'This Is Not Right'

KOMO 1000 News (Radio) ^ | June 1, 2005 | Kevin Reece

[ActionNewsBill]

'This Is Not Right'

June 1, 2005
 
By Kevin Reece

DES MOINES - Cecilia Beaman is a 57-year-old grandmother, a principal at Pacific Middle School in Des Moines, and as of Sunday is also a suspected terrorist.

"This is not right," she told us. It's not right!"

This past weekend she and several other chaperones took 37 middle school students to a Heritage Festival band competition in California. The trip included two days at Disneyland.

During the stay she made sandwiches for the kids and was careful to pack the knives she used to prepare those sandwiches in her checked luggage. She says she even alerted security screeners that the knives were in her checked bags and they told her that was OK.

But Beaman says she couldn't find a third knife. It was a 5 1/2 inch bread knife with a rounded tip and a serrated edge. She thought she might have lost or misplaced it during the trip.

On the trip home, screeners with the Transportation Security Administration at Los Angeles International Airport found it deep in the outside pocket of a carry-on cooler. Beaman apologized and told them it was a mistake.

"You've committed a felony," Beaman says a security screener announced. "And you're considered a terrorist."

Beaman says she was told her name would go on a terrorist watch-list and that she would have to pay a $500 fine.

"I'm a 57-year-old woman who is taking care of 37 kids," she told them. "I'm not gonna commit a terrorist act." Beaman says they took information from her Washington drivers license and confiscated and photographed the knife according to standard operating procedure.

She says screeners refused to give her paperwork or documentation of her violation, documentation of the pending fine, or a copy of the photograph of the knife.

"They said 'no' and they said it's a national security issue. And I said what about my constitutional rights? And they said 'not at this point ... you don't have any'."

KOMO News did reach a spokesperson with the Transportation Security Administration for comment. They said they did not have record of Beaman's confrontation but did admit that TSA screeners are, by design, becoming more strict.

Despite continued warnings to passengers, TSA screeners say travelers continue to bring banned items in their carry-on luggage. Knives, guns, and other weapons are found and confiscated daily.

Fines issued for knives and other sharp objects range from $250 to $1,500. Fines issued for firearms discovered in carry-on luggage range from $1,500 to $7,500.

The TSA web site also indicates firearms violations will be referred for potential criminal prosecution. The same site does not propose the same criminal referral for knives like the one Cecilia Beaman was carrying.

"This is not the way my country should be treating me," she said. My concern is that if that's the way they're treating American citizens I would hate to think how they're treating other people. It's crazy."

The TSA reminds travelers that is has the authority to impose civil penalties up to $10,000 per violation.

"TSA needs the help of the traveling public in reducing the number of prohibited items brought to airport screening checkpoints," reads the Sanction Guidelines section of the TSA web site. "TSA recognizes that most passengers who carry prohibited items do so without any ill intent. TSA does not impose fines on the vast number of passengers who inadvertently carry prohibited items. Dealing with any prohibited item, however, adds time to the screening process both for the traveler who brought the item and for other travelers as well."

You can find a complete list of banned items, range of fines levied for violations, and information on how to plead your case with the TSA at www.tsa.gov.

[laredo44]

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

Sir, are you a Conservative, or is the Constitution something totally new to you?

Do you know the difference between a power and a right?

[Egon]

Liberalism is not the root of all evil in the US.

I beg to differ. Liberalism, not to be confused with liberalism, is the root of all evil in the US.

Arresting teachers because a student had a butter knife is not going to stave off the ACLU.

Yes, actually it will. I'd be willing to bet that the ACLU won't touch this case, because it's a middle-aged, white citizen, as opposed to an illegal, Muslim minority. Her arrest actually makes it less likely that the ACLU will take one of the cases it normally would, because it's harder for them to prove bias. One of the fortunate, though unintended, consequences of true Liberalism at work.

I got my grip. Time to get yours.

[PotatoHeadMick]

" I've said it before here on Freep, the biggest pariah in America right now is a "straight, over 40, white male catholic who smokes and makes over $50,000". "

That's funny because that's a perfect description of my brother and he got into trouble with airport security but had the last laugh.

He was checking in to a flight with his wife, he was talking on his phone while his missus handed over the tickets. Now you have to understand my brother's six foot three and kind of impressive looking while the guy behind the desk, his name was Roger, was the usual weedy airline employee whose sexuality we don't know but who had a remarkable similarity to one of Dick's hatbands.

Anyway Roger was obviously pissed at my brother for not paying close attention to the security questions so he demanded of him personally "Did you pack this luggage yourself sir?" My brother looked down on him and simply said "No my wife did", well you could imagine Roger's sphincter tightening at this and my brother was told to bring the luggage over for further screening despite the rather obvious fact that his wife was standing beside him. As my brother walked to the screening area he saw Roger lift his phone and at the same time the screener answered his, of course there is no evidence that they were talking to each other but you can draw your own conclusions from what follows.

The screener, a young gentleman who also appeared to be of the "lighthearted or cheerful" disposition (use a thesoraus) screened his bags and handed him his boarding pass. When the time came to board the plane my brother and his wife were refused entry as there wasn't some form of security sticker on the pass, they were told to return to the screener to get it quickly or they'd miss their flight. Well my bro put two and two together at this point and he was not a happy camper. Anyway he and his wife strolled calmly back to the screener and asked politely why the sticker had not been put on their passes, "um I forgot" said the screener. Meanwhile my sister in law was looking at Roger at the check in desk and he had a broad cheshire cat grin on his ugly little physog.

