Brickbat: Upbraided

The Transportation Security Administration has apologized to Tara Houska after a TSA agent at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport grabbed her braids from behind, snapped them like reins and said "giddy up" Houska says when she complained about this, the agent responded, "It was just in fun, I'm sorry. Your hair is lovely." TSA said in a statement it "holds its employees to the highest standards of professional conduct and any type of improper behavior is taken seriously."

Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

Tara Houska, an attorney and activist for indigenous rights...

Uh-oh.

[Eddy]

If this report is true, I'll be on the side of the indigenous rights activist and attorney.

If things happened like she said, then TSA dude better open wide, because there's some progress coming his way.

[Inigo Montoya]

“...dude better open wide, because there’s some progress coming his way.”

This reminds me of a certain man of the cloth who frequents these comments.

[Eddy]

His style is infections, isn't it?

[Eddy]

infectious

[Rossami]

Unfortunately, actual accountability seems unlikely. Under (un)qualified immunity, all he has to do is claim that no one ever said he can't do exactly that in exactly those circumstances. It might be wrong to grab braids and yell "giddyup" on Tuesdays but this was a rainy Thursday.

[Quo Usque Tandem]

"...no one ever said he can’t do exactly that in exactly those circumstances."

AKA the Costanza defense

[EscherEnigma]

I'm worried that "don't pull people's hair, remain professional and don't crack wise while you're doing an enhanced inspection" is "progress".

While the braids being part of Housta's religion might make the offense worse, it wouldn't have been appropriate if it'd been a white woman who just liked the fashion either.

[Jerryskids]

When you hire a group of people otherwise barely qualified to work at McDonalds and re-run the Stanford Prison Experiment on a nationwide scale this is the sort of thing you've got to expect.

[BigT]

If it is standard procedure to check someone’s hair for potential weapons or explosives, e.g. under a wig, then this would be acceptable.

[Jerryskids]

Or if you suspect they might be a horse.

[EscherEnigma]

The problem wasn't checking the hair for weapons, it was the disrespectful snapping of the braids like a horse's reins and saying "giddyup".

[Quo Usque Tandem]

",,,snapping of the braids like a horse’s reins"

So he should have said "why the long face?"

Hey if you're going to fuck it up, go big or go home.

[EscherEnigma]

"She" actually, and according to Housta, the woman wasn't trying to be offensive, she was just being an idiot.

[Longtobefree]

It is not reasonable to suspect 100% of the traveling population of terrorism.
We have a constitution that (supposedly) protects us from unreasonable searches.
How is this even possible?

[Inigo Montoya]

Why is there a TSA? Could they have any less reason to still be operational?

It’s a prime example of how an agency, once it’s been created, will never, ever be disbanded no matter how long it’s been a bloated bureau of useless irrelevance.

It’s a miracle there isn’t something like a Stage Coach Inspection Agency.

[Sometimes a Great Notion]

But grabbing my dick is still ok, I am sure. Fuck the TSA.

[Quo Usque Tandem]

"But grabbing my dick..."
and saying come on, I dare you.

[EscherEnigma]

I was almost subjected to a TSA hand-job once.

They didn't like my kilt†, saying it was too poofy and might conceal something, and said I would need to step aside to get groped. I looked the guy dead in the eyes, took the kilt off and dropped it on the conveyor belt, and walked through the back-scatter scanner in my boxers.

Didn't get groped.

According to the husband, I also made some old lady's day.
________
†Yes, I know about the "... then it'd be a skirt" jokes. Don't care.

[Conchfritters]

a TSA agent at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport grabbed her braids from behind, snapped them like reins and said "giddy up"

I did that exact same thing to a girl when I was in second grade, and she whirled around and smacked me.

[Quo Usque Tandem]

And you've never forgotten it. Good life lesson there.

[Unicorn Abattoir]

Just think - the lesson you learned that day probably kept you from becoming a TSA agent.

[$park¥ is the Worst]

“My hair is part of my spirit,” she tweeted. “Your ‘fun’ hurt.”

She certainly talks like an activist.

[Don't look at me!]

We must rein in this behavior.

[darkflame]

they need to stop horsing around.

[$park¥ is the Worst]

But will they? Neigh.

[Rod Flash]

But even if she sues, it won't be the TSA worker who has to pony up.

[TrickyVic (old school)]

Mr Ed is relieved.

[Brandybuck]

If Trump or Biden did the same thing it wouldn't even be a story. She needs to man up and respect the authoritah of the Big Man!

[EscherEnigma]

Reason missed a big part of the story: Houska didn't want the TSA employee to be disciplined, punished, or fired, she just wanted the TSA to up it's training and do better next time.

[Eddy]

Seriously? Talk about the George Costanza defense.

[EscherEnigma]

Yes, seriously.

Most people, even folks that go to Twitter to complain about bad behavior, aren't trying to ruin another person. They just want folks to do better next time.

[TrickyVic (old school)]

""holds its employees to the highest standards of professional conduct ""

As they do things to people that would land normal people in jail.