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Breaking News => World News - Current Events => Topic started by: zorgon on July 09, 2013, 04:37:43 pm

Title: TSA - When will we put a stop to this?
Post by: zorgon on July 09, 2013, 04:37:43 pm
TSA - When will we put a stop to this?

Discussion Thread Here (http://www.thelivingmoon.com/forum/index.php?topic=4786.msg64618#msg64618)

Posted a lot about this back at ATS and Open Minds but never got a round to it here. But today I saw one News article that just got me dander up and so I will start with this article and then use google term "TSA AGENT ARRESTED" as a source

Just doing their job? Really?  Every group had bad apples but with these guys, seems the whole bushel is rotten

At least these stories are covered by main stream media so I don't have to worry that they are some made up BS to stir fear. These are the real actions of those that have yet to catch ONE terrorist.

So lets start with this Marine coming home....

Marine says he was hassled by TSA, security guards over wounds, medals

(http://blu.stb.s-msn.com/i/79/4C791B2F363629CCBE3DB0EB14AD1_h316_w628_m5_cVEvwuWYJ.jpg)

Quote
5 hrs ago
Retired Marine Cpl. Nathan Kemnitz was severely injured in 2004 in a roadside bomb attack. So when he was asked to remove his dress blues "because he was wearing too much metal" at the California State Capitol building, or asked to raise his arms above his head by the TSA at Sacramento International Airport, he couldn't. At the capitol building, this turned into a heated exchange between Kemnitz and security officers. "What does a uniform and heroism represent if our citizens — in this case employees of the TSA and security personnel — have no regard for them?" Kemnitz's escort, Patricia Martin, wrote to Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki after the incidents. Good question

(http://stc-now.s-msn.com/sc/i/89/a721cbc9ba1324a6ed63c867248ba9.gif) (http://now.msn.com/cpl-nathan-kemnitz-wounded-decorated-marine-hassled-by-security-and-tsa)

Decorated, wounded Marine treated 'shamefully' by security screeners

(http://cmsimg.militarytimes.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=M6&Date=20130705&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=307050026&Ref=AR&MaxW=640&Border=0&Decorated-wounded-Marine-treated-shamefully-by-security-screeners)

Quote
Wearing the uniform of the Few and Proud doesn’t rate preferential treatment from the Transportation Security Administration or California capitol security officers, retired Marine Cpl. Nathan Kemnitz recently found.

Kemnitz, severely injured in 2004 in a roadside bomb attack in Fallujah, has limited use of his right arm and cannot lift it above his head. So when security guards at the state capitol building in Sacramento, Calif., asked him to remove his dress blue blouse “because he was wearing too much metal,” and TSA asked him to raise his arms above his head for the full-body scanner at Sacramento International Airport, he could not comply.

“My right arm doesn’t work. It’s a lot of hassle for me to do that,” Kemntiz said.

At the state capitol, the Marine’s refusal to remove his uniform top grew into a heated exchange between Kemnitz, a friend who was accompanying him and security officers.

At the airport, bystanders stared as the TSA security screener looked under Kemnitz’s medals, ran his hands under the Marine’s waistband and swabbed his shoes for explosives.

“What does a uniform and heroism represent if our own citizens — in this case employees of the TSA and security personnel — have no regard for them?” wrote Kemnitz’s escort, Patricia Martin, to Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki following the incidents.

Martin took photos and disseminated them to family, friends and members of the media.

“I feel so strongly that you need to know just how shamefully even a Purple Heart recipient/disabled veteran can be treated by some TSA and security employees,” she said.

Kemnitz said after the incidents that he was not as annoyed with TSA officers as he was with a security screener at the California state capitol, whom he described as rude and unapologetic.

Kemnitz was visiting the building to be honored as his legislative district’s veteran of the year.

“At some places I’m treated like royalty and at some like a terrorist. There’s got to be something in the middle,” he said.

The incident was not the first to spark similar outrage. In January, NBC journalist Luke Russert tweeted his irritation at an enhanced security screening at Reagan National Airport of a troop wearing a prosthetic.

“Making Wounded Warriors with prosthetic legs go through extra explosives screening. #fail,” Russert wrote.

In March, bystanders notified Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., about what they perceived to be maltreatment of a double amputee by TSA screeners at Phoenix’s Sky Harbor Airport.

Concurrent with that incident, TSA announced it had changed its rules to eliminate a requirement that injured troops remove their shoes, jackets or hats. But to receive the expedited service, TSA asks affected personnel to call the agency’s Military Severely Injured Joint Service Operations Center before traveling.

TSA also offers escorted “curb-to-gate service” for injured or ill personnel who request it as well as the TSA Pre program to service members with a military common access card at four airports: Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, and Washington Dulles International Airport.

