TSA’s Total Stupidity Agency Enters the Life-threatening Realm
By Mary Theroux • Tuesday May 8, 2012 5:37 PM PDT • 22 Comments
It’s not enough, apparently, that the TSA has a well-established record for humiliating, degrading, stealing from, bullying, and terrifying the traveling public. Its agents’ arrogance is now moving into the realm of actually life-threatening.
A Type-1 diabetic teen’s insulin pump was broken by a TSA scanner, despite her showing a TSA agent her pump and providing her doctor’s documentation that she not be put through the screening machine:
Having thus caused her $10,000 pump to cease operating properly, TSA agents compounded their total ignorance:
She says TSA agents then made the situation worse when they didn’t know what to do about her juice and insulin. “She said, because we don’t have the machines to scan the juice to make sure this is not an explosive we do have to do a full body pat down and search your through your bags.” Of course, that’s what she wanted in the first place, but it was too late.
Tags: Civil Liberties, Civil Society, Constitution, Defense, Liberty, Personal Liberty, Surveillance, The State, Transportation 
The Federal Government is responsible for the Damage to that young Ladies pump ! It is their responsibility to Replace it ! They are truly overstepping their authority !
Samuel H Shoemaker | May 9, 2012 | Reply
This is like letting the DMV run airport security. Maybe even worse.
Luke | May 9, 2012 | Reply
Excuse me – Does Gestapo mean anything to you. This TSA are just power-hungry.
Hopefully the powers that be will see this and change some things.
Ellie | May 9, 2012 | Reply
As always, the jerks who make these laws will never have this happen to them. they can bypass all this garbage!
aimee | May 9, 2012 | Reply
You have not lived until you go through security in England. They broke the zipper on my husband’s jacket because they were too busy to unzip it and just yanked. I guess they were concerned about the inhaler he had in the pocket. The Brits are far worse than TSA, who are horrible enough.
Sharon | May 9, 2012 | Reply
How about we make the individual TSA agents responsible for replacing her pump since they are the ones who broke it! Making the TSA (agency as a whole) pay for it is making you and me pay for it (since their funding is from tax dollars), and it was not my fault the agents acted that way! Nothing the government pays for is free for *us*!
Rebecca | May 9, 2012 | Reply
Which is why we rebelled and sent them packing. Unfortunately many Americans have been trying to get them back even since.
Dau Tieng 59 | May 9, 2012 | Reply
Support Senator Ryan in his move to eliminate the TSA.
Dau Tieng 59 | May 9, 2012 | Reply
You know what, I believe that the TSA should pay for it as well. Do you not realize that everything the government pays for is with TAX dollars. Some people are so short minded in their thinking that they can’t see past their nose. I hope someone loses their job over this and they do change policies. Last year the TSA broke my Dad’s laptop and when he called about it they told him they did not have any video surveillance in the airport and could not verify that in fact they were responsible. I know it to be fact that every major airport has video surveillance and what they told him was a lie. Someone in the government needs to have their actions and the way they run things accounted for because if we don’t, broken items at the airport is the least of our worries, just saying.
Jason | May 9, 2012 | Reply
I hope this doesn’t disappoint all the TSA haters out there. They DO NOT get to travel any differently than I do. They get searched – must pass all the same requirements that EVERYONE does. They are saving your sorry asses by doing their jobs. NO agency, company or religion does not have employee problems. But saying all Catholic priests are child molesters or that all TSA are idiots is incorrect. Think before you speak unless you are just trying to stir the pot.
Mr. Magoo | May 9, 2012 | Reply
It’s an absolute outrage. The people TSA hired were not terribly high on the IQ scale to begin with and so sending them a memo about medical issues, etc. probably didn’t get everyone’s attention. The TSA (bottom line, Federal Government) needs to replace the $10,000 that devise cost the girl and they need to send a SINCERE apology to her. They also need to immediately fire the agent who ignored the girl’s explanations and put her through the scanner anyway!!
Wiscats | May 9, 2012 | Reply
At what airport did this happen?
Judy | May 9, 2012 | Reply
My bad..commented before watching the video!
Judy | May 9, 2012 | Reply
Dau Tieng 59, It is Senator Rand Paul who is pushing to abolish the TSA.
David Theroux | May 9, 2012 | Reply
Mr. Magoo, Perhaps it is high time you get some glasses so that you can see clearly.
David Theroux | May 9, 2012 | Reply
Mr. Magoo,
There are too many instances of abuse in this agency. The agents are poorly trained and poorly chosen. Background checks are faulty. Besides, no one should have to go through what that girl did. They endangered her life.
PJ | May 10, 2012 | Reply
TSA makes so-called random inspections of all checked baggage. Until you unpack your baggage at your final site, be it home or whatever, you will find a notice in the baggage that TSA inspected it,and an insteresting disclaimer. Get a copy of this form and study it carefully before you next pack baggage to be checked.
richard | May 10, 2012 | Reply
This is not security. It is power tripping control freaks targeting the meek and the mild. I can’t wait for the day when Americans everywhere physically defend themselves against this crap.
Vic Kelley | May 13, 2012 | Reply
“Thinking before you speak?!”
Maybe you should practice what you preach, Mr. Magoo, The Myopic! The TSA is mostly manned by a bunch of overpaid Affirmative Action, double-digit IQ goons. I refer you to Lord Acton regarding power and corruption. This incident, as with many, many others was beyond outrageous!
Dellas Weber | May 14, 2012 | Reply
Sorry Magoo my son works at TSA and they don’t go through what we do. They show their ID and walk right through. Know something before engaging that pie whole of yours.
Bruce | May 14, 2012 | Reply
I travel with an insulin pump as do many others, I am sure. It detaches easily. The only time I didn’t detach it, I asked the guard whether I could leave it on. He told me I didn’t have to take it off. But I had to be groped. It was absolutely disgusting to have a stranger give my rear end a thorough pat down. The idiot didn’t tell me that if I left it on, I would be groped. That said, I always take the dang thing off now and put it in the tray with all my other metal.
I have found many of those agents to behave in a manner quite less than human. I don’t know how they can go home and look at their faces in the mirror. It’s just horrible that our society has come to this. I am sorry for these TSA agents in a way – their job requirement is to behave like heartless machines. But I would NEVER in a million years take a job like that. Protecting the country, my eye. They only look for the things that have already been tried, like a cargo cult of fear. Whatever new terror may be coming down the pike will be overlooked while they are busy confiscating juice boxes.
Cris Crawford | May 15, 2012 | Reply