If the leggings incident taught me anything, it is not to jump to conclusions. So I won’t. But video of a TSA agent invasively screening a 13-year old boy does make me sick.
Before we get to the video, here the backstory as best I can piece together. A young boy named Aaron traveling from DFW neglected to remove his laptop from his bag. The computer had to be re-screened and the TSA decided Aaron needed secondary screenings as well, even though he set off no alarms. Aaron was traveling with his family and his mother Jennifer asked if there were any alternate screening methods to a pat down since Aaron suffers from sensory processing disorder (SPD).
Jennifer was allegedly told that her son could “either be patted down or be escorted out by the DFW police.” The rude remark took her by surprise and a back and forth took place during which the airport police were summoned. Ultimately, Aaron was subjected to an extremely invasive pat down that lasted roughly two minutes and was captured on video by his mother.
Here’s the video–
Dueling Statements
Aaron’s mother posted the following caption to her video on Facebook:
We have been through hell this morning. They detained Aaron for well over an hour at DFW. (And deliberately kept us from our flight… we are now on an alternate) We were treated like dogs because I requested they attempt to screen him in other ways per TSA rules. He has SPD and I didn’t want my child given a pat down like this. Let me make something else crystal clear. He set off NO alarms. He physically did not alarm at all during screening, he passed through the detector just fine. He is still several hours later saying “I don’t know what I did. What did I do?” I am livid. Please, share… make this viral like the other children’s videos with TSA… I wish I had taped the entire interchange because it was horrifying. We had two DFW police officers that were called and flanking him on each side. Somehow these power tripping TSA agents who are traumatizing children and doing whatever they feel like without any cause, need to be reined in.
Meanwhile, the TSA responded–
TSA allows for a pat-down of a teenage passenger, and in this case, all approved procedures were followed to resolve an alarm of the passenger’s laptop.
The video shows a male TSA officer explaining the procedure to the passenger, who fully cooperates. Afterward, the TSA officer was instructed by his supervisor, who was observing, to complete the final step of the screening process.
In total, the pat-down took approximately two minutes, and was observed by the mother and two police officers who were called to mitigate the concerns of the mother.
The passengers were at the checkpoint for approximately 45 minutes, which included the time it took to discuss screening procedures with the mother and to screen three carry-on items that required further inspection.
My Thoughts on the Situation
The key unanswered question is this — why did Aaron receive the pat down?
If it was only because his laptop that “set off the alarm” (his mother disputes even that point) why did he have to undergo such a pat down? Is TSA policy now to perform an invasive search if a passenger’s hand baggage sets off an alarm? That has never been my experience.
Let’s assume the search was valid and according to procedure (and my hunch is the search was not valid). What a ridiculously invasive pat down! [Insert crass jokes about defrocked Roman Catholic priests taking up work at the TSA]. Why did the agent need to perform “sensitive area” checks what appeared to be four times? Was it just punishment for the mother’s initial resistance to the search? This seems like a textbook detention of molestation to me..
I’ll stop speculating further. But even if this search was 100% justified, what a sad testament to the state of security in U.S. airports. How pathetic that a little boy is groped because of paranoia over a laptop.
I can anticipate the reaction of some:
Oh, the poor snowflake with his fake SPD had to go through a little pat down. Big deal!
Please, before you dismiss this story as just a hysterical mother protecting her son, step back and think how ridiculous airport security has become. Imagine if it were your son being screened like for the cardinal sin of forgetting to take his laptop out of his bag. Meanwhile, another TSA agent was arrested for sexting a teenager.
CONCLUSION
Perhaps the TSA was just following orders. Maybe the molestation was necessary to protect national security. I’m still ashamed. The video makes me sick.
tsa especially at dfw got some real pervs. why did he leave him… presumably he was done and then go back and go over the crotch area again, which he previously already patted down. he is just wearing shorts and t shirt.
Molested?
Come on. What a stupid click bait garbage title. Seriously, you are an idiot. Everyone is a victim these days. On to your next social justice cause.
Just because you’d enjoy the “feel up” doesn’t mean normal people would.
Did you watch the entire video? Are you ok your son to be molested that way?
Matthew – unfortunately I can attest first hand that TSA pats down a lot of “non-american looking” people even when no alarms go off. They have been doing this for ages – infact the defacto standard I expect is a patdown unless I am in the precheck line. And its the same excuse – “Sir, you have been selected randomly for …” Perhaps its time that the rest of the US gets introduced to this. And I travel enough (over 100k butt in seat miles annually) that I can tell you this isn’t just an isolated incident.
