GET THE FORCK OUT OF HERE, TSA!

My friend, Chucky H sent me this story yesterday afternoon and I couldn't believe what I was reading. Then again, it was about our Transportation Security Administration, or TSA, so it doesn't really shock me since they never hire the right people, and the people who are currently employed as a TSA agents are just way too drunk with undeserved power. You have agents who steal when they go through your bags, agents who simply let terrorist threats walk right by them, and agents who pat down little three year old babies who are on their way to Disney World and confined to a wheel chair. Oh, wait! You don't know that story yet! 

Anyway, 3-year-old Lucy Forck from Osage Beach, MO, was so excited to finally go to Disney World to see her favorite Disney characters and all that jazz. That excitement quickly became tears when TSA officers at the airport took away her stuffed animal and pulled her aside to perform an extra security check. Little Lucy Forck was so distraught by the situation, you can hear her utter the words, "I don't want to go to Disney World!" Parents Nathan and Annie Forck were outraged at the way the screening process was being handled. Annie decided to start recording the February 9 encounter with the TSA. When TSA officials at the Lambert-St.Louis International Airport told her that taping TSA procedures was illegal, Forck didn't care because her baby was being mistreated and she wanted to the world to see it. So, she refused to put her phone down, later edited the video and uploaded the incident onto YouTube. Oh, yeah! It went viral!

Nathan said it was the first time that they traveled together anywhere as a family. He also said that he guesses that everyone else takes the TSA's scrutiny for granted, but they wanted to speak up and say that it doesn't have to be like this, and he's absolutely right to a certain degree. I think the TSA does have to be strict especially after 9/11. I want to feel safe when I fly the friendly skies, but to pat down a 3-year-old? Come on! What kind a security threat is a 3-year-old toddler? Nathan said that as soon as they passed through the TSA scanner, an agent pulled Little Lucy aside and said they needed to pat her down and wouldn't give back her stuffed animal, Lambie. The agent explained to the Nathan and Annie that she needed to check Lucy's wheelchair for any kind of explosives. WHAT? In the video, you can hear Annie saying to the agent, "The problem is, I don't allow anyone to touch my little daughter. It just seems ominous for you guys to suggest that you have to do this in the dark. That in and of itself seems very inappropriate." Nathan said that the family was forced to wait around for 30-45 minutes while TSA figured out how to handle the situation. Oh, by the way, Little Lucy is confined to a wheelchair because she suffers from Spina Bifida, which makes this story even worse that TSA agents targeted a disabled 3-year-old as a terrorist. Come on, TSA! Racial profiling is one thing, but even I'm smart enough to know you don't have to pat down a 3-year-old and check her wheelchair for bombs!

Lucy was eventually allowed to leave the airport without being patted down and Nathan later received a phone call from TSA officials apologizing for the incident. Nathan stated that he doesn't want workers to lose their jobs over this; he just doesn't think it was fair that his toddler had to go through an added layer of security. By the time the Forcks reached Orlando, they had learned what to expect and on the way home, Nathan carried Little Lucy in his arms through the scanner, while her wheelchair was inspected separately. Despite the rocky start, Lucy did eventually get to meet Mickey after all! I'm happy that this had a happy ending and all, but the bottom line here is that the TSA has to do a much better job with their judgment. I mean a 3-year-old in a wheelchair? Really? That's like saying, "Oh, no! Look out! Here comes that 3-year-old in a wheelchair! She's coming to kill us!" Do you hear how ridiculous that sounds? Anyway, I've included the YouTube video for you to see what Lucy had to go through: