TSA gets flack for baby's KC airport patdown
New security procedures by the TSA at the nation's airports continue to bring negative attention to air travel CBS News | May 10, 2011 (CBS News) - Less than a month after a public outcry over a 6-year-old's patdown at the New Orleans airport by TSA agents, a photo showing TSA agents examining what appears to be the rear end of a baby at Kansas City International airport has gained a lot of attention. Twitter user Jacob Jester, who describes himself as an "evangelist, founder of reaching innovations, son of god, husband to kristin, father to jude and cruz, pastor of @theremixlife", posted the photo over the weekend, with the description: "Just saw #tsa agents patting down a little baby at @KCIAirport Pretty sure that's extreme. Check the pic." In response on its TSA blog, a spokesman wrote: "We reviewed the screening of this family, and found that the child's stroller alarmed during explosives screening. Our officers followed proper current screening procedures by screening the family after the alarm, who by the way were very cooperative and were on the way to their gate in no time. The child in the photo was simply receiving a modified pat-down." In April, a TSA agent at the New Orleans airport gave a 6-year-old a pat down, even after the little girl said, "I don't want to do this," drawing rage and condemnation across the spectrum. TSA defended itself in a similar manner, saying it was just doing its job. CBS News correspondent Bob Orr said at the time: "Privacy experts don't like it at all, the critics call it security theater, but we have to say the screener here appears to be doing her job. This patdown happens all the time ... somewhere in America. Whether we like it or not, the truth is it's part of the post-9/11 security." |