PS: I know this is a racially targeted post, but I am only using race as an example here.
Can you define American looking and non-american looking?
Non american? Is some one who looks inteligent.
You can agree or disagree about whether the patdown was necessary (we don’t have the all the facts, but the patdown wasn’t necessary based on what I can see). But there’s zero evidence here of “molesting,” and this hyperbole is pretty offensive. The screener appears to explain what will happen at the beginning of the video, and the passenger is giving cues to indicate his understanding. The patdown, while thorough, is not in anyway unusual and appears entirely professional.
I think you could argue that pat downs like this are unprofessional and unusual by nature, regardless of how composed the person conducting it is. If this TSA officer went to a neighborhood park, and did the exact same thing, I don’t think, we would have any hesitancy saying that he molested someone. If this was indeed unwarranted, which it appears to be, then why does the setting change whether it’s right or wrong?
Of course the setting/context matters. A doctor doing a prostate exam on a patient, versus going to a neighborhood park and doing the same thing to a random person isn’t the same thing. Again, we can debate whether the TSA sometimes goes overboard or whether a 13-year-old should be subjected to this kind of screening, but my point is that calling this molestation is absurd.
really? that’s your position? everything in life is contextual…a guy in a park vs. a security officer are vastly different situations. they are accepted norms in different situations. also, personal liberties are always infringed upon to some degree when it comes up against public safety. jeez
I have to agree with 02nz. Even if the pat down was not necessary and/or excessive, it’s way out of line to call it molesting. I think the officer was being professional throughout the entire video. The boy seemed fine. Even at around 1:53 the boy says “don’t you have to go the other way?” as the officer was about to finish. I can empathize with the mom for wanting to be protective of her son. I know that TSA can be excessive at times. I could even see why someone would call actions disgusting. But this is not molesting.
I’ve always thought you were a reasonable guy. It’s worrying to me if you are being completely honest with yourself and you believe this qualifies as molestation or if you are just trying to get more clicks at the expense of the man in the video. If it’s the former, then it saddens me that I will be reading less and less of your articles. If it’s the latter, then I will sign up for as many credit cards through your links as you want if it means that you will come back to the reasonable person that you were.
@onnz Are you kidding me? The TSA rep rubbed his hands up and down the boy’s backside and waist area repeatedly — without asking the young man to take any suspicious items from underneath his clothing. Even after the kid’s pockets are turned inside out, the TSA rep continues groping him.
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I’m so sorry for those around you — and for you, because I’m guessing you have a troubled past — that this measure up to your definition of “molesting.”
@o2nz You pathetic scumbag…no evidence of molesting? Do you work for the TSA? I know you don’t have kids, thats for sure, loser. As a father of a young boy, I felt sick watching this.
You find the hyperbole offensive? I find YOU offensive. It was clearly way out of line.
Child molester scum! He should be charged and put in jail where other inmates would take care of him so he would never walk again! Makes me sick! I hope somebody recognizes him in the streets….
I think you and all the others accusing him of being a molester should be sued! It’s slander!!!!!
You know that TSA agent was gettin his goodies off on this. Gotta love Trump nation!
This is shocking and sad to watch…it seems like much more invasive and excessive than other pat downs I’ve seen in person at TSA checkpoints as well as online at other TSA checkpoints. I would be furious if my kids went through something like this. I hope the mother pursues more formal action against the agency and TSA agent in this case.
You have lost any credibility with me by using the term “molest.” That is simply click bait. Just follow the directions given by TSA and any other governmental authorities. You will be on your way without delay.
My boss gave me great advice one day long ago, “If it feels good to say it – Don’t”
“Do whatever the government tells you or they’ll feel up your 13-year-old’s genitals.”
If that sounds reasonable to you, you’re a creep.
If they miss items they are incompetent if they excessive screen they are molesting.
This does seem that they did search the same area aggressively but not molesting. Not sure why they didn’t just send home through the scanner again although then more radiation and we don’t know if mom refused that. We don’t have they entire video and this is a bit extreme of a post and comparison.
Andy maybe express your point without insults. There is three sides to every story.
