Never Listen to the High School Dropout

This made me all sorts of angry:

Savannah Barry is mad and on a mission. She wants travelers to be warned
before they walk through TSA security. “They need to get with the
program and have some education across the board for TSA.” After
participating in a DECA conference in Salt Lake City with several
classmates last week, Savannah, who is a type one diabetic and wears an
insulin pump 24 hours a day, says she ran into TSA agents who were not
prepared to deal with her medical situation. “I went up to the lady and I
said, I am a type one diabetic. I wear an insulin pump. I showed her
the pump. I said, what do you want me to do? I usually do a pat down –
what would you recommend?”

Savannah then showed agents a doctor’s
note explaining that the sensitive insulin pump should not go through
the body scanner. She says she was told to go through it anyway. “When
someone in a position of authority tells you it is – you think that its
right. So, I said, Are you sure I can go through with the pump? It’s not
going to hurt the pump? And she said no, no you’re fine.”

I won’t fault the girl here.  She has probably been told over and over to trust the government and do what you’re told.  She has been drilled to the point where she ignored what her doctor said and did what a high school drop out that was too stupid to get a job anyplace else said.

Unsurprisingly it destroyed her insulin pump.  Walking into one of those things with electronic equipment is down right dangerous.  Ionizing radiation can cause single event upsets in the control systems of the medical equipment.  Non-ionizing radiation can have the effect of an EMP causing excessive voltages in circuits.  If the device is improperly shielded it will destroy components.  Memory devices can also suffer a single event upset.

I don’t know which of these incidents occurred, my suspicion is the second.  I will say this girl is very lucky she is not dead or hospitalized as a SEU could have resulted in an excess or incorrect dosage being administered.  Usually devices can survive one safely, however multiple failures were probably induced simultaneously

This is an expensive lesson and one that everyone needs to heed.  Those who work for the TSA are the lowest common denominator of our society.  That’s why it’s full of child molesters, sexual deviants, and thieves.  One should not do what they say blindly or without forethought.  Remember these people do not care about you or what happens to you.  If they could they’d just treat you like cattle more than they already do.

As I’ve said before, make their lives hell.  Sure some will be too stupid to understand but eventually you’ll wear them down.  On that same note, as you see those responsible for bringing this plague upon us, make their lives hell as well.  They are elected representatives and obviously they failed at their job. 

Burning effigies should work nicely.

SSCC #322-#324 – Colwyn PA

The current trouble revolves around allegations that three
Colwyn police officers tased 17-year-old Da’Qwan Jackson while he
was handcuffed and locked in a holding cell. A witness to a fight,
Jackson was being held on the usual standard-issue disorderly
conduct charge after refusing to cooperate with investigating
police and crumpling up a citation.

Now you might think, “Maybe they had a good reason.” Sorry to disappoint you.

A YouTube video shows Colwyn Deputy Chief Wendell Reed Tasering
a parking enforcement officer for laughs inside of the borough’s
tiny police department.

Reed was ousted from the department yesterday for the possible
cover up of an incident involving a juvenile who was allegedly
Tasered by Cpl. Trevor Parham while handcuffed in a holding cell
April 24. Parham was previously suspended by Lt. Wesley Seitz for
the incident.

That is the behavior of the chief.  He attempted to fire the whistle blower who brought attention to the abuse.  It appears that the chief has been reinstated and the whistle blower re-suspended.  All at the will of your elected officials.  Think about that for a second, the elected officals are aiding and abetting the behavior of these officers.

State Sponsored Criminal Count 322: Trevor Parham

323: Michael Drucktor

324: Wendell Reed

Because a taser is really just a issued less lethal entertainment device.  You are free to use it however you please, the pain and possible death arising from it is inconsequential.  It’s not as if you intended to kill, harm or maim them.

SSCC Honorable Mention–Bogota New Jersey

There is a serious reason I have this count.  The biggest of which is when officers attempt to restrain and police their own this is often the result.

Her first supposed offense – which wasn’t mentioned until after the second – was a failure to assist another officer who was “attacked” by a drunken woman who was roughly half his weight and barely five feet tall. Her second was was to intervene when a police officer from another jurisdiction viciously assaulted an emotionally troubled young man who was not suspected of a crime.

“I consider myself a peace officer,” Tasca told Pro Libertate. “My thing is to help make sure that people are safe, and that they don’t have a reason to fear the police – that we treat them like human beings. The incident that started all of this was one in which I intervened to prevent excessive force against a kid who was the subject of a medical call, not a criminal suspect.”

