TSA
officers screen millions of passengers every day to protect the traveling
public and are held to the highest levels of professional and ethical
standards.
You
may have heard about a passenger in Houston last week who claimed that TSA
officers prevented her from boarding her flight in “retaliation” for her “attitude.”
But
what you may not have heard is that the passenger refused a random screening
procedure. The passenger initially ignored officers and then became verbally
abusive. When a traveler does not allow a TSA officer to complete screening,
it’s standard procedure for a law enforcement officer to be called to the area.
When the officer arrived and observed the behavior firsthand, he asked if TSA
wanted to press charges. We declined.
To
be clear -- airline employees, not TSA, made the call about whether to allow
this passenger to board their flight.
We
take these matters seriously, so we thoroughly reviewed the incident and have
concluded that this passenger was screened in accordance with standard
procedures. We also viewed the video circulating on the internet
(although only part of the video is actually available) and watched as the TSA
officer began to explain that screening is designed to make passengers safer. The
video abruptly ends before the officer is able to answer the questions fully.
Let’s
set the record straight. Our goal is to get passengers on their flights
and safely to their destinations.
If
you have a travel related issue or question that needs an immediate answer, you
can contact us by clicking here.