TSA and most airline personnel were given too much power after 9/11 and now they take advantage and many times decide to make people’s lives miserable. Why make them miss their flights? Why did it take 45 minutes? If this happened to me I have a very easy solution: take me inside a room and I will get naked so you can see I have nothing on me and you don’t have to touch me at all. It would not take 45 minutes. Something similar happened to me many years ago because a last minute change in my reservation triggered extra screening. The TSA guy made everything he could for me to miss my flight. Disgusting!!!!
To call this “molesting” is a bit over the top, looks like a regular pat down to me. Since the kid didn’t set off any alarms at the scanner it’s probably unnecessary but unfortunately the TSA is well within their rights. Don’t like it, don’t fly.
How about “Don’t like it, call it out publicly until there’s a change so that this sort of thing is no longer considered ‘well within the TSA’s rights'”?
Dont like the mother said (1) because he did not physically set off alarm (while his laptop is not properly placed) so he should not need a pat-down. It’s entirely reasonable in the case to further do a check, (2) SPD or not is relevant. I am sad a lot of parents do not understand … I bet she told her son he can be anything he wanted to be if he puts up enough effort, but then he needs extra protection because of the ailment. How will he be able to achieve his goal w/o special treatment.
The pat down seemed punitive, plain and simple. I’ve been subject to a couple of them and they didn’t approach that by a long stretch. Not a fan of trying to teach a mother a lesson by going overboard on her kid.
This is a normal secondary patdown people, it is not molestation. This screening has happened to me before and the officer explained to me it is a thorough and intense patdown that will include him checking inside the belt and the groin areas. I agree the motive is questionable but honestly traveling on an airplane is a privilege not a right. Surprised this blog is using the wording they are being a travel blog – time to do some real research if you actually travel a lot you will know about this procedure.
Whatever the justification made or the commonality of this form of security checking, it is tragic that this passes for security in 2017. I do respectfully disagree (as does the US SCOTUS) that traveling on an airplane is a privilege, but that’s another discussion.
And by the way this is what happens if you refuse to go through the body scanner. Wonder if the mother purposely left that part of the story out?
Either it’s the anti tsa agenda or its the anti Trump agenda…..find some new clickbait will you?
Do you feel that search was necessary?
I don’t know if it was or not. Did you see the tsa guy grab the boys genitals? Neither did I. Yes he slid over all clothed areas. Thus is quite different than fondling, stroking, grabbing….you get the point. Do I wish there was a better way? Surely. But this looks like the tsa afforded every opportunity for a private screening. Don’t forget that you and others were calling the whole “until my hand meets resistance ” rape too…and that was enacted during the last presidential administration. I know that you will always feel that there are people too important to be screened ie: people who fly first class, people who have a little bit of money, people who are white etc. but how do you suggest it be done? Should we racially or religiously profile? As for the Trumpistan guy, yeah I get it, you’re going to be childish for the next 4 if not 8 years.
Joe, I have been a harsh critic of the TSA going back to the day this blog started in 2009. This is not a partisan issue or even some odd Libertarian viewpoint, but a basic issue of decency. I chose the word “molest” deliberately but carefully. I stand by my title and believe that this was molestation, even if sanctioned by the law.
I think the TSA agent did exactly what was expected of him as best as he could. But that is still a huge problem. While I don’t know exactly how security in the USA can be optimized, what happened to this kid is exactly how it should not be done, in private or in public. It is unnecessary, intrusive, and remarkably pathetic.
Matt,
I had the same thing happen to my. I set off the random screening alarm in the pre-check line and had a full cock grabbing experience like I’ve never experience! The fact that this was a little boy is disgusting, but remember the TSA sent notice to police departments that they would be molesting people. And yet, here we stand by in Trumpghanistan with the 4th amendment being completely disregarded to keep us “safe”. Needless to safe, a cock grab seems to be the new normal for airport security, even in the precheck line or when under the age of 18
the experience in details: https://www.travelcodex.com/2017/03/new-random-explosive-tests-pat-downs-in-tsa-pre-check/
Thanks for sharing. Sorry I missed this post Rocky!
Don’t bring Trump into this. The exact same thing happened to me under Obama just because my boarding pass had the SSSS on it. They not only grabbed me everywhere but they took enough time to ensure I would miss my flight. There is no justification for this type of search and not to take 45 minutes.
Not sure why people are inserting Trump into this discussion. Secondary screening like this was being done long before the recent election.
The screener looked professional to me and the methodology of the pat down should be the same for a teenager as for a full grown man. There were three other people watching plus the mom was filming. The mom is being a drama queen imo.
