Mar 19, 2012
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The Transportation Security Administration said a viral video that shows a three-year-old child in a wheelchair subjected to a thorough examination occurred almost two years ago — prior to the agency’s modified screening measures for passengers under the age of 12.
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The incident occurred in the spring of 2010 at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. It was filmed by Matt Dubiel, the child’s father. He told Fox News that his family was on their way to Disney World when they were stopped at a security checkpoint. He posted on YouTube over the weekend and has since gone viral.
“I didn’t think I had the footage,” Dubiel told Fox News. “They didn’t want me to record it with our regular camera. They made me put the cameras away but they allowed me to maintain with my iPhone.”
Dubiel said he decided to post the video after he rediscovered the footage over the weekend.
“I watched the video with my 10-year-old and my heart starting beating real fast, I started getting angry – a rash of emotions and then I had to explain to my 10-year-old what was happening and why I allowed it to happen.”
A TSA spokesman released a statement saying incident occurred prior to their modified screening procedures for passengers under the age of 12. The alternative screening measures include allowing children to leave their shoes on, permitting multiple passes through the walk through metal detetor, greater use of explosives trace detection, as well as multiple attempts to capture a clear image during advanced imaging technology screening.
The new measures have ”greatly reduced, though not eliminated, pat-downs of children,” TSA said.
“While recognizing that terrorists are willing to manipulate societal norms to evade detection, our officers continue to work with parents to ensure a respectful screening process for the entire family at the checkpoint,” TSA said in a prepared statement.
The video footage shows the little boy sitting in a wheelchair with a cast on his leg. Dubiel said he was not allowed to touch or come near his son during the search. However, he did videotape most of the search.
“My little boy wanted me to come over to hold his hand and give him a hug,” Dubiel wrote in commentary embedded in the video. “He was trembling with fear.”
“Instead, we had to pretend this was ‘ok’ so he didn’t panic,” he wrote.
He can be heard reassuring his son through the ordeal – which lasted for more than three minutes. At one point, the agent swabbed the wheelchair, the child’s cast, the child’s hands and even made the boy lift up his shirt.
“I was livid at this point,” the father wrote. “I’m asking myself, ‘Why the (explicative deleted) isn’t someone with a brain coming over to waive him through?’ Someone in a position of authority needs to make the obvious decision this child is not a threat – right? You are swabbing a three-year-olds hands for explosives? Seriously? Seriously?”
Dubiel, who is the general manager of radio station WJJG in Illinois, said reaction has been mixed.
“Some people have said I’m a bad parent for allowing that to happen to my child,” he said. “Most people focus on my son and the experience that he was clearly going through. He was physically trembling.”
Dubiel said he did not file a formal complaint with the TSA.
Watch the video below:
FOX News Talk
UGH. my kid would've been crying! what a brave little boy.
People need to chill out. Every one is up in arms because its a three-year-old getting searched, but they wouldn't feel so bad if it was a teenager. And you have to look through the eyes of the security guard, they most likely know that a child wouldn't knowingly strap a bomb to their chest, but their parent could get them too. Children will do anything their parents tell them, so if their father says, "I'm going to put this cast on you, but don't tell anyone that you don't really have a broken leg," they're going to do it! They're not saying that the kid would do it, but the parent would. And if you don't like the rules, don't fly! It is a privilege to fly, not a right. You can take your car, a boat, or a train if you don't like the rules they've set up to screen people for flying. Chill.
I'm really very sorry. I do not know of a concrete incident, but that's what might have to happen in Israel sometimes with folks getting off the planes and the security officers at Ben Gurion Airport at Lod. Even children are highly scrutinized all the time because they are USED BY TERRORISTS to carry explosives for bombings. EVERYONE there is highly scrutinized before you can enter or leave the Nation of Israel because of the terrorists. Even going in and out of department stores, etc. requires using hand-held security wands because of terrorism. It keeps everyone safe! If you've been there, you know what I'm talking about. You may not like this. I am a committed American…but we Americans are very spoiled and are unaware of what goes on in the rest of the world. Maybe some of my Israeli friends could add to this post.