The Senate Sergeant-At-Arms is responsible for security screenings at the California capitol building. No one was available Friday to speak with the media regarding the incident.

http://www.militarytimes.com/article/20130705/NEWS/307050026/Decorated-wounded-Marine-treated-shamefully-by-security-screeners
Title: Re: TSA - When will we put a stop to this?
Post by: zorgon on July 09, 2013, 04:45:56 pm
Jun 7, 2013
TSA agent arrested over cocaine


Quote
CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. (WIVB) - A TSA agent at the Buffalo Niagara Airport is facing felony drug charges.

Authorities say 29-year-old Todd Stoddard was arrested Thursday night after a traffic stop on Vicksburg Avenue in the Town of Tonawanda. Sheriff Tim Howard says Stoddard was found with 20 grams of cocaine.

"This happened to be a person in a very trusted employment," Sheriff Howard said.

Stoddard, who's worked as an airport security officer for about two years, has been under investigation for a month. Authorities had him under surveillance, even during his work shift at the airport.

But Sheriff Howard says authorities do not believe Stoddard used his TSA position in connection with any suspected drug activity.

"The investigation maybe went on a little bit longer as an added opportunity to watch this individual, to make sure no such activity was taking place at the airport, and we're all very comfortable to say that there was none," Sheriff Howard said.

http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/crime/tsa-agent-arrested-over-cocaine

So they let him work for a month... nice :P

[youtube]umKFY6ijc3o[/youtube]
Title: Re: TSA - When will we put a stop to this?
Post by: zorgon on July 09, 2013, 04:49:28 pm
Dec. 6, 2012
Another TSA Agent Accused of iPad Theft


 International News  |  Entertainment  |  Politics

Quote
By RANDY KREIDER and MEGAN CHUCHMACH (@megcourtney)
Dec. 6, 2012
A TSA agent was arrested this week and charged with stealing from passengers traveling through New York's John F. Kennedy Airport, adding to the long list of TSA officers accused of theft of passenger belongings.

TSA baggage screener Sean Henry, 32, was arrested on Tuesday after a sting operation conducted jointly by the TSA and the Port Authority Police Department caught Henry leaving the airport with two iPads that had been planted as part of the sting, as well as numerous other electronics devices he had allegedly stolen from passengers. Just as in a recent ABC News investigation of thefts by TSA agents, the sting used the iPads' own tracking capabilities to follow the stolen tablets' movements.

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/tsa-agent-accused-ipad-theft/story?id=17892885#.UdyhQDvUnjI
Title: Re: TSA - When will we put a stop to this?
Post by: zorgon on July 09, 2013, 05:11:04 pm
ebruary 08, 2013
TSA sued for $5 million after arresting man over peanut butter jar


(http://rt.com/files/usa/news/tsa-peanut-butter-jar-783/passangers-los-security-transportation.si.jpg)
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents screen passangers at Los Angeles International Airport (AFP Photo / Kevork Djansezian)

Quote
After being hauled away from New York’s LaGuardia Airport for making a wisecrack about his jar of peanut butter, an Arizona man is suing a TSA agent and a Port Authority cop for $5 million.

Frank Hannibal, 50, is seeking millions of dollars according to a recently filed lawsuit that has been uncovered by the New York Daily Mail. In the complaint, Hannibal recalls a failed attempt to pass through a Transportation Security Administration checkpoint with a jar of gourmet peanut butter. By the time the incident was over, he says he spent over 24 hours in a jail cell.

“It sounds laughable now but at the time to be led out of there like a terrorist was unbelievable,” Hannibal tells the Daily News. “My whole life was up in the air. It was a nightmare. My children were overwhelmed. It was crazy.”

Hannibal’s troubles began when a TSA agent questioned him about his jar of “Crazy Richard’s Natural Peanut Butter,” a spread sold at supermarkets across the country and marketed by Ohio’s Krema Products Company. Speaking to the paper, Hannibal says the TSA agent appeared confused by the natural separation of oil inside the jar of peanut butter, which retails typically at around $7 a pop.

“The liquid oil that separated from the peanut butter had them baffled,” he says.

But instead of ditching the food or explaining the science behind preservation, Hannibal admits to cracking a joke when an agent analyzed the jar.

“They’re looking to confiscate my explosives,” Hannibal sarcastically told his wife and twin 6-year-old daughters, according to court papers obtained by the Daily News. But although the comment wasn’t met for anyone other than his family, Hannibal says it garnered the attention of a nearby agent.

Moments later, Hannibal was cuffed and on his way to a holding cell. There he spent 25 hours in lockup where he was offered, you guessed it—a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

“The jelly looked like pus, the peanut butter like God knows what and the bread was hard as a rock," Hannibal tells the paper.

Hopefully soon, however, Hannibal’s days of jailcell sandwiches are behind him. He is suing the TSA worker who didn’t get his joke and the Port Authority officer who arrested him for $5 million.

“It’s a sorry state of affairs in this country when sarcasm is considered a felony,” his attorney, Alan D. Levine of Queens, tells the paper.

Federal law mandates that the TSA impose a 3.2 ounce limit on “gels” during air travel.