If one actually pays attention to real news anymore, one would understand that TSA changed pat down procedures to be more intrusive AFTER the inauguration of the Tang Stain Twitter Troll
A “regular” pat down?! A blushing adolescent in a tshirt and shorts – repeatedly groped like that?
I’m embarrassed for our country, not only for this sort of incident, but by those who see the bogeyman at every opportunity and support such things.
Indecent on so many levels.
This is an insane waste of time and money. We need to adopt more realistic rules and start profiling.
Looks like a regular pat down to me. The agent even had the backside of his hand when he had to go through the teenager’s crotch area. Molestation is debatable here but to me it doesn’t look like it is and the agent was just doing his job; he didn’t evrn look like he enjoyed it. I normally enjoy reading your posts but this one seemed too be clickbait-ish to me.
You used the word molested. That’s a big word to accuse tsa like that. I’m not arguing with the tsa pat down thing, but using molested word is just wrong, Matt.
I think the entire problem is that this was a “normal” pat down. It becomes more news-worthy when performed on a child, but it is wrong no matter which innocent citizen is on the receiving end. How have we, as a society, evolved to the point where it is a “normal” part of social interaction to be felt-up by a stranger? As much as we try to spin it otherwise, what we are saying is that, in order to take public transportation, it is “normal” to force our sons and daughters, our mothers and fathers to have their most intimate body parts touched by a stranger. As a child I was shocked that, in earlier eras, people could not travel out of their home village without official documents. How repressive, I thought. After all, here in the US we can go wherever we want and no one will tell us we can’t. Within the last 15 years that has been so turned on its head that, not only do we need to show travel documents, we need to present our genitalia for public inspection. Wow. No, there is nothing “normal” about that.
We have documented foreign citizens entering illegally from our borders with various deseases All kinds of backgrounds. They have violated our laws ,and yet they are treated like first class citizens with all the welfare benefits and given special titil such as dreamers ‘ immigrants etc . Meanwhile US citizens have to go thru all the mess at POE and at TSA check points.
lol , true
A bunch of priests just interviewed to be TSA officers.
total clickbait. adding this blog to my do not read list.
Cry more. I’ve been subjected to randoms with more invasive pat downs than that. Hell, I had a precheck damn near as invasive as that one.
Molest is a technical term and you used it incredible improperly, so great job with the click bait.
I personally agree with Matthew, in that this is a pathetic and sad reality that we are in today. However, I also do not think that the word “molested” is appropriate. To say that he was molested is to say that he was wrongfully touched inappropriately. Personally, Matthew, my personal opinion is that you are correct that it is wrong that our security at this level in 2017 is really sad and that regardless of what the law says it is still wrong. But to use the word “molest” suggests that it was straight up abuse. If you are going to go that route, I am curious, how would you have liked to see this security issue handled? What could the TSA have done to not make you think that this kid was “molested?” Also this post has resulted in so many insulting remarks directed at people and I am simply not a fan of that. I like that we analyze Matthews and other people’s opinions critically, I think that is very productive. However, I don’t like the personal attacks and threats. If you have insulting or disrespectful things to say about Matthew or any commenter on this blog, please keep those thoughts to yourselves.
clickbait; fun to watch the video though. the only thing I would agree upon is the time it took for the search and them missing the flight. i would only be in agreement with being mad over that. but everything else, get over it. who cares. it must be if they set off an alarm with the laptop, that the passenger could be carrying other potentially dangerous items on their person.
i don’t appreciate bloggers that overreact or start controversial articles like this without being objective. but now i know your blog name and to know that you just do clickbait articles.
Readers should recall the outrage regarding the full body imagers/scanners; folks offended that TSA could see the outline and highlights of the body. Well……now they get to actually touch the full body.
That was not following orders, that was some sick pervert feeling up a harmless young boy who did not deserve this. Disgusting.
pervert
Completely agree. This is a complete and utter outrage, which speaks poorly of the professional molesters at the TSA — and that’s basically what they are — and poorly for the politicians and citizenry that puts up with such theatrical “security” procedures which invade their privacy and does nothing to make anybody safer in any practical way. The TSA and the vulgarians who seem to operate it must be eliminated, and some dignity restored to US travelers.
Can you clarify what you mean by “eliminated”? The law enforcement community would like to know.
Now we know where the pedophile priests ended up…
[redacted by admin] viejo pedófilo.