"Here, let me put the stickers on now" says screener, "no" replied my brother "bring your supervisor here", "but, but your flight's leaving now" "too bad" said my brother. Well the supervisor was eventually located while the blood drained from the cheeks of Roger and his little buddy, meanwhile the announcer was calling for my brother and his wife to join the flight urgently, my bro just stood looking passively down on the poor unfortunate who had foolishly joined in Roger's delightful little scheme to embarass the big pompous hetero guy.

The supervisor was clearly unhappy and unconvinced by the screener's explanation but could not bring himself to admit it and instead urged my brother to get on the plane. My brother refused, he had no particular urgency for this flight, and insisted that the security screener was either involved in a conspiracy or else he was incompetent, either way the flight's security was compromised and he demanded that his bags be removed from the plane as he was not travelling on it.

Well that put the tin hat on it, the flight was delayed slightly while the baggage was removed, my brother assured them that he would be back the next day to discuss the matter with the airport management, and the airline would be informed as to what happened to their flight. Roger I trust now has a better respect for the people who pay his wages.

[iconoclast]

OK, I'll bite. What's your solution?

Armed pilots and profiling for openers.

[deks]

The article describes it as "a 5 1/2 inch bread knife with a rounded tip and a serrated edge". It would be interesting to see a picture of the knife.

The TSA list of Permitted and Prohibited Items Rev. 5-16-05
says "Knives (any length and type except round-bladed, butter, and plastic cutlery)" are not permitted in Carry-on.

http://www.tsa.gov/public/display?theme=175

[iconoclast]

Sorry, I see no relation to grandma and grandpa harassment in your examples.

[softwarecreator]

Good story.  Glad your brother stood his ground.

It's a perfect example of what I was saying.

[blantz]

The most amazing thisng is that a butter knife is listed on the TSA website as a legal item to carry on. Hmmm...

[DugwayDuke]

OK, fine, have it your way. American muslims do not have grandfathers or grandmothers.

[DugwayDuke]

"The most amazing thisng is that a butter knife is listed on the TSA website as a legal item to carry on. Hmmm..."

The only one describing this as a 'butter' knife is the person possbily facing criminal charges. Hmmm...

The knife is actually described as: "It was a 5 1/2 inch bread knife with a rounded tip and a serrated edge."

[From many - one.]

You said it.

[Lancey Howard]

"My concern is that if that's the way they're treating American citizens I would hate to think how they're treating other people. It's crazy."

Veil your face and get a Koran - - it is considered politically incorrect to harass anybody who is not a normal-looking white American - - and you will skate right through, with smiles and pleasantries from all.

[Egon]

Armed pilots and profiling for openers.

Working on the first-- not fast enough, IMO. The latter will never happen, regardless of which administration.

[blantz]

DugwayDuke,

Point well taken.

Brandon

[armymarinemom]

My first question is why didn't she use disposable knives for the outing? That being asked, I do think screening is pretty useless as it stands right now.

I get sick and tired of getting singled out every time I fly. I get the third degree while younger single passengers are given the OK. My husband tells me that I get singled out due to my complexion but I have noticed others with similar complexions being passed by without being picked out for random screenings. I guess there is some kind of BOLO for single passenger grandmothers on flights.

[Hunble]

WOW!

"...either way the flight's security was compromised and he demanded that his bags be removed from the plane as he was not traveling on it."

I had never thought about using that law against them as legal Judo!

Thanks, I will use that tactic the next time I am refused a flight because I have a BIC cigarette lighter.

OUTSTANDING!

[deks]

I didn't see term "butter knife" in the article. Here's a picture of an 8 inch bread knife (8 inch blade).

http://www.cutleryandmore.com/details.asp?SKU=178

[Hunble]

...the flight was delayed slightly while the baggage was removed...

In the future, I will book my hotel reservations in Cozumel for the following day.

The first day will be reserved for messing with the TSA and intentionally causing a problem. Forcing the airline to remove my baggage, and costing the airline thousands of dollars in lost flight revenue, is well worth the cost of a local motel room.

You have done more to make me smile today, than anyone else has done in a very long time.

FIGHT BACK!

If a few million people do the exact same thing, the Federal government will be forced to change how the TSA operates.

Americans have always been a royal pain in the butt when they are not happy with their government! LOL

[bvw]

What if Tim McVeigh got on a plane with a firearm?

He may have, but he didn't use it if he did. And what of it? That flight that crashed in Pennsylvania -- where the passengers took out the armed hijackers -- that's what would have happened. YET REGARDING MCVEIGH -- IT DIDN'T HAPPEN.

Paranoia is the inablity to rationally consider what may happen. When under sway of paranoia a person fantasically imagines the worst, unable to use actual circumstance, common sense, judgement and history to filter the impossible and improbable from the possible and prudent. Prudence requires stablity, sanity and reason.

Operating in panic, in paranoia is UNSAFE. Prudence is impossible in such situations.

[Hunble]

As with many Liberals, this is an example of personal projection.

"If I was in situation, this is what I would do."

Since this is what they would do in a similar situation, they have no concept or understanding of what other people would do. It is simply beyond their life-experience.

For many Liberals, they are absolutely terrified of Guns.

They know, deep down, that they would murder someone if they were ever allowed access to a weapon. Because of this mental projection, the are forced to assume that all other Americans would murder, if given access to a gun.

Some people can imagine all sorts of imaginary terrorist attacks. In their twisted view of humanity, anything is possible.

These are the people that I want to keep a very close eye upon.

This was not intended as a personal attack against any single Freeper. Simply a factual observation.