Think about that for a second.  She did the right thing and what was best for all parties involved and she is being punished for it.  Including in an instance where officers shouldn’t have been involved.  I applaud this woman and wish her the best.  It is a shame that the attitude of her superiors is to use force, even if excessive, whenever possible no matter the reason.

It’s obvious they view themselves as our “betters” and not public servants.

State Sponsored Criminal Count Honorable Mention: Sgt. Chris Thibault and Sgt. Joe Rella

Because they feel they have the right and ability to use force with impunity and no one, not even a fellow officer has the right to stop them.  If they feel someone needs a beat down, by god they will ensure it happens.

h/t Dave Hardy

SSCC Honorable Mention–TSA

They just can’t stay off this thing now can they?  Not surprising since it was their actions that caused me to create it.

When I made a similar FOIA request in 2008, I assumed the TSA would respond in a few months. Government agencies have about a month to respond to public record requests, though they often take longer. I figured even if their response took months, I’d be able to repeat it regularly to get a timely, inside look as to what passengers were complaining about and find out about incidents that required some more digging.

Boy, was I wrong.

After waiting and waiting and narrowing my request and some more waiting, the files finally arrived this week.

The information is now four years old — but it echoes much of what people are still complaining about.

Now why would they withhold information for 4 years I hear you cry.  There’s a couple reasons.

  • Statute of limitations.
  • Hoping people forget.
  • Hoping for winds of change.
  • People involved are promoted away from the incident.

The bottom line is they don’t want the public and certainly not anyone critical of them to find out about the complaints.  There’s definitely a reason why given how often their employees are in the count.

Honorable Mention: The TSA

Because we need to do everything we can to protect our employees from the people they molest and abuse.

SSCC #321–Portland

Police took down Dan Halsted while he was just innocently walking home. The officer stunned Halsted five times with a Taser in the back because he thought he sprayed some graffiti.

Then when the officer realized that he screwed up what did he do?

"The arresting officer in his police report, he made up a whole other story and said that I had been running down the street with a couple other people."

Don’t worry though if you live in Portland:

The settlement comes not long after a city audit recommended police limit the times a person’s stunned. Most police agencies train officers to stun suspects up to three times.

Portland police doesn’t comment on lawsuits but said officers just completed refresher training on Tasers.

Because that totally solves the problem of out of control police officers that obviously have zero restraint.

State Sponsored Criminal Count 321: Portland Police Officer John Doe

Because someone running away from you while you’re acting aggressive is an excuse to continually use force.

SSCC #320–DEA

The Drug Enforcement Administration issued an apology Wednesday to a California student who was picked up during a drug raid and left in a holding cell for several days without food, water or access to a toilet.

Five days, maybe they had a good reason?

Chong, 23, was never arrested, was not going to be charged with a crime and should have been released, said a law enforcement official who was briefed on the DEA case and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Nope, it’s that none of the officers cared to do their job.  When he screamed for help they ignored him.  Of course the statement of how this individual is going to correct the situation is classic jazz hands.

Sherman says the event is not indicative of the high standards to which he holds his employees. He says he has personally ordered an extensive review of his office’s policies and procedures.

State Sponsored Criminal Count 320: DEA

Because officers of the law can forget about citizens and abuse them all they like.  To the point of near death, it’s all good for the “war on nouns” right?

SSCC #319–TSA

“The agent was very aggressive in his pat-down, and he was patting me down where no one is supposed to go,” said Canseco.  “It got very uncomfortable so I moved his hand away.  That stopped everything and brought in supervisors and everyone else.”

It’s never a good idea to bite the hand that feeds you.

State Sponsored Criminal Count 319: San Antonio TSA

Because the TSA is so god like they can abuse anyone now and get away with it.

SSCC #318–TSA

Omer Petti, 95, said he believes an airport employee stole the cash that he was told to remove from his pocket and place in a bin on his way through security on March 29. He and his girlfriend, Madge Woodward, 85, were headed home after a family vacation in Palm Springs.

This doesn’t surprise me one bit.  While some would say yeah right, it’s a great way to rip people off if they listen to you.

State Sponsored Criminal Count 318: San Diego TSA

Because being a TSA agent means that many people will think that what you tell them to do is a good idea.  Then you take their stuff while your buddy molests them.

via Uncle