We should just wipe out the whole muslim religion then everyone can then live in PEACE. MUSLIMS ARE THE REASON FOR ALL THESE PROBLEMS IN THE WORLD. GET RID OF THIS CANCER CALLED ISLAM.
First of all this is done very unprofessonal. 2. It is not child appropriate as an adult,;ike father or mother should have been right there with the child. A phsychologist and social services would explain this to TSA right away. This was totally unnessary and when you have someone you should check, they call that.
profiling. Profiling my @%^&! Since Obama we are bending over backwards for Muslims. Not that I have anything against them, they just want special treatment. Children should be treated in a different way to exclude emotional trauma.
The TSA is run by no-brainers. A six month old baby can tell the care-givers from the strangers. Over all those years, the TSA has learned nothing. Its learning curve is dead flat. Its agents behave like a bunch of robots and have to follow the exact, mechanical rules and procedures. They HAVE TO PAT you down even on the NAKED part of your body. What a shame to our county! Why does our government hire such a company and pay it with our tax dollars?
Unless your willing to allow profileing, everyone could be searched and everyone should expect it. We have be listening to this long enough it shouldn't suprise any one.
If we really wanted to stop terrorism its very simple. The whole Western world needs to come up with a Zero Tolerance Policy against Radical Islam. We should start rounding up all the radical Muslims and deport them or put them in a prison labor camps. How stupid is we mess with little white kids and old white ladies diapers when we turn around and allow muslim radicals to stand on the streets of America burn the flag and yell Death To America. You should arrest the radicals on the spot and deport them or jail them. If All Western countries did that we stop alot of the problem. Then stop all muslim immigration. We must all have a mass crackdown on radical Islam.
If we really wanted to stop terrorism its very simple. The whole Western world needs to come up with a Zero Tolerance Policy against Radical Islam. We should start rounding up all the radical Muslims and deport them or put them in a prison labor camps. How stupid is we mess with little white kids and old white ladies diapers when we turn around and allow muslim radicals to stand on the streets of America burn the flag and yell Death To America. You should arrest the radicals on the spot and deport them or jail them. If All Western countries did that we stop alot of the problem. Then stop all muslim immigration. We must all have a mass crackdown on radical Islam.
Imagine career day or bring your parent to show and tell day at the local elementary and little Billy's dad is a TSA agent… all the kids are going to cry and want the creepy handsy guy to leave! Billy will be eating in the cafeteria all alone.
Imagine career day or bring your parent to show and tell day at the local elementary and little Billy's dad is a TSA agent… all the kids are going to cry and want the creepy handsy guy to leave! Billy will be eating in the cafeteria all alone.
Real solution is for all Western countries to round up all radical muslims and get them the F out of the Western world!
You can not overlook a search because he is a white child in a wheelchair. The parents knew the policy before the flight. They are looking for unncecssary attention. If you do not like the policy, you can always drive, you will not have to be patted down.
That was the most horrible thing I've ever seen. He looked terrified and kept trying to be so brave. Poor little boy. I just can't understand this! And no, I don't approve!
I have been flying VW ever since this B.S. started; this will never happen to me or my kids! People have lived without wings for millions of years, and if people simply boycotted flying, things would change pronto. Besides, the planes are mostly old junks anyway; my car is a 2010 and the pilot is experienced and sober, which is more than the airlines can say.
Ha I would turn around; no way would I open my car door.
Its not political, its just wrong! TSA should be trained to look for the obvious. Nothing obvious there but a TSA officer feeling the power of authority.
I agree with a lot of you, but why did they randomly pick a three year old to check? They don't check everyone in a wheel chair like that. If they are going to check , they need to be consistent. You can tell their was nothing with that baby, and the emotional strain him is going to be with him for along time.
I agree with a lot of you, but why did they randomly pick a three year old to check? They don't check everyone in a wheel chair like that. If they are going to check , they need to be consistent. You can tell their was nothing with that baby, and the emotional strain him is going to be with him for along time.
If your going to call him a name, call him the right name: MR.PRESIDENT – COMMANDER IN CHEIF -2012-2016.
If your going to call him a name, call him the right name: MR.PRESIDENT – COMMANDER IN CHEIF -2012-2016.
You are the biggest idiot. He isn't my president and he won't be yours either after Jan., 2013!
Charles, you are such a hater!!! He WILL win the re-election and rather you want to admit it or not, he is YOUR COMMANDER IN CHIEF!!!
Lisa L. Boogie Griffith "he" isn't jack shit to me!
Say what you want, his "ain't jack shit" ass is about to win the election….AGAIN!
Lisa L. Boogie Griffith Why are you "people" always taking photo's of YOURSELVES?
Why do you people always take photos of yourself?
Why do you people always sleep with your daughters and family members?
Lisa L. Boogie Griffith Virgin, 13 year old black girl who can outrun her daddy. IF she knows who he is!
Charles Halliburton is a waste of skin with too much time on his hands… oh, and I do, its you so pay up limp dick!LMAO @ the pasty man! 13? Um, sounds like pedophile tendencies to me!
PUT O BOM US DAUGHTERS THROUGH THIS RIGHT! WHY COULDN'T DAD HOLD HIS HAND? BULL SHIT. LIFT HIS SHIRT? ENOUGH. THIS MAN HAS NO SAY IN OTHER PLACES OF HIS LIFE. ENCHARGE WITH THIS SCARCED TO DEATH CHILD THOUGH. XRAY HIM. IS THIS POSSIBLE? I WOULD HAVE TAKEN MY CHILD OUT OF THIS AIRPORT. CALLED AUTHORITIES, SOMETHING, OH MY GOD. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. I KNOW BOTH CHILD AND DAD WERE VERY UPSET. THIS SOULD BE DONE TO EVERY PERSON THAT LOOKS LIKE TERRORIST DENSENT.
PUT O BOM US DAUGHTERS THROUGH THIS RIGHT! WHY COULDN'T DAD HOLD HIS HAND? BULL SHIT. LIFT HIS SHIRT? ENOUGH. THIS MAN HAS NO SAY IN OTHER PLACES OF HIS LIFE. ENCHARGE WITH THIS SCARCED TO DEATH CHILD THOUGH. XRAY HIM. IS THIS POSSIBLE? I WOULD HAVE TAKEN MY CHILD OUT OF THIS AIRPORT. CALLED AUTHORITIES, SOMETHING, OH MY GOD. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. I KNOW BOTH CHILD AND DAD WERE VERY UPSET. THIS SOULD BE DONE TO EVERY PERSON THAT LOOKS LIKE TERRORIST DENSENT.
Huh… well… ok… some of the things I've been reading in these posts is just hogwash. People like to pick and choose the most interesting battles over security. I can probably figure out that the same people who thinks this incident is just and necessary, are against the vehicle insurance laws, seatbelt laws, prohibited smoking areas, having a small toy in a Happy Meal and many others. Sure some of the other side may complain about some of those, but the difference is that most of them aren't hypocrites and are consistent. Now… I want to know who is going to say with 100% that the security was in the right to do so. And then ask follow up questions like: Is it ok for security to listen in on your phone calls? That some parts in a cellphone has been shown to be able to track you and you are ok with that? Will you be first in line when the government deems it necessary to chip everyone for security? Have to give blood tests and swab inside the genitals to make sure you aren't a carrier of biological weaponry? Their right to tell you how many children you can have or even if you can have children when they look at your past history, gene results, IQ and so on? Can you be dictated on what career you will have to do for certain reasons by powers higher than you? Will you sign your name to a petition against public flatulence? Some may start to say that what I'm asking is extreme and may go against common sense. Some will happen. But overall, will probably say that I'm going overboard and shouldn't be necessary… really… go say that to that kid who is a product of going overboard, not necessary and they should have used common sense. Grow up.
