Update: Video of the incident, which is being denied by the TSA, is available.
The TSA at National Airport in D.C. go nutty over a sippy cup. Here’s what happened to Monica Emmerson:
I demanded to speak to a TSA [Transportation Security Administration] supervisor who asked me if the water in the sippy cup was ‘nursery water or other bottled water.’ I explained that the sippy cup water was filtered tap water. The sippy cup was seized as my son was pointing and crying for his cup. I asked if I could drink the water to get the cup back, and was advised that I would have to leave security and come back through with an empty cup in order to retain the cup. As I was escorted out of security by TSA and a police officer, I unscrewed the cup to drink the water, which accidentally spilled because I was so upset with the situation.
At this point, I was detained against my will by the police officer and threatened to be arrested for endangering other passengers with the spilled 3 to 4 ounces of water. I was ordered to clean the water, so I got on my hands and knees while my son sat in his stroller with no shoes on since they were also screened and I had no time to put them back on his feet. . . .
I was ordered to apologize for the spilled water, and again threatened arrest. I was threatened several times with arrest while detained, and while three other police officers were called to the scene of the mother with the 19 month old. A total of four police officers and three TSA officers reported to the scene where I was being held against my will. I was also told that I should not disrespect the officer and could be arrested for this too.
4 Responses to More Insanity from the War on Liquids and Gels
Help Daniel
Glad to know that the Totally Stupid Assclowns are continuing to protect us against the grave threat of spilled sippy cup water. I suppose it’s appropriate that the post made it up at exactly 4:20, since it nicely underscores the TSA toking that allows such absurdities to continue to proliferate.
As someone who has gone through security 8 times in the last 2 months, I know very well how much of a high horse these TSA agents/police officers are. And it’s a bit ridiculous. I was about to go through the initial checkpoint at JFK on my last trip and forgot I had a bottle of water in my bag. When I heard the ticket checking lady ask the person infront of me if they had any banned substances, I immediatly threw my water away as soon as I remembered I had it. The lady then asked me “if I was sure I didn’t have any more water in my bag.” I said a simple “no,” even though she said it in such an insulting maner and I wanted to smack her. I threw the water out before entering security and still got the evil eye.
Regardless of the fact that these TSA agents think they are god, the traveler in this story should have just thrown the cup away, bought her son a new one, and gone about her day. It would have saved her a lot of stress, especially since she was traveling with a 19 mo. old kid. Could they let her just drink the water at the check point? Perhaps, but it would have taken a couple of minutes, and do you really want to hear the passengers behind her B****ing about the hold up just so she could keep her cup.
I feel for her, but unless she was unnecessarily detained and threatened for something out of her control, I can’t get angry or upset over this situation. Although, some of the regulations are very much over the top, and the gods could be a little less threatning to passengers who forget to throw the water out.
“and do you really want to hear the passengers behind her B****ing about the hold up just so she could keep her cup.”
Well, when you have a child and they have their sippy cup and all they want is their sippy cup, you quickly learn that the people behind her don’t matter one goddamned bit. She paid her ticket fare just like the rest of them and they can just get over themselves. Would you rather wait two minutes in security or have an entire flight be miserable because a kid is screaming its head off because the assholes of TSA threw away its beloved sippy cup?
The mother should have thrown the water in their faces.
Also, how nice for threatening a woman in front of her child with arrest for making sure her child had something to occupy it on their flight.
What is so great about getting through security faster? Then you just go to gate and sit there.
Man do I hate the word “sippy cup.”