TSA Plays Joke On Traveller At Screening

An anonymous reader writes "As a 22-year-old female student at the University of Michigan went through security at Philadelphia International Airport, a TSA worker was staring at her. He motioned her toward him. Then he pulled a small, clear plastic bag from her carry-on — the sort of baggie that a pair of earrings might come in. Inside the bag was fine, white powder. Answer truthfully, the TSA worker informed her, and everything will be OK. After 20 seconds of crying, the TSA agent waved the baggie. It was his, and it was all a joke. Ann Davis, a TSA spokeswoman, said this afternoon that the worker is no longer employed by the agency as of today. She said privacy laws prevented her from saying if he was fired or left on his own."

Comments

I have nothing to hide why are you looking

[vxice]

For all of you who insist that "if you have nothing to hide you have nothing to fear" I truly hope this happens to you every damn time you fly.

This happens all the time

[Dana Larsen]

It seems this kind of "training" happens more often than we'd like. Customs agents have also been caught planting drugs on people for "training purposes" in Japan.

Interestingly, Canadian courts have ruled that you have an expectation of privacy even when there's drugs in your luggage.

Jail Time

[CFD339]

If I'm not mistaken, making a joke about having something illegal to a TSA agent at the airport can result in large fines and even jail time. In this case, the TSA agent made a "joke" that represented a serious threat to the safety, freedom, long term career and life outcome of a 22 year old girl while in a position of authority and power. Jail time seems frankly appropriate to me.

Re:Jail Time

[Anonymous Coward]

If I'm not mistaken, making a joke about having something illegal to a TSA agent at the airport can result in large fines and even jail time.

And jail time for the agent is just as appropriate as jail time for someone cracking a terrorism joke in line.

His joke was tasteless, awful, and far over-the-line. Should he be disciplined? Absolutely. Should he be fired? Yeah, probably. Should he be jailed? Um, I don't exactly see him as a "threat to society". He's a callous asshole. It happens.

TSA agents make a nice punching bags, but people in all jobs do stupid job-related shit. Ask a coroner or mortician what qualifies as an "office prank" if you want to be appalled at something.

Sometimes I wish our judicial system allowed for more creative punishments. In this case, I think one properly sanctioned, medically monitored swift kick to the agents nuts, administered by the victim, would be all that is necessary for everyone involved to leave this incident in the past.

Sending someone to jail over this shit seems like a slight overreaction. X hundred hours of community service and move on.

Who watches the watchers ?

[OldEarthResident]

It's incidents like this which keep those of us who would really love to visit the US far away from it.

How could someone with a mentality which considers it ok to play such a joke on a passenger even be considered for employment by the TSA ?

Protecting innocent people is a serious business. It would be nice if the people entrusted with it didn't have a high school bully type mentality.