Airport Screeners Order Mom to Drink Breast Milk

newsmax ^ | 8/6/02 | staff

[finnman69]

Tuesday Aug. 6, 2002; 10:27 a.m. EDT

Airport Screeners Order Mom to Drink Breast Milk

In the latest in a series of airport security nightmares, a woman flying from New York to Florida was forced to drink three bottles of her own breast milk before being allowed to board a flight at JFK International Airport - in an incident that has one prominent New York civil rights attorney ready to sue.

Elizabeth McGanny of Oceanside, NY called WABC Radio's Curtis Sliwa and Ron Kuby Tuesday morning to relate the story.

Guards at JFK's Delta terminal first "patted me down and made me take my shoes off," McGanny told the morning radio duo. "One security guard took my four-month-old out of my arms and then they went through the baby's diaper bag."

There the guards discovered the three suspect bottles, McGanny said, and promptly ordered her to drink the contents.

"I'm not drinking that. It's breast milk," she replied. "They said, 'Either drink all three bottles or your not getting on the plane.'"

McGanny said that when she asked the guards why they were putting her through the ordeal, they explained, "There could be explosives in the baby bottles and I could throw something at the stewardesses."

"I asked them if I could just taste it; if I could just show them how you would check a baby's bottle - that it was warm milk and everything. And they said, 'No,'" ordering her to "drink it all."

The nursing mom then offered to feed the milk to her baby as the guards looked on but they refused.

After hearing the tale, Kuby, who doubles as one of New York's most celebrated civil rights attorneys, suggested that McGanny call his office.

"How much money do you smell here?" Sliwa asked his radio partner.

"If I get a jury of nursing mothers - a lot," Kuby replied.

[finnman69]

Meanwhile, Abdul and Akeem get on the plane wearing their 'special' shoes.

[Guillermo]

I'm not sure if I believe this...why couldn't they just ask her to dump it out?

[Aggie Mama]

Because these airport screeners are a bunch of idiots, that's why. My father was stopped 3 times and made to strip down in his skivvies. Meanwhile, those that should have been profiled, walked right on by. It's easier to rough up those that will follow the law, instead of those that actually might break it.

[Conservababe]

Bacause the screeners are on a power trip, perhaps?

[Reeses]

forced to drink three bottles of her own breast milk

In related news, Bill Clinton has offered to volunteer for an airport screening position. Attractive women are urged not to pack unmentionables.

[Pete]

I find this story hard to believe. At most, I think they would just tell her she had to leave the bottles behind. The idea that they would make her drink all the contents of all three bottles seems contrived.

I smell an urban legend.

[Alberta's Child]

My flying days are pretty much over, mainly because the idiotic screening process is both ineffective and time-consuming. When you factor in a standard operating practice in the airline industry that was chaotic and disorderly even before September 11th, I'm amazed that more people don't just give up on the entire industry.

For work, I will drive to any place that can be reached in one full day (18 hours). For vacation, I will drive to any place that has a road going to it that can be reached from my driveway.

[Kozak]

Was flying recently and my wife spotted a woman waitng to board with 3 kids under the age of 5 (talk about a brave woman!).
My wife said "watch bet she bets picked for the special screening". Sure enough this poor woman gets pulled aside so that she, the kids and their bags get the "extra" treatment.

ABSOLUTE INSANITY.

[finnman69]

I heard the radio interview myself and heard the woman describe her ordeal. It sounds legitimate.

[finnman69]

I heard the radio interview myself and heard the woman describe her ordeal. It sounds legitimate.

[andy_card]

This is a second-hand account of a call-in to a local talk radio show. While it may be true, its also kind of hard to view this as a credible story. I'll remain skeptical for the time being.

[Sacajaweau]

I'm not sure I believe this....

I agree..There's something wrong with this picture...

Are Attorneys now seated in the airports with signs on them??

Sac

[hopespringseternal]

I find this story hard to believe. At most, I think they would just tell her she had to leave the bottles behind. The idea that they would make her drink all the contents of all three bottles seems contrived.

These people have complete power over whether you get on a plane, and breast milk is a real kink for some people.

Somebody got a cheap thrill out of this. I hope the woman never has to work again.

[fatrat]

no doubt in my military mind this story is a lie.

[coloradan]

DENVER, April 5 — A 14-year-old Pennsylvania boy said he became ill on Sunday after security officials at Aspen Airport made him drink water he had collected from a creek for his biology class.

The boy, Elliot Gosko, said he was carrying a bottle onto the plane when he was told to drink some of its contents as a security precaution.

Elliot said the water made him nauseated and might have contained giardia, parasites that can cause life-threatening intestinal illness.

A Federal Aviation Administration official apologized to the boy and his family but said airport officials were only being careful in the aftermath of Sept. 11.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/660725/posts

[tomakaze]

RE:Because these airport screeners are a bunch of idiots, that's why.
 
No, they're not. They're on a power trip.
The idiots are the folks who let this garbage get this far.

[spectre]

All of this madness can be traced back to a TV show (something like 20/20) who placed a knife in an old woman's wheel-chair and she got past security.

Ever since then, I guess Security is looking to be "busted" again, so they pick on Old ladies, or any unlikely candidate who might do a hijacking. They aren't really thinking these people are potential terrorists, they are thinking they could be "tricked" into letting someone on board who has been "wired" so to speak.

Our media is to blame for this madness.

sw

[RoughDobermann]

I have seen the airport screeners require people to drink water in clear water bottles, Coke from a Coke bottle, coffee from a coffee cup, etc., before boarding. They weren't allowed to dump the contents; I assume since the Coke might contain some explosive that would be detonated later in the trash can... Jeez, how sad.

[TankerKC]

I'm not sure if I believe this...

Ditto. I have had screeners make me take a sip of a drink (pre-911 and since), but they have never demanded that I consume an entire drink.

I think we need some fact checking here.

[Blood of Tyrants]

When you hire Barney Fifes and give them a little power you end up with petty dictators at every airport. How I have come to hate these pissant, minimum wage fools! Meanwhile judges and legislators everywhere ignore this tyranny and write it off as "necessay to have a free society".

Every one of the airlines can go bankrupt for all I care, I will NOT put up with this debasing behavior.