Breast pumps, Binghamton and BOOM

This will take the form of a rant.  You have been warned.  The TSA has pushed me to my limit this week demonstrating its bully-like personality. 

It started with the elementary school principal leaving Hawaii who tried to follow the "no liquid" rules and brought empty bottles and a breast pump for her flight.  No No No.  Security risk unless she could prove the empty bottles were intended for breast milk.  So she filled the bottles in the public bathroom and suddenly she presented no national security risk.  Really?

Now, when I hear such stories, I go right to the official TSA blog to amuse myself with how the particular incident will be spun.  Responses are typically along the lines of "Hey, we're just doing our best to keep you safe.  Do you know how many crazy people there are out there?"  But, this time, there was an apology.  Perhaps you heard about it.  An apology from the TSA makes the news.

But another recent post drew my attention.  It was addressing a viral video supposedly demonstrating how to "beat" the body scanners.  The blogger says that scanners are "one of the best tools available to detect metallic and non-metallic items, such as… you know… things that go BOOM."  Can you imagine what would happen to an airline passenger who made such a comment?  I'm quite certain immediate travel plans would change immediately.  But apparently it's OK for the TSA to make BOOM jokes.  Not the average passenger.


Apparently airlines and the TSA have a "thin blue line" similar to police to protect members who go rogue.  The flight attendant's recent outburst on a flight leaving Dallas led to a physical struggle during which another flight attendant was injured.  Mental stability issues have been mentioned.  No charges will be filed.  However, a similar incident involving a 19 year old resulted in federal charges.  Mental stability issues have been mentioned.  Federal charges.  Of course, I'm just taking what's written and reported as gospel truth about these incidents, but I'm not seeing the equity.  


Sometime between reading about the breast feeding mother and hearing about the flight attendant, I read the On the Road column in the New York Times describing the writer's 82 year old mother in law's airline journey from Tuscon to Binghamton.  You can't get there (Binghamton) from here (Tucson) so it was going to be a long day regardless.  But this poor woman ended up stuck at Dulles on a Saturday night.  

One of the other stranded passengers talked to the United agent at the service counter after they'd been told that Tuesday was the earliest they could have themselves a spiedie sandwich in good ole Binghamton.  She wasn't happy with the 72+ hour delay so generously offered by the airline.  The agent said in response: "Listen, if you don't stop complaining I could call the police because I feel insulted."  Now, perhaps you thought that quote was going to end with the word "threatened".  But NO--the person felt 'insulted' and felt that warranted a call to the police. Seems a bit over wrought to me but calling the police to the airport is no small event.  

I'm not comfortable with the level of authority that's been granted in these everyday areas of our lives to organizations (such as the TSA) in the name of protecting the general public.  It feels as though we are being assaulted from within.  If this blog rant should make its way to the TSA (and I'm trusting my family members probably won't do that)  I'm sure I'll never be allowed on a plane.  But that's OK because I am one single passenger who will make alternate plans.  For my own safety.  I have a tendency to insult.