TSA terrorizes wheelchair-bound three-year-old traveling with his family to Disney World

Friday, March 23, 2012 by: Ethan A. Huff, staff writer
Tags: TSA, wheelchair, children

(NaturalNews) Serving as yet another reminder of just how ridiculous the "national security" theater is in America today, a U.S. Transportation Security Administration screener at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago has been caught on tape patting down a three-year-old in a wheelchair, and swabbing the boy's body, cast, and chair for explosives.

Russia Today reports that the boy and his parents, grandparents, and two siblings were on their way to Walt Disney World in Florida when a TSA screener decided to pull the boy aside. As captured by the boy's father, the screener, who in all fairness was gentle and kind to the boy during the process, proceeded to pat the boy down, lift up his shirt, and swab his person and wheelchair for explosives.

Visibly shaken throughout the entire experience, the young boy is seen on camera shaking and scared while his father, who was filming the incident, repeatedly reassures his son that everything will be fine. However, the boy's father was not allowed to get near his son and comfort him during the process, and was reportedly refused by TSA screeners from even holding the boy's hand.

You can watch a video clip of the incident at the following link:
http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/321444

"My little boy wanted me to come over to hold his hand and give him a hug. He was trembling with fear," said the father to the Toronto Sun. "I was told I could NOT touch him during this process. Instead, we had to pretend this (procedure) was 'OK' so he didn't panic."

According to TSA, the wheelchair set off the alarm during "explosives screening," an ambiguous screening that does not typically take place as air travelers walk through metal detectors or naked body scanners.

"Apparently, there's lots of children in wheelchairs being used to bring down airplanes," wrote the boy's father, obviously in a tone of sarcasm, in his video's caption, which was posted on YouTube. "It's a brilliant plan when you think about it. PRETEND you are going to Disney, with three children, two parents, and two grandparents ... when REALLY you smuggle C4 inside your toddler's cast and wheelchair."

In a similar incident last year, controversy erupted after TSA screeners at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport in Louisiana conducted an "intense" pat down on a six-year-old girl, which included forcing her to spread her arms and legs and be touched in "sensitive areas" (http://news.travel.aol.com).

Sources for this article include:

http://www.rt.com/news/tsa-chicago-toddler-inspection-888/

http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/321444