorted to a private room where she said her daughter was treated like a terrorist.
“I will never forget the look of pure terror on her face,” she said. “A TSO began repeating that in the past she had ‘seen a gun in a teddy bear.’ The TSO seemed utterly convinced my child was concealing a weapon, as if there was no question about it.”
However, the TSA disputes Brademeyer’s claim that officers thought her child had a gun.
“TSA officers did not suspect or suggest the child was carrying a firearm,” Sterling said in his statement to Fox News.
At some point her daughter started crying again and that enraged TSA officers, she said. They ordered her to stop weeping and when she refused, the TSA called for backup.
“Two TSOs called for backup saying, ‘The suspect is not cooperating.’ the suspect, of course, being a frightened child. They treated my daughter no better than if she had been a terrorist.”
Eventually, a manager intervened and determined the child could be cleared through security after the harrowing ordeal.
“My daughter is very shaken up about this, and has been waking up with nightmares,” Brademeyer wrote. “What should have been a very minor, routine security check was turned into a horrific ordeal. All of this could easily have been prevented if the TSO involved had used a little bit of compassion and a smidgen of common sense. There is no reason for any child to go through this.
“And while I completely understand the necessity of tight airport security, I fail to see how harassing a small child will provide safety for anyone,” she wrote.
Rehberg blamed the debacle on the Obama Administration, saying they have “ignored common sense in favor of mind-boggling bureaucratic rules.”
“Common sense tells you there’s a way to protect air travelers without harassing and scaring them,” he said.
But he TSA remains steadfast that they did absolutely nothing wrong.
“TSA has recently implemented modified screening procedures of children 12 and under that will further reduce the need for a physical pat-down for children,” Sterling said. “These new screening procedures include permitting multiple passes through the metal detector and advanced imaging technology to clear any alarms as well as the greater use of explosives trace detection. These changes in protocol will ultimately reduce – though not eliminate – pat downs of children.”
“In this case, however, the child had completed screening but had contact with another member of her family had not completed the screening process,” he added.
You can read her entire posting of the encounter by clicking here.
FOX News Talk
I'd call that profiling. If that little girl was a sand leper, she would have marched right on through there with no challenge.
Terrorism will never be over and these idiots will use their own 4 year old in the name of ALLAH so shut up and deal with it if you want to fly here and honor the dead people of 9-11.
The TSA is stupid and should only harass Muslims. They are the terrorists.
Yeah this is taking things way too far. I'd like to see them try it with my kid!
Its time you people join a militia. These TSA terrorists and our Government are the biggest threat to anyones lives. You don't believe me? The same bullshit going on now is the same bullshit that happened in Germany in the early 30's. There are retarded people out there "especially from the UK" that want population management or total control of peoples lives. Id rather be dead. Save a human shoot a liberal.
I'd rather died than be their slaves
Then why don't you do the world a favor and die, already!
Must read
Poor little girl.
We need the Israel's show us how to screen people and fire everyone in the TSA. The Israel approach is to profile, and profile some more.
Rehberg blamed the debacle on the Obama Administration…
Of course it was Obama's fault. He was obviously watching it all on CC tv and was had a live mic instructing the TSA what to do from start to finish.
All they would have had to do was have the Grandma and the child go through security again, told nicely and gently. They overreacted in a grossly ridiculous manner. Granted, I have flown many, many times and have never had any trouble, either domestically or internationally with the TSA or any other airport security persons, but hearing these stories makes me always worry about going through security.
The Grandma was already screened a second time (during which the little girl ran up to her), for setting off the security alarm.
Robert Gerard Mansfield So screen them a third time, either way, they should treat people with compassion unless they are given strong reasons not to, and a 4 year who is scared and upset at being roughly handled is not a reason to be suspicious.
Dawn Lowe How many times should they be screened, in your opinion, before a patdown is required? 3? 5? 20? And it wasn't the times screened that was the issues, it was that a second person who passed screening, came in contact with a person who failed it for unknown reasons. What would your solution be?