Russia Today (http://rt.com/usa/tsa-peanut-butter-jar-783/)

3.2 ounce limit on “gels”?  Nitro Glycerine is a Gel  I wonder how much damage three ounces of that would do?
Title: Re: TSA - When will we put a stop to this?
Post by: zorgon on July 09, 2013, 05:13:53 pm
FEBRUARY 16, 2011
Two TSA agents arrested at JFK Airport for stealing $39K from passenger's bag


(http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.138212.1313984108!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/alg-tsa-arrest-jpg.jpg)
Port Authority police arrested to TSA employees for allegedly stealing about $160,000 worth of property from plane passengers over a period of time.

Quote
Two TSA officers were busted Wednesday for stealing $40,000 from a bag at Kennedy Airport they thought belonged to a drug dealer, a law enforcement source said.
Under questioning, the pair also admitted swiping up to $160,000 from other unsuspecting passengers.

Rogue agents Davon Webb, 30, and Persad Coumar, 36, were busted after a sharp-eyed colleague blew the whistle.

They were charged with grand larceny, possession of stolen property, conspiracy and official misconduct. Each was held in lieu of $15,000 bail after their arraignment Wednesday night.
"TSA has a zero tolerance policy for theft in the workplace," the Transportation Security Administration said.

"The disgraceful actions of a few should not reflect negatively on the ... 50,000 TSA officers across the country who work each day to keep the traveling public safe."y

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/tsa-agents-arrested-jfk-airport-stealing-39k-passenger-bag-article-1.138211
Title: Re: TSA - When will we put a stop to this?
Post by: zorgon on July 09, 2013, 05:16:22 pm
FEBRUARY 15, 2011
TSA agent Michael Arato admits to stealing from passengers during security checks, taking bribes


(http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.132422.1313981755!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/alg-tsa-jpg.jpg)
Michael Arato, a TSA agent at Newark airport, pleaded guilty to stealing from passengers and accepting kickbacks from a subordinate who did the same.

Quote
A Transportation Security Administration officer pleaded guilty to stealing thousands of dollars in cash and other valuables from unsuspecting travelers, mostly non-English speakers, during security screenings at Newark airport.

Michael Arato, 41, also admitted on Monday to taking kickbacks from a subordinate officer, who stole between $10,000 and $30,000 over the course of a year while Arato agreed to look the other way.

The crooked TSA supervisor was busted last fall after the subordinate, who was not named, worked with authorities to videotape him taking his cut during a three-week period, from Sept. 13 to Oct. 5, authorities said.

Arato also admitted stealing from passengers at his own checkpoint at Newark airport's Terminal B.
Prosecutors said the two agents often targeted foreigners and subjected them to additional screening, during which time they would pocket cash found in their carry-on bags.

According to prosecutor Paul Fishman, the supervisor pocketed between $400 and $700 from passengers on a given shift. He also accepted about $3,100 in bribes during the three-week period he was being observed.

The two agents often stashed stolen cash in the drawers of x-ray machines at the checkpoints or hid it the lost and found before retrieving it later, prosecutors said.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/tsa-agent-michael-arato-admits-stealing-passengers-security-checks-bribes-article-1.136272
Title: Re: TSA - When will we put a stop to this?
Post by: zorgon on July 09, 2013, 05:19:28 pm
Oct 31, 2012
TSA Agent arrested for rape


Quote
CLEVELAND, OH (WOIO) -
A rape warrant was issued for the arrest of Paul Magnuson.

The warrant was issued following a joint investigation by the Cleveland Division of Police Sex Crimes Unit and the Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General.

Magnuson, a Transportation Security Agent, is accused of raping a northeast Ohio boy he had been mentoring as a big brother.

The 44-year old was a mentor with the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Greater Cleveland when the assault allegedly took place.  According to the police report, the victim used to sleep over Magnuson's house last year.  And during that time Magnuson sexually assaulted the victim as many as four times.

Magnuson had gone to work for the TSA in Germany.

He was arrested in New Jersey and is currently awaiting extradition to Cleveland.

http://www.19actionnews.com/story/19967377/this-just-in-tsa-agent-charged-with-rape
Title: Re: TSA - When will we put a stop to this?
Post by: zorgon on July 09, 2013, 05:24:39 pm
(http://tsa-watch.com/wp-content/gallery/tsa-cartoon-gallery/texas-tsa.jpg)
Title: Re: TSA - When will we put a stop to this?
Post by: zorgon on July 09, 2013, 05:31:43 pm
September 12, 2012
Former TSA Agent Pleads Guilty To Accepting Bribes In Pot Smuggling Scheme


Quote
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A former TSA agent pleaded guilty Wednesday to accepting bribes from pot smugglers to get them through Los Angeles International Airport security undetected, authorities reported.

Randy Littlefield, 29, pleaded to a federal conspiracy charge for his part in the plot, which involved another Transportation Security Administration agent. Both TSA agents, and the three pot couriers involved have pleaded guilty in connection with the crime.

In court papers, the Paramount resident acknowledged accepting $200, on two occasions, from fellow TSA agent Dianna Perez when she needed help clearing luggage filled with marijuana through LAX security.

CBS Los Angeles (http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2012/09/12/former-tsa-agent-pleads-guilty-to-accepting-bribes-in-pot-smuggling-scheme/)
Title: Re: TSA - When will we put a stop to this?
Post by: zorgon on July 09, 2013, 05:37:21 pm
More comedy relief  sort of...

Massive Man Meat Alarms TSA Agents
April 16th, 2013


(http://tsa-watch.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/jonah-falcon-300x257.jpg)

Quote
Note: This story is a year old, but it is so funny that I posted it anyway.
Apparently there is such a thing as too much of a good thing.

Last July, a man reported to have the world’s largest penis was flagged as a potential security threat by TSA agents at San Francisco International Airport.

Jonah Falcon, who has been the subject of an HBO feature documentary about his uniquely large member, raised concerns (and more than a few eyebrows) after a TSA agent noticed an abnormally large bulge in his pants.

“I had my ‘stuff’ strapped to the left. I wasn’t erect at the time,” Falcon explained. “One of the guards asked if my pockets were empty and I said, ‘Yes.’”

The security screening got a lot more hands-on and personal as he was subjected to a full body scan, metal detector, carefully conducted pat-down, and chemical tests to determine whether or not his pants contained any dangerous explosives (snicker).

After determining that Falcon’s penis – which is 9 inches flaccid and 13.5 inches erect – posed no immediate threat, he was permitted to pass through security and was able to board his flight on time.

http://tsa-watch.com/tsa-blog/tsa-agents-humiliate-passengers/massive-man-meat-alarms-tsa-agents/#more-440
Title: Re: TSA - When will we put a stop to this?
Post by: zorgon on July 09, 2013, 05:42:56 pm
8 Tips to Keep the TSA from Stealing Your Stuff

(http://tsa-watch.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/tsa-protect-your-stuff.jpg)

Quote
Long security lines, ever changing rules about what is and is not allowed, manhandling pat-downs… Thanks to the TSA, air travel is unpleasant enough as it is and now we have to worry about TSA agents stealing from us? And there’s no way to NOT have them go through your luggage.They go through your checked baggage and rifle through your carry-on. You have no choice but to submit to this if you want to be able to board your flight.

So what is a law abiding air traveler to do in order to protect his or her belongings from the very people who claim to be keeping us safe?

Fortunately there are some steps you can take to secure your belongings and minimize the likelihood of someone – including TSA agents – stealing your stuff.

Here’s how.
Tips to Keep Thieves (Including the TSA) from Stealing Your Stuff


Don’t pack anything valuable in your checked luggage. This includes jewelry, cash, electronics, medication, etc…

Know what you are bringing with you. Make a list of everything you pack and note where you packed it. If you can, photograph any valuables that you are bringing with you.

Use the buddy system! If you’re traveling with someone, stagger yourselves in the security check line so that there are a couple of other passengers between you. That way your buddy can keep an eye on your stuff as you receive your groping pat-down and vice versa.

Skip the bins. Having your jewelry, watch, purse, wallet, keys, etc… out in the open while you are occupied with your pat-down is an open invitation to thieves. Stow those items in your carry-on before you get in the security check line.

Lock  your bags with TSA-approved luggage locks or locking straps. This won’t do anything to keep sticky fingered TSA agents from stealing your stuff, but it will help to deter other thieves by making your luggage more difficult to access.

Use colorful baggage. Thieves want to get your stuff and get away as unobtrusively as possible. They won’t want to be toting that pink and purple flowered dufflebag through the airport.

Double check your carry-on. Once you are done with your screening, check your carry-on to make sure that everything you had in there before the screening is still there.

De-plane quickly and skip the potty break. Getting to baggage claim quickly means that you’ll be there when your luggage rolls off the belt and thieves won’t have the opportunity to swipe your bags while you aren’t looking.

So there you have it. At least now you’ll arrive at your destination with your belongings, if not your dignity and personal space, intact.

Sources: Fox News (photo credit)

http://tsa-watch.com/tsa-blog/tsa-agents-steal-from-passengers/8-tips-to-keep-the-tsa-from-stealing-your-stuff/#more-389
Title: Re: TSA - When will we put a stop to this?
Post by: zorgon on July 09, 2013, 05:46:19 pm
Top 20 Airports for TSA Theft

Quote
We all hear the news reports – laptops, tablets, jewelry, cash, and more… stolen from passengers by sticky-fingered TSA agents. Thefts became such a problem that even the TSA had to step up to the plate and take action.

In recent years, the TSA has fired over 400 agents for allegedly stealing from passengers in our nation’s airports.

Thanks to ABC News and a Freedom of Information Act request, the TSA is releasing the names of the airports where those employees worked. Predictably, many of our nation’s busiest airports also rank at the top of the list for the number of TSA agents fired for theft.

Interestingly, however, the number one airport for TSA theft firings only ranks twelfth in number of passengers. Miami International Airport (MIA) tops our list with 29 TSA agents fired for theft between 2002 and 2011.
Now, without further ado…

Top 20 U.S. Airports for TSA Agent Firings for Theft

Miami International Airport (29 TSA agents fired)
JFK International Airport (27 TSA agents fired)
Los Angeles International Airport (24 TSA agents fired)
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (17 TSA agents fired)
Las Vegas-McCarren International Airport (15 TSA agents fired)
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (14 TSA agents fired)
New York-Laguardia Airport (14 TSA agents fired)
Newark Liberty (12 TSA agents fired)
Philadelphia International (12 TSA agents fired)
Seattle-Tacoma International (12 TSA agents fired)
Orlando International Airport (11 TSA agents fired)
Houston-George Bush Intercontinental Airport (10 TSA agents fired)
Salt Lake City International Airport (10 TSA agents fired)
Washington Dulles International Airport (9 TSA agents fired)
Detroit Metro Airport (7 TSA agents fired)
>Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (7 TSA agents fired)
Boston-Logan International Airport (6 TSA agents fired)
Denver International Airport (6 TSA agents fired)
San Diego International Airport (6 TSA agents fired)
Chicago O’Hare International Airport (5 TSA agents fired)

Was your local airport on the list?

Sources:
ABC News (video credit)
Bloomberg (photo credit)

http://tsa-watch.com/tsa-blog/tsa-agents-steal-from-passengers/top-20-airports-for-tsa-theft/#more-378
Title: Re: TSA - When will we put a stop to this?
Post by: zorgon on July 09, 2013, 05:52:05 pm
Everyday Products Triggers False Positive for Explosives at TSA Checkpoint

(http://tsa-watch.com/wp-content/gallery/tsa-cartoon-gallery/tsa-logic-19763.jpg)

Quote
You’re gonna love this. It turns out that two products that most of us use multiple times a day can trigger a false positive result for explosives during a TSA screening.
The culprits? Soap and lotion. Don’t believe me? A few days after the Boston bombings, Linda, an Oklahoma native, was flying out of Port Columbus International Airport (CMH) in Ohio when she was randomly chosen for a hand swab at a security checkpoint.

The TSA agent swabbed her hand and promptly informed her that she had tested positive for explosives, specifically nitrates.

The poor woman was naturally befuddled and racked her brain to think of everything she had touched that day.

“I was shocked. I don’t know how that happened. The only thing that went through my mind was, ‘What did I do? What did I touch?’ because I had been at work all morning,” Linda said.

She recalled washing her hands at work that morning and then used some lotion that was sitting on the counter. When she accidentally used too much, she slathered it on all the way up to her elbows.

Linda was eventually cleared after an extremely thorough pat-down of her entire person by TSA agents.

So what did cause the false positive?

It turns out that glycerin, the ingredient in some soaps and lotions that helps keep your skin soft and smooth, is also a common ingredient in explosives.

Soaps and lotions aren’t the only things that can cause a false positive in the TSA’s swab test for explosives either. Some heart medications containing nitroglycerin can also trigger a false positive, as can lawn fertilizer.

The moral of the story? Don’t wash your hands after using the bathroom at the airport and be sure to give the TSA agent a hearty handshake after your complimentary grope as a thank you for a job well done.

Or…you could just double check to make sure that the soap that you use doesn’t contain glycerin. Your choice.

Sources:
News On 6 (photo and video credit)

http://tsa-watch.com/tsa-blog/other-tsa-news/everyday-products-triggers-false-positive-for-explosives-at-tsa-checkpoint/#more-455
Title: Re: TSA - When will we put a stop to this?
Post by: zorgon on July 09, 2013, 06:00:05 pm
March 19, 2013
TSA agents 'humiliated' wounded Marine with aggressive inspection: report


(http://media.washtimes.com/media/image/2010/11/24/travel_996_s640x425.jpg?4f89440dae49ec0ff2f7f059f4a022dba0d6b13a)
Photo by: Craig Lassig
** FILE ** Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer pats down a traveler as he works his way through security at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport in Bloomington, Minn. (AP Photo/Craig Lassig)



Quote
Transportation Security Administration inspectors forced a wounded Marine who lost both of his legs in an IED blast and who was in a wheelchair to remove his prosthetic legs at one point, and at another point to stand painfully on his legs while his wheelchair was examined, according to a complaint a congressman has registered with the TSA.

Rep. Duncan Hunter said in his letter Monday that the Marine, who is still on active duty and showed TSA agents his military identification, was still forced to undergo that scrutiny.