The TSA is not security. They belong to the airline safety promotion department convincing people they're safe so they'll fly. We call it security theater.
You are NOT a bad parent for allowing this to happen. It would have been a disaster for you & your family if you gave the TSA any trouble. I think you did an excellent job maintaning your composure and reassuring your young son. I believe the TSA agent was professional, but the search seemed a little excessive. After the initial screening, was there any reason to believe such an extensive screening should take place? Mom or Dad should have been able to remain at the child's side & hold his hand. I would have been livid too.
I did not see the guy do anything inappropriate. They are just doing their jobs. My son has an implanted defibbrillator. We have flown teice since he got it. He can not go threw the metal detectors so he is subject to a pat down. He was less than a year old the first time so my husband held him and they did what they had to do. Because of having to go around the metal detectors, my husband himself had to go through a pat down. My kids had sippy cups of milk that had to be tested. What is the big deal? It is for everyones safety. This video above is 3 minutes long. It isn't like they made him do a strip search and held him for questioning for 30 minutes. It is only a cast…. If the father had such an issue with this, why didn't he pick him up and carry him through the metal detectors while they just examined the wheel chair? I carried my other son though them so I know it is allowed. People need to stop making issues over NON-issues.
America has no PRIDE and too many COWARDS!
No no….. there has been a covert group of 3 year old kids in wheelchairs discovered in Iran plotting to take over the world. Whats even more amazing is their ability to disguise themselves as being of norrthern European decent. Thanks god the TSA is on it! More ruled books is what we need! Common sence kills!
I think it's possible the TSA agent was just trying to make the kid feel "involved". The other day the highway cop made my son hold a finger to his nose and walk a straight line. Neither one of us passed that one.
Michael L Roberts You are an IDIOT! But, what else could we expect out of new jersey?
I hate to say this but my dad told me that when he was in Viet Nam (twice) how many children were used to blow up the Americans……children had bombs strapped on them and a solider would feel sorry for a kid wandering around and would pick them up and…………unfortunately we know what happened…..so…..as bad as this is for the kids and parents….make sure your child understands what could happen at an airport…….and especially if your child is medically disabled just blow them kisses from where you are and let them know it's okay……….
Good for them! We wouldn't want to offend the religion of peace by just singling out those who appear to be from the Middle East. Way to go! What a great way to show that we are a tolerant and fair society who doesn't want to hurt the wrong person's feelings.
I don't care who you are. Anyone that wants to do harm to the US would not think twice about sacrificing their child, grandparent, infant etc…EVERYONE needs to be searched. Don't forget they know they will be greatly rewarded for doing so.
I don't care who you are. Anyone that wants to do harm to the US would not think twice about sacrificing their child, grandparent, infant etc…EVERYONE needs to be searched. Don't forget they know they will be greatly rewarded for doing so.
The TSA is maily made up of bullies and cowards. These people were probably the ones in school that picked on other kids weaker than themselves, but scurried like rats when someone stood up to them. they liked to be bossy and obnoxious and told the other kids what to do. if they graduated from high school, it is usually witt the lowest grades possible.
Now they lucked into a government job with plenty of unchecked authority. If the father of this boy tried to defend his son from that child molester, he would wind up in federal prision and the cretins with the TSA know that. So they throw their weight around and bully and terrorize people who have done something with their lives.
Ypu are an IDIOT!
When traveling one year with my children they took my son's nerf gun that shoots foam darts. They wouldn't even let us put it in the bags that go under the plane. The TSA agent swiped out of my kids hand. You know what they do with all of the stuff they steal from people at the airport? Since it's so unsafe it sits in big boxes near the security lines and then is passed out to all of the people that work at the airport. There was even a kid who dying of cancer who's last wish was to go to Disney World. They poor kid got a toy plastic sword while he was at Disney World. The TSA lowlifes took the sword from him and said he wasn't allowed to take it on the airplane. Come on! Your not telling me the TSA goes a little over board? If the TSA was a private organization then I could understand some people sticking up for them and some not. How can we take the TSA seriously when they are a useless government organization headed by Janet Big Sis Napolitano? Get real people! Wake up Sheep.