Dawn Lowe How many times should they be screened, in your opinion, before a patdown is required? 3? 5? 20? And it wasn't the times screened that was the issues, it was that a second person who passed screening, came in contact with a person who failed it for unknown reasons. What would your solution be?
Like many other people have commented, they needed to use a little bit of common sense. And, if they were both already screened, then they would have known that neither one was carrying something illegal to be passed on. The TSA need to be taught to deal with situations like that in a way that gives dignity and compassion to the person, instead of treating innocent people so badly. It's disgraceful.
And I would also like to point out, that I'm not just speaking off the top of my head. Once, when I flew with an infant, and didn't have proper ID, I had to go through extra security, and it was in the time not long after 9/11. The agent had to check both my diaper bag, and indeed feel my child's diaper to make sure there wasn't anything concealed in it. The difference between my situation and the one in this article is that the agent in my situation was very nice, apologetic, compassionate and professional. It's all about the attitude and manner in which is a thing is done, not in the procedures followed.
Dawn Lowe I totally agree with the attitude part of this.. but I also feel initial blame is on the mother, not the TSA. And.. both were not fully screened, as the grandmother failed her first screening as was seated waiting to go through a second time when the child ran up and hugged her.
Robert Gerard Mansfield So you think a little girl running to hug her grandmother is a danger…Thats the whole dam problem..A lot of these TSA people don't have common sense and if any one agrees with them doing that don't have any either.
Goverment is out of control. True but also the simple answer. The truth is, a terroist would have no issue with using a child to sneak a bomb on board an airplane or something else. Since TSA agents are not allowed to profile, they have to look at everyone the same. A wheel chair can be used to hide something. With out knowing the full story I would say this. It has nothing to do with the kid and everything to do with monsters that would use children for their own purposes. Its the times we live in. I do not know how much TSA agents make but making them out to be the bad guys seems counter productive. They, like so many of us HAVE to do their job. Are their losers in the TSA? Yes no doubt just like there are losers in every profession.
No! TSA is wrong because they are inconveniencing all us entitled people. Anyone and everyone is entitled to fly and get onboard without delay. This is what all those 3000+ dead people would have wanted on that day…Sept 10, 2001 or something like that. I'm sure they would rather save 10 mins than be alive. TSA should be disbanded.
When you question someone's self-entitlement and their god giving right to convenience, it's a clear violation of the Constitution and the 4.5th Amendment.
TSA should know everyone going through their checkpoints personally and only detain those that are clearly terrorists with signs hanging around their necks. All kids, white kids that is, running around unattended and elderly should be exempted. Common sense clearly tells us this. I mean, I know everyone personally. Don't you?
So this TSA harassment is basically a daily occurrence now? And the gov't threatened Texas when they tried to put a stop to it last year, remember? I'm stickin' by my No Fly policy. I'll just drive. If people don't take a stand they can't complain about it.
http://washington.cbslocal.com/2012/04/25/family-misses-flight-after-tsa-gives-pat-down-to-girl-with-cerebral-palsy/
damn TSA just can't stay out of the news for more than a few hours at a time.
Congress was the first to learn about these expensive machines, So…A lot of them I suspect went out quickly and bought stock in these companies.Then they voted to have it implemented quickly so the hired anyone they could find, qualified or not.It's all about money in their pockets with this congress.Follow the money trail…
"Congress was the first to learn about these expensive machines, So…A lot of them I suspect went out quickly and bought stock in these companies."
Congress was not first to learn about them.. the creators, manufacturers, fabricators and the industry in general were.. and, you suspect, but does your suspicion have any merit? Do you have any evidence to show they bought stock,?
Robert Gerard Mansfield you're getting worse…Now go take your meds
Going to take your insulting responses as failure on your part to present a valid argument.
Robert Gerard Mansfield If I had the evidence,then I wouldn't be suspecting…I would know
Terry Salter Exactly
Robert Gerard Mansfield read again
The TSA also patted down our 11-day-old baby in 2003, as I recount here: http://tinyurl.com/d3dlap5. But Michelle Brademeyer offers a lesson in the power of social media.