“A TSA office asked the Marine to stand and walk to an alternate area, despite the fact that he physically could not stand or walk on his own. With numerous TSA officers sitting and unwilling to assist, an officer then made him remove his legs, then put them back on, only to advance to a secondary screening location where he was asked again to stand, with extraordinary difficult, while his wheelchair was examined for explosives,” Mr. Hunter said.

He also said TSA officers initially directed the Marine to the wrong line, then made him move lines but made no effort to help him. The incident occurred at Phoenix’s Sky Harbor airport last week, as a group of Marines was returning to San Diego.

Mr. Hunter included two photos of the inspection in his letter that appear to show a TSA agent patting down the Marine’s arm and examining the prosthetic leg.

The congressman asked TSA to detail its procedures to inspecting wounded U.S. troops at airports, and to consider whether agents should show “situational awareness.”

The Washington Times (http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog/inside-politics/2013/mar/19/tsa-agents-humiliated-wounded-marine-aggressive-in/)
Title: Re: TSA - When will we put a stop to this?
Post by: zorgon on July 09, 2013, 06:00:54 pm
(http://tsa-watch.com/wp-content/gallery/tsa-cartoon-gallery/highres_20144368.jpg)
Title: Re: TSA - When will we put a stop to this?
Post by: zorgon on July 09, 2013, 06:04:28 pm
TSA Fails at Security, TSA Follies

Talking About a Deli Sandwich at the Airport? That’s a Detaining
April 16th, 2013


(http://tsa-watch.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/tsa-bomb-300x211.jpg)

Quote
29-year old Jason Michael Cruz has learned the hard way to watch what you say in airports.

Cruz was at New York’s JFK Airport last Thursday, waiting to board a flight to Los Angeles when a TSA agent overheard him on the escalator,  talking to a friend and saying that he “had the wrong kind of bomb”.

Concerned, the TSA agent reported the conversation to her supervisor, Robert Haddock, who then sent officers to the security checkpoint to question the pair. The officers brought Cruz and his friend, identified as Matthew Okumoto, to a holding area. Both men were detailed and questioned until airport police officers arrived.

Cruz explained to TSA and police officers that he had been talking about a sandwich called The Bomb – a 12-inch sandwich available from a local Astoria deli that is packed with cold cuts, cheese, and toppings – that he planned to bring aboard his flight.

The TSA agent who reported the bomb comment admitted that she had only heard a snippet of the conversation and the two men were released.

No charges were filed, but unfortunately for Cruz, the questioning and detaining forced him to miss his flight.

Source:
Fox News
Sal, Kris and Charlie’s Deli (photo credit)

http://tsa-watch.com/tsa-blog/tsa-fails-at-security/talking-about-a-deli-sandwich-at-the-airport-thats-a-detaining/#more-434
Title: Re: TSA - When will we put a stop to this?
Post by: zorgon on July 09, 2013, 06:07:56 pm
April 5th, 2013
TSA Security FAIL
Undercover TSA Agent Sneaks Fake Bomb Past Newark Airport Security


(http://tsa-watch.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/tsa-red-team-150x150.jpg)

Quote
You will be relieved to know that while TSA agents are diligently protecting our airports from the dangers of toothpaste and peanut butter, an undercover TSA agent managed to sneak a fake bomb, hidden in his pants, past security screeners at New Jersey’s Newark Airport on February 25th.

The undercover agent was a member of the TSA’s “Red Team”, a four man special operations team of agents who pose as ticketed passengers in order to test airport security.

The kicker here is that the undercover TSA agent was able to get past not one, but TWO security checks without the bomb being detected. The first security check was the magnetometer in Terminal B and the second check was a pat-down. That’s right. Even with a TSA agent groping his junk, the bomb went undetected.

I can only imagine how that bit of conversation went down:
Screener: “Is that a bomb in your pants or are you just glad to see me?

Agent: “I’m just glad to see you, sir.”

Screener: (awkward pause) “Er…yeah…carry on. And have a nice day.”

I know what you’re thinking. “But you said there were four of them!” So I did. Four undercover TSA agents tried four different methods of sneaking a fake bomb on board a flight. Of those four, only one was caught by screeners. They found the fake bomb in a rather obvious looking doll with wires sticking out of it.

Sources:
NJ.com
Fox News (video credit)

http://tsa-watch.com/tsa-blog/tsa-fails-at-security/
Title: Re: TSA - When will we put a stop to this?
Post by: zorgon on July 09, 2013, 06:17:44 pm
TSA Agent Terrorizes 3-Year Old in Wheelchair

[youtube]3oPloe08a3Q[/youtube]

Quote
Every time I say “Just when I thought the TSA couldn’t stoop any lower”, the TSA goes and does something that proves that yes, they absolutely *can* stoop lower.
On February 9, Nathan Forck and his wife Annie, along with their three children, were at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport on their way to Orlando for a family vacation to Disney World. The Forcks’ three-year old daughter, Lucy, has spinal bifida and is confined to a wheelchair.

They got through the TSA security checkpoint quickly and without incident but as they were getting ready to walk to their gate to board their flight, a TSA agent approached them and pulled 3-year old Lucy aside for additional screening.

Nathan, Lucy’s father, told Fox News, “They specifically told me that they were singling her out for this special treatment because she’s in a wheelchair.”

The TSA agent informed the distraught parents that they needed to pat down their toddler and swab her wheelchair – in the name of “National Security”, you understand – even though both had passed through the previous security checkpoint with no problem.

When Annie Forck, Lucy’s mother, began filming the incident, over the repeated objections of the TSA agent.

In the video, Mrs. Forck can be heard saying, “You can’t touch my daughter unless I record it,” to which the TSA agent replies, “It is illegal to do that.”

The Forcks refused to stop filming and soon the family was surrounded by TSA agents.

Next, just in case the TSA agents weren’t traumatizing this child enough, they took away her stuffed animal, Lamby. Then they stood around discussing how they were going to handle the situation and this family who wouldn’t bend over and toe the line. All the while, little Lucy was screaming and crying in obvious fear.

“I don’t want to go to Disney World!” she wailed, as her parents tried to console her.

Thirty interminable minutes later, the Forck family was rescreened and allowed to board their flight (“Your papers are in order, Citizen…move along!”) and continue their trip.

I am happy to report that they had no problems going through security at Orlando International Airport (OIA) and, yes, Lucy was reunited with Lamby.

Author’s note: I know this story is several months old, but it is an incident that we should not allow ourselves – or the TSA – to forget. By the way, in case you were wondering, it IS legal to record or photograph screening locations so long as you are not holding things up or interfering with the screening process (blog.tsa.gov).

Sources:
Fox News

http://tsa-watch.com/tsa-blog/tsa-agents-harass-passengers/tsa-agent-terrorizes-3-year-old-in-wheelchair/#more-411

http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/top-stories/tsa-detains-3-year-old-in-wheelchair.html
Title: Re: TSA - When will we put a stop to this?
Post by: A51Watcher on July 09, 2013, 07:20:54 pm
TSA Agent Terrorizes 3-Year Old in Wheelchair

[youtube]3oPloe08a3Q[/youtube]






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(http://www.thelivingmoon.com/04images/animations/Torch001.gif)




eta: These guys are really lucky I have other fish to fry at the moment!



Title: Re: TSA - When will we put a stop to this?
Post by: zorgon on July 16, 2013, 05:51:37 pm
February 16, 2011
Two TSA agents busted at JFK Airport for stealing $160,000 from checked bags


(http://www.nypost.com/rw/nypost/2011/02/16/news/photos_stories/AirportPowerOutage125447--300x300.jpg)
Two TSA agents were busted for stealing $39,000 from a traveler's checked bag.

Quote
Two TSA agents were busted today at Kennedy Airport for stealing $160,000 in cash from bags, authorities said.

Davon Webb, 30, and Couman Perad, who turned 36 today, were arrested after admitting they had regularly stolen from checked bags, sources said.

In one instance, Perad, who joined the Transportation Security Administration in 2002, and Webb, who has been an agent since 2004, stole $39,000 on Jan. 30 from a bag at Terminal 8, sources said.

The passenger whose money was stolen was on his way to Argentina, sources said.

The $39,000 was later found in their homes after TSA notified Port Authority police, sources said.

Perad and Webb would screen bags looking for loot, then swipe the cash once the luggage was opened in a private screening room, sources said.

The men will be charged with grand larceny, possession of stolen property and official misconduct.

In a statement, TSA said it has "a zero-tolerance policy on theft in the workplace" and called the incidents "a disgrace."

Also today, the TSA confirmed that a string of security lapses took place at Newark Airport within the past month, the Newark Star-Ledger reported.

A knife inside a carry-on made it past a checkpoint and two passengers were allowed to board flights despite issues with their full-body scans, TSA officials told the newspaper.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the two incidents were among a string of five security lapses at Newark within the last 30 days.

Another incident reported by the officials involved a dead dog that was brought to the airport by its owner and loaded onto a Continental Airlines jet without ever being screened.

TSA officials had reportedly ordered that the dog's carcass be screened, but it never happened.

Newark airport averages about one security breach every couple of months, according to the newspaper.

Additional reporting by John Doyle

New York Post (http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/bags_tsa_agents_busted_checked_jfk_FRka1bq83wcuV1xwkEwUJK)

So they let a knife get through but make sure the money can't
Title: Re: TSA - When will we put a stop to this?
Post by: zorgon on July 16, 2013, 06:01:34 pm
This one is older but has a lot of followups

Nov 19, 2010
Young Boy Strip Searched by TSA


[youtube]XSQTz1bccL4[/youtube]

Quote
Lets get the facts straight first. Before the video started the boy went through a metal detector and didn't set it off but was selected for a pat down. The boy was shy so the TSA couldn't complete the full pat on the young boy. The father tried several times to just hold the boys arms out for the TSA agent but i guess it didn't end up being enough for the guy. I was about 30 ft away so i couldn't hear their conversation if there was any. The enraged father pulled his son shirt off and gave it to the TSA agent to search, thats when this video begins.

