TSA Worker Fired After Pulling Prank on Student at Airport

[Walter Plinge]

A college student returning to school after the winter break fell victim to a prank at Philadelphia's airport by a Transportation Security Administration worker who pretended to plant a plastic bag of white powder in her carry on luggage.

The worker is no longer employed by the TSA after the incident this month, a spokeswoman said.

Rebecca Solomon, 22, a University of Michigan student, wrote in a column for her campus newspaper that she was having her bags screened on Jan. 5 before her flight to Detroit when the employee stopped her, reached into her laptop computer bag and pulled out the plastic bag, demanding to know where she had gotten the powder.

TSA Worker Fired After Pulling Prank on Student at Airport - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News - FOXNews.com

Not funny.

 

[thewinchester]

TSA Worker Fired After Pulling Prank on Student at Airport - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News - FOXNews.com

Not funny.

And thank heavens he was fired. Almost as bad as that European airport recently where explosives were placed into pax luggage without their knowledge for the purpose of testing screening systems. The fact those bags made it onto planes and to another country still containing the explosives is unconscionable.

 

[kpc]

I'll be suing if I didn't get a grovelling apology letter from the TSA

 

[samh004]

I'll be suing if I didn't get a grovelling apology letter from the TSA

I’d be suing even if I did get an apology. That’s clearly not enough.

 

[kpc]

I’d be suing even if I did get an apology. That’s clearly not enough.

Atually, i tend to agree with you...

 

[harvyk]

I'm not normally one for suing, but I too would suggest that the TSA are sued big time...

 

[anat0l]

This is completely unacceptable. If the TSAs want to dish it out on us like naz_s, they should be harshly treated when they slip up in return; only seems fair.

I would expect:

• A full public and written apology to Ms Solomon, clearly explaining that the TSA worker's actions were unprofessional and inappropriate and that at no time Ms Solomon was implicated to be a national security threat
• Appropriate punitive monetary compensation for Ms Solomon
• Minimum three months jail and appropriate fine for the now-dismissed TSA worker
• ...and for goodness sakes - drop the stupid Privacy Laws B.S. - this man deserves all the criticism levelled at him and his name should be made public. For what we know, his actions really could have resulted in the wrongful vilification of Ms Solomon.
  I don't really care what would happen once he is named and shamed - if he jumps off a bridge, well I hope he can swim, but not much more than that.

 

[kpc]

• 
  I don't really care what would happen once he is named and shamed - if he jumps off a bridge, well I hope he can swim, but not much more than that.

LMAO:mrgreen:...I hope I don't upset you!

 

[QF WP]

He can really get a head of steam going in some of his replies...:shock:

 

[anat0l]

LMAO:mrgreen:...I hope I don't upset you!

OK maybe I was being a bit rash.

Considering some of the grief you get put through by DHS and the TSA, it's almost as if some people have to live their lives with no choice but to be ready for trauma.

I guess what irks me more is that the US is starting to really become a more "guilty until proven innocent" state where the balance is more towards guilt than innocence. No wonder some people choose not to fly there - is it any surprise why US tourism is down?

I still think that the TSA and DHS should be made much more accountable for their actions and should be subject to harsh penalties if they fail in their duty to the public.