I am old. and I will noy fly because of all this mess. I do not feel obligated to pay hundreds of dollars to be exposed to radiation or to be goped by some idiot. what they did to that ittle girl will leave a bad taste in her mouth for the rest of her life and her parents also. these tsa and this government are terrorist themselves. they need to lodge complaints against that sadistic fool. anf keep doing so till some one dose something to make up for it. not that it will stop her night mares. or make her feel safe. what they did to her and many other children was down right cruel.
I am old. and I will noy fly because of all this mess. I do not feel obligated to pay hundreds of dollars to be exposed to radiation or to be goped by some idiot. what they did to that ittle girl will leave a bad taste in her mouth for the rest of her life and her parents also. these tsa and this government are terrorist themselves. they need to lodge complaints against that sadistic fool. anf keep doing so till some one dose something to make up for it. not that it will stop her night mares. or make her feel safe. what they did to her and many other children was down right cruel.
Most of the people commenting say this is wrong? I have just one question to all who think this is wrong – what if a 4 year old, brown, Muslim girl ran out to give her grandmother who also happens to be a Muslim in a veil? Would you all want a pat down of that girl again before she is allowed in the secured area?
Most of the people commenting say this is wrong? I have just one question to all who think this is wrong – what if a 4 year old, brown, Muslim girl ran out to give her grandmother who also happens to be a Muslim in a veil? Would you all want a pat down of that girl again before she is allowed in the secured area?
Another example of minimum wage employees who think they have power
I'd rather risk something terrible happening than put up with this nonsense. The truth is that terrorist will move to another soft target, like a shopping mall, movie theater, etc. In the future will those places need xrays and security too?
I'd rather risk something terrible happening than put up with this nonsense. The truth is that terrorist will move to another soft target, like a shopping mall, movie theater, etc. In the future will those places need xrays and security too?
The TSA should be dissolved so that their "agents" can all go back to their WalMart and Taco Bell jobs. Let the airlines, in cooperation with the FBI, state and local police handle airport security, the way it used to be. If that ain't good enough for you then take a bus or train.
The TSA should be dissolved so that their "agents" can all go back to their WalMart and Taco Bell jobs. Let the airlines, in cooperation with the FBI, state and local police handle airport security, the way it used to be. If that ain't good enough for you then take a bus or train.
Most TSA "agents" aren't smart enough to spell TSA so it doesn't surprise me that they would never use common sense in any situation.
WHat were they looking for in diapers before anyway?
WTF is wrong with you wackos? I thought this was Foxnews
use some common sense for christsake!
Leave to a Repbulican politician to try and tie this to Obama. I was impressed with his actions until he brought that up. It has nothing to do with Obama. TSA will still act like a**holes well after Obama is out of office. Heaven help the agent who tries a stunt like this on my little girl.
That's why we don't fly unless we have to. if they tried that with my daughter it would have turned out much differently…they are not law enforcement of any type, they are clueless clowns that couldn't find their butt with both hands and a map. a real law enforcement type would use a little thing we call judgement- something most responsible adults have- to determine the 4 year old probably did not need to be treated like a criminal. Need backup? for a 4 year old? yes, it would have been a much different ending.
anymore as far as the united states internal flights, tsa should be non existant, only on international flights should this be done…for my self the air lines, all of them would have to pay me to fly, especially with all this stupidity, where a person not qualified, and is making just over the minimum wage can decide who is and who isn't. boycot the airlines…make them pay you to fly and put up with this crud.
http://www.TheTrueProphetSpeaks.com
I understand they had to re-screen her as it is possible someone could use a child for weapons, but intimidating and frightening a child is not the way to get them to cooperate, as any parent can tell you. If this is their standard way of dealing with children they are complete idiots.
I understand they had to re-screen her as it is possible someone could use a child for weapons, but intimidating and frightening a child is not the way to get them to cooperate, as any parent can tell you. If this is their standard way of dealing with children they are complete idiots.