If we weren't such a nation of weaklings and so worried about hurting people's feelings we wouldn't need a TSA government ran organization at our airports. If half the country wasn't on some form of drugs, whether they are prescription or illegal we wouldn't have a nation full of weak paranoid people. Do you really think there would have been a TSA in your grandpa's time? No there wouldn't have been because our grandparents and generations before us would have bombed the Middle East into submission and took out every single one of their mosques instead of trying make those Islamic psychos our friends.
What idiots.
Is that a photo of you or your child?
Charles Halliburton Your mother.
Charles Halliburton Your mother.
Cheryl Lundgren Not a very good come back, but I like it.
Charles Halliburton Thank you Charles. Actually what I like about the picture is that it perfectly expressed how I feel about most of these remarks and articles. LOL
You can't blame Obama for this. This is a remnant of the Bush administration. Do you not remember how afraid you were when those planes flew through those towers? You were the ones whose fear allowed the Patriot act and these airport screening laws to be put into affect earlier in the decade. But now that you feel safe in your own country (thanks in part to this president) you cry foul when those same security measures are put into affect at an airport. Let us not forget that Osama Bin Laden was still alive at the time this video was taken, so the threat against national security was still a very real thing in the nations mind.
It is still very real, STUPID!
We are all over reacting because the government down thru the years have frightened us into believing anyone could be a terrorist since timothy mcveigh was an american but in reality 99.99% of the terroists are from the middle east mainly saudi arabia. Its like letting the germans and japs in our country while world war 2 was going on.Thank God we had real leaders back then otherwise if they were like the panty waist that are running this country today we still would be fighting the japs and germans. Searching this 3 year old boy while millions crossed our borders illegally makes sense to this government.
Their goal wasn't to knock two buildings in New York down. It was to kill the founding spirit of our country. Terrorists 1, USA 0.
Very sad.
Do not worry comrade it will only take a minuet so search you. Heil, mein Führer.
If I had kids and this happened, I would be going off! I would be absolutely livid! "Don't you dare touch my child!" That's what I'd say. Oh my god. Children are not capable of creating explosives. Are you serious? If it was my kid in that situation I'd be telling them all this. "My child is in no way a threat to national security. If you think for even ONE SECOND that we would hide weapons or explosives on our children, then you are SORELY mistaken. If it is our family that you do not trust, take me and my husband, leave our child/ren alone."
And you would be in jail and your kids would be tempoary wards of the state!
great job tsa . I will sleep better knowing you're checking on 3 year old crippled white boys . terrorists around the world are having a good laugh .
You're an idiot!
great job tsa . I will sleep better knowing you're checking on 3 year old crippled white boys . terrorists around the world are having a good laugh .
Wish these comments had a "Thumbs Down" button. For the most of them don't sound all that intelligent.
Amen Hubert!
The reason that the airport in Israel does not have any incidences happen, is the use of intelligence on who they check. This video is an example of the unintelligent violating a citizen's rights, and outrageous. Everyone should be writing their local representative and state senators using this as an outrageous act.
You're an idiot!
Wow! Terrorist children in wheelchairs..give a f*ing break. They are only doing this s*t to put fear into us, so that we can be manupulated. It's all about control!
You're an idiot!
What part of everyone must be searched don't you understand. Your son wasnt hurt.
What part of everyone must be searched don't you understand. Your son wasnt hurt.
Don't like the rules, take the bus!
Don't like the rules, take the bus!
I think it's all for safety reasons. We can never be too safe, I mean what if some guy had smuggled something with this boy and it went thru okay and then went off in the plane. Then people would be upset that he wasnt searched enough. It's all done to protect our safety.