******* THIS VIDEO OCCURRED AT SALT LAKE CITY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ON NOVEMBER 19TH AT AROUND THE TIME OF 12:00 PM **********

***Insertion of what happened after the video (full story)****

After I finished videotaping the incident I went through the check point myself. I collected my things and went over to talk to the father and son. Before I could get to them a man in a black suit who had been talking with the other TSA officials approached me. He asked to speak to me and I obliged, wondering what was to come. He then proceeded to interrogate me about why I was videotaping the "procedures of the TSA". I told him that I had never seen such practices before on a young child and decided to record it. The man being frustrated at this point demanded to know my plans with the video, of which I didn't respond. Repeatedly he asked me to delete the video, hoping his mere presence could intimidate me to obey, but I refused. By this point it became obvious that he felt TSA had done something wrong and that I caught it on tape. After the interview, I left for my gate. I called my brother who told me I should put the tape on YouTube because this had been a recent hot topic in the news.

My gate was a long way off, but about 15 minutes after arriving 2 TSA agents came and sat 15 feet or so away from me. I stood up and moved so that they were in front of me and then took a picture. A 3rd and then a 4th agent came and sat down with the others. They would occasionally glance at me and talk on their walkie-talkies. I don't know why they were there or if it was a huge coincidence but they stayed for 30-45 minutes and left just before I boarded the plan. Interesting to say the least, intimidating? Maybe a little...

BLAZE EXCLUSIVE: REP DEMANDS TSA CORRECT ACCOUNT OF BOY’S STRIP SEARCH (http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2010/11/24/blaze-exclusive-rep-demands-tsa-correct-account-of-boys-strip-search/)

Title: Re: TSA - When will we put a stop to this?
Post by: zorgon on July 20, 2013, 04:07:14 pm
When is Security too much?

Man dies of heart attack in JFK airport after security doors delay responders
July 17, 2013 19:21


(http://rt.com/files/news/1f/cb/40/00/jfk-security-heart-attack.si.jpg)
United Airlines terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York (Reuters / Jessica Rinaldi)

Quote
A 50-year-old man died of a heart attack at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Monday because emergency responders were stuck behind secure doors and unable to open them with their ID cards.

Gunseye Adekunle, a New Jersey resident, died of cardiac arrest shortly after two separate teams of paramedics struggled with the locked airport doors, the New York Post writes in an exclusive report. Their ID cards failed at the Delta terminal, even though the $1.4 billion terminal had been newly renovated.

A police operator received the 911 call around 6:30 a.m., and was told that the victim was breathing, but unresponsive. A Port Authority Police Department (PAPD) ambulance was quickly dispatched, but unable to enter the terminal doors from the street.  The fire department (FDNY) also responded to the scene, but was likewise denied entry when the security system failed to recognize the ID card of the police officer who was escorting them.

FDNY responders were denied entry at 7:10 a.m., about 40 minutes after the 911 call had been made. At that point, each passing minute without medical care put the heart attack victim at greater risk of death.

“Seconds are critical when responding to a cardiac event,” an anonymous source familiar with the incident told the Post. “And unfortunately, unnecessary obstacles take away those critical seconds and possibly a patient’s fighting chance.”

(http://rt.com/files/news/1f/cb/40/00/1.jpg)
Reuters / Joshua Lott

Quote
Emergency medical responders from the Port Authority dispatch were eventually able to enter the building through another route, but they were delayed by two minutes. The PAPD EMTs lacked the required medical equipment and training to help the victim, but the FDNY team was still stuck outside.

Responders then decided to bring the patient down to the ambulance. They placed Adekunle into the vehicle and transported him to Jamaica Hospital. But the 50-year-old man died in the ambulance. It is unclear if he received medical treatment in the vehicle.

A Port Authority dispatcher later told the Post that there was a “delay in patient contact due to elevator/SIDA card denied access in T-4,” thereby suggesting that the delay contributed to the man’s death.

The newly expanded and renovated Delta Terminal was completed in May at the cost of $1.4 billion. It features 16 lanes and boasts having a consolidated security checkpoint and more efficient screening procedures. The JFK Airport website describes the new terminal as “modern, efficient, spacious and unique,” and calls it a “successful paradigm for air terminal management.”

But the error in the security system that denied EMTs crucial access to the terminal was a fatal flaw that may have cost one man his life. A Delta spokeswoman denied any fault and told the Post that the company was not responsible for the error.

Russia Today (http://rt.com/usa/jfk-security-heart-attack-228/)
Title: Re: TSA - When will we put a stop to this?
Post by: zorgon on July 26, 2013, 02:58:44 pm
(https://sphotos-b-sjc.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc1/998724_658244024204833_1494938846_n.jpg)