We should have a no tolerance policy for 4 year olds. Oh yeah they want us to think they are innocent with their booger eating and their accidental poopy pants. We are on to you little devils.
We should have a no tolerance policy for 4 year olds. Oh yeah they want us to think they are innocent with their booger eating and their accidental poopy pants. We are on to you little devils.
granted the TSA sucks rope. but what kind of pussy parent lets a 4 year old kid get manhandled by these goons?
my 10 year old had a thorough pat down in logan airport last june because his 12-year-old brother was on the terror watch list. I wrote to our congressperson to seek an explanation but did not hear anything back. I could not find any way to remove them from the terror watch list, which must have been compiled by very intelligent people. I feel blessed that they are hovering and watching over us.
Makes sense to me… ever since that underwear bomber they are paranoid of anything. They probably figured the grandma was trying to pass along some explosives out of her <a href="http://www.theincontinencestore.com">adult diapers</a> bomb.
This is why i will never go back pn a plane.
This is exactly what happens when you give a minimum wage government union employee a little bit of power and a cheap tin badge. It is only going to get worse.
Is that the same TSA that tested soldiers returning from Iraq or Afghanistan to see if they had bomb residue and got positive results on all of them? Never mind that they were all carrying M-16's and/or M-4's? The TSA has absolutely no commonsense! What a bunch of idiots! TSA=Terrorize Small Americans!
THAT'S IT! I AM NO LONGER ALLOWING MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER TO FLY EVER AGAIN AND ONLY DRIVE WHILE ON VACATION. TSA IS INCOMPETENT, ADUSING IT'S POWER, HAS VERY F****** POOR JUDGEMENT AND HAS NO CONSCIENCE. THE GOV'T IS TO BLAME DUE TO THEIR PARANOIA OF PLANES USED AS MISSLES. I AGREE WITH MAKING PLANES SAFE BUT THEY CROSS THE LINE FAR TOO OFTEN. WE HAVE CONTROL OVER THE TSA BY BOYCONTTING FLYING ALL TOGETHER. IF THEY HAD DONE THAT TO MY 8 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER FISTS WOULD HAVE BEEN FLYING AND I CONNECT WITH 100% ACCURACY! HOPE THE TSA UPPER MANAGEMENT READS THIS COMMENT…..F U.
Hey Craig, if you are so brave why don't you join military as your friend did? In this case you wouldn't terrorize your family with orders to walk to Disneyland instead of flying!
Did you know that you can pay a premium and get pre-screened? look it up. Yes even if you are muslim you can get a pass that allows you to pass through without TSA screening. I don't know all the facts about 911 but I'm fairly certain there were no Americans, 4 year olds with bombs or grandmas in that ordeal but correct me if I'm wrong. There was only one type of person involved in all of that…..wtf are we not profiling? People do it all the time. The police do it. They may not tell you they do….but seriously, do you think they just look for people randomly without regard to race or gender? Are you that simple minded that somehow frisking a 4 year old is fair? You guys post or email me all the links to 4 year old American kids carrying bombs and Ill stop ranting about the absurdity of this story and your backing up TSA and the federal govt for doing this garbage. In fact….post just one.
Two former and two current Transportation Security Administration employees have been arrested and indicted on drug conspiracy charges for allegedly allowing large amounts of cocaine and other drugs to pass through security screening at Los Angeles International Airport last year.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/04/25/tsa-screeners-charged-in-los-angeles-drug-trafficking-probe/?test=latestnews#ixzz1t6IMTJYc.
Ok, one more comment that I feel compelled to make. If you make the assumption that I "passed" something to my granddaughter when she hugged me, then you assume that she knew the precise time to come up and hug me so that I could pass the contraband, weapon, whatever to her. Like a four year old is trained on command to come up and hug me on the chance that I get stopped by security (I had nothing on me that should have set that metal detector off incidentally). Quite a stretch, don't you think?
