TSA shuts down NJ airport terminal, baby went through security unchecked by screener

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XiaNaphryz

LATIN, MATRIPEDICABUS, DO YOU SPEAK IT
Baby security breach closes NJ airport terminal:

(04-27) 18:29 PDT Newark, N.J. (AP) -- A terminal at Newark Liberty International Airport was shut down for over an hour Friday after officials discovered that a baby hadn't been properly screened, Transportation Security Administration officials said.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport, described the incident as a security breach that occurred at around 1:15 p.m. at a security checkpoint. Terminal C was evacuated and passengers had to go through security screening again.

TSA spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said a mother and baby went through a metal detector when the machine sounded an alarm. The mother handed the child to the father, who had already been screened. The mother was cleared, but the baby hadn't been properly screened. The parents and baby left the checkpoint and headed to their gate, Farbstein said.


TSA officers searched for the family in the secure area of the terminal and notified Port Authority police as per protocol, but they emphasized that it was a low-risk situation, Farbstein said.

A TSA official said they had explained the circumstances of the breach to the Port Authority police and recommended against evacuating the terminal since it was a low-risk situation.

Steve Coleman, a Port Authority spokesman, said that it took the TSA more than 30 minutes to notify police of the lapse and that officers "took immediate action to make sure the breach did not endanger passengers or our facility."


"We're not going to second-guess a real-time decision made by our police department to err on the side of caution and protect passenger safety," he said.

The terminal and checkpoint were closed from 1:30 p.m. to 2:50 p.m.

Passenger Jennifer Pallanich said she was on a Houston-bound flight scheduled to depart at about 2 p.m. and boarding had been completed, but because of the breach, the passengers had to evacuate and go through security screening again.
 

TAJ

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
lol... /sigh
I'm almost glad that I haven't been on a flight since 9/11.
Everyone got fuckin' crazy.
 

antonz

Member
I see they finally caught the nefarious baby terrorist.

it all makes sense now
il_fullxfull.311201188.jpg
 
Seriously, they should not exist. They should have never existed. Fuck them. A supervisor called my mom and sister "rag heads" and told the underlings to pull them to the side even though they subjected themselves to the invasive full body scans.
 
I like how you bolded everything except for the important part:

""We're not going to second-guess a real-time decision made by our police department to err on the side of caution and protect passenger safety," he said."

Once you get past the "HA HA it's all because of a baby" you realize that it was really the only thing that could be done. The point of a screening process is that everyone gets screened. Once someone or something gets through, it raises the threat level. While it sucks, it had to be done.
 

antonz

Member
I like how you bolded everything except for the important part:

""We're not going to second-guess a real-time decision made by our police department to err on the side of caution and protect passenger safety," he said."

Once you get past the "HA HA it's all because of a baby" you realize that it was really the only thing that could be done. The point of a screening process is that everyone gets screened. Once someone or something gets through, it raises the threat level. While it sucks, it had to be done.

No this isnt true at all. We just need to stop pretending and do what other countries do. 93 year old grandmas in wheel chairs arent seeking to blow up planes and babies in diapers besides a stink bomb arent a threat either
 
No this isnt true at all. We just need to stop pretending and do what other countries do. 93 year old grandmas in wheel chairs arent seeking to blow up planes and babies in diapers besides a stink bomb arent a threat either

So what's to stop someone from hiding something among a baby or an old person knowing full well they won't be searched?
 
No this isnt true at all. We just need to stop pretending and do what other countries do. 93 year old grandmas in wheel chairs arent seeking to blow up planes and babies in diapers besides a stink bomb arent a threat either

Ok, so once you start profiling people , how do you make it effective yet able to withstand judicial review?

Also, once you announce that a certain group won't be searched, they will be used to carry bombs. It's not like a terrorist is going to say "oh man, we'd have to kill a child, old lady, etc. Jihad canceled!"
 

antonz

Member
Ok, so once you start profiling people , how do you make it effective yet able to withstand judicial review?

Thats the hard part Judicial review can change one judge to the next. We know countries around the world are quite effective at behavioural profiling etc and function quite well
 
Thats the hard part Judicial review can change one judge to the next. We know countries around the world are quite effective at behavioural profiling etc and function quite well

They are most likely not restricted by the Constitutional obligations that the U.S. has.
 

Lamel

Banned
I remember when my baby cousin was stopped at the airport (6 months old) because his name was similar to some guy on a "terrorist list" or some type of "high risk" list. The entire family had to go through separate screening for over an hour; yes, Mom, dad, 3 year old and 6 month old.
 