Lori, you do not have to feel compelled, excuse my language but you know me, fuck the people who doubt a 4yr old beautiful little girl. They have nothing better to do. You were there, you saw the abuse by the @TSAGOV firsthand not some fat shithead trolling online. The actions of the @TSAGOV and these shitheads talking online are the same, disgusting.
This story was just on the news.Ch 5
I can't believe some of the comments people are putting on these!!!
That's why I say shithead trolls.
I agree with you Lori…but unfortunately this was not well thought out by the genius who thought he was a brilliant detective. He is actually a laughing stock by everyone except the TSA. Brave man against a little child…disgraceful. How does a grandma keep her temper in this circumstance??
Susan Britt, very hard not losing my temper and I have done it, trust me. But I prefer, as does my family, to try to use this to make some very necessary changes within the TSA. Thanks for your support
Susan Britt, very hard not losing my temper and I have done it, trust me. But I prefer, as does my family, to try to use this to make some very necessary changes within the TSA. Thanks for your support
Lori Meade Croft Good for you Lori…you Go girl!
Tell me Todd Starnes –did parents of this little girl gave you permission to sell her daughter on Internet or you just stole her picture in that nice dress from their Facebook account, you smart deviant?
Tell me Todd Starnes –did parents of this little girl gave you permission to sell their daughter on Internet or you just stole her picture in that nice dress from their Facebook account, you smart deviant?
If someone tired to pull this crap on my daughter, I would be on a terrorist watch list. Because I would go apeshit!
That's F-ing insane! I'd be in jail for beating TSA ass up and down that airport!
Cops: TSA Screeners at LAX Let Drugs Go Through.
TSA screeners are charged in Los Angeles drug trafficking probe for allegedly letting drugs pass security.
TSA Defends Pat Down of 4-Year-Old in Kansas.
TSA Subjects 7-Year-Old With Cerebral Palsy to Pat Down.
A 7-year-old girl with cerebral palsy was reportedly the subject of aggressive screening by Transportation Security Administration agents on Monday, causing her family to miss their flight, CBSDC.com reported.
Dina Frank was traveling with her family from John F. Kennedy International Airport to Florida. She is unable to pass through airport metal detectors because she walks leg braces and crutches, and instead must go through a pat-down procedure by TSA agents, according to the site.
Dina also has a development disorder, making the procedure frightening if not done with special care.
Her family reportedly asked the agents on duty to introduce themselves to make her more comfortable. But the agents proceeded aggressively, according to the site.
The inspection was especially traumatic for Dina and the family ended up missing their flight.
“They’re harassing people. This is totally misguided policy,” Dina’s father, Dr. Joshua Frank, told The Daily. “Yes, I understand that TSA is in charge of national security and there’s all these threats. [But] for her to be singled out, it’s crazy.”.
that is horrible. we must end this discrimination. Everybody, call your US Senators and demand that sick people must not be touched when they go thru security checkpoints. For your convenience I have compile a list below"
Developmental Disabilities
ADD/ADHD
Asperger Syndrome
Autism
Down syndrome
Dyslexia
Mental Disabilities
Alzheimer's Disease
Anxiety Disorder
Bipolar Disorder
Depression
Dyscalculia
Learning Disabilities
Memory Loss
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Phobia
Acrophobia
Agoraphobia
More in List of Phobias
Schizophrenia
More in Types of Mental Illness – List of Mental Disorders
Physical Disabilities
Visual Impairment
Blindness
Blurred Vision
Cataract
Color Blindness
Hearing Impairment
Hearing Loss
Meniere's Disease
Tinnitus (Ringing In the Ears)
Mobility Impairment
Arthritis
Rheumatoid Arthitis (RA)
Osteoarthritis
Cerebral Palsy
Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
Muscular Dystrophy (MD)
Paralysis
Parkinson's Disease
Stroke
Head Injury
Traumatic Brain Injury
Chronic Illnesses
Asthma
Cancer
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Diabetes
Hypoglycemia
HIV AIDS
Renal Failure
Tuberculosis (TB)
Other Disabilities
Substance Abuse / Addictions
Alcohol Addiction
Drug Addiction