I remember when my baby cousin was stopped at the airport (6 months old) because his name was similar to some guy on a "terrorist list" or some type of "high risk" list. The entire family had to go through separate screening for over an hour; yes, Mom, dad, 3 year old and 6 month old.

Once again, while that sucks, is a requirement for effective screening. Once you start letting TSA lackeys exercise judgement as to who get screened the system collapses.
 

Lamel

Banned
Once again, while that sucks, is a requirement for effective screening. Once you start letting TSA lackeys exercise judgement as to who get screened the system collapses.

Uh this wasn't any regular screening. It was being pulled over to the side and sat in a room for further questioning. Because a 6 month old baby's name was the same as some terrorist. Lesson learned, don't name your babies arabic names.
 
Uh this wasn't any regular screening. It was being pulled over to the side and sat in a room for further questioning. Because a 6 month old baby's name was the same as some terrorist. Lesson learned, don't name your babies arabic names.

the type of screening doesn't matter. The system relies on total compliance by TSA screeners. If they let one person slide, regardless of age, it opens to the door to other people trying to argue their way past screening.
 

antonz

Member
Uh this wasn't any regular screening. It was being pulled over to the side and sat in a room for further questioning. Because a 6 month old baby's name was the same as some terrorist. Lesson learned, don't name your babies arabic names.

The name list was one of the worst thought out things ever. At the very least they could have developed a database that has the suspects photo present.
 
The name list was one of the worst thought out things ever. At the very least they could have developed a database that has the suspects photo present.

Agreed. Secondary screening is a bad idea. It implies that somehow the primary screening process is incapable of detecting threats. If that is the case then the primary screening system needs to be improved or simply removed all together.
 
the type of screening doesn't matter. The system relies on total compliance by TSA screeners. If they let one person slide, regardless of age, it opens to the door to other people trying to argue their way past screening.

Oh yeah, the other terrorist 6 month old babies would have a field day arguing their way past.

Or wait, you mean those sneaky 8 to 9 month old babies who try to look 6 months old. Those are a real problem.

It's ridiculous and their is no fucking reason for not having a cut-off age that includes freaking babies. It does not open any fucking doors!
 
Oh yeah, the other terrorist 6 month old babies would have a field day arguing their way past.

Or wait, you mean those sneaky 8 to 9 month old babies who try to look 6 months old. Those are a real problem.

It's ridiculous and their is no fucking reason for not having a cut-off age that includes freaking babies. It does not open any fucking doors!

Yea, because nobody could use a baby's diaper, clothing, or bag to smuggle a weapon or drugs through a checkpoint.
 
What does that have to do with the baby's name?

He said there was no reason that a child could be a list for extra screening. This shows people who were using children to smuggle illegal items onto planes using a baby. Now if authorities know that a family is planning on using a baby to smuggle something onto a plane, but are unsure as to who would be taking the baby, they could flag the baby itself.
 

low-G

Member
While they were tracking down the babby a terrorist waltzed in and installed bombs on all the planes because the TSA is a dumb and completely worthless waste of an organization whose every iota of effort is completely misguided if not corrupt and even destructive.
 

dejay

Banned
They have a procedure, they should follow it. Second guessing shit and letting things slide leads to uncertainty and exploitation. They did the right thing, they just should have done it earlier.
 

TAJ

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
the type of screening doesn't matter. The system relies on total compliance by TSA screeners. If they let one person slide, regardless of age, it opens to the door to other people trying to argue their way past screening.

This is probably the thinking behind carding 80yos for alcohol, lol.
I was wrong. We didn't go crazy. We went d-u-m, dum.

So what's to stop someone from hiding something among a baby or an old person knowing full well they won't be searched?

Yes, the one baby out of millions who wasn't scanned will be the one with a bomb on it. And it makes so much sense that two people brought the baby-bomb on, when it only takes one.
 
I'm not saying screen no one, screening everyone is stupid and a huge waste.

But the second you say we're not going to screen certain people, you don't think anyone who is trying to do harm won't try to use that hole in order to accomplish their goal?

Yes, the one baby out of millions who wasn't scanned will be the one with a bomb on it. And it makes so much sense that two people brought the baby-bomb on, when it only takes one.

Are we ignoring the fact that this baby set off a metal detector alarm and then wasn't checked?
 
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