Drama! Nightmare at Reagan National Airport: A Security Story to End all Security Stories

The TSA moved fairly quickly to counter Monica Emmerson’s claims that she had accidentally spilled the offending water by using CCTV footage available here. She obviously spills it deliberately and then attempts to go back in to what I presume is the security screening area via the exit channel. Surely a former Secret Service agent has been through enough airports to realise how they function? I’d hazard a guess that the signs on the corridor (more about these later) probably say ‘No re-entry beyond this point’ or similar.

Amidst all the minor hullabaloo about this incident, what I find most interesting is that the videdo evidence and the report are located in a section of the TSA website called ‘MythBusters’. Call me old-fashioned, but I don’t exactly feel comfortable with the idea that someone within an authority whose mission is to "protect the Nation’s transportation systems to ensure freedom of movement for people and commerce" finds it appropriate to have a section which has the exact same title as a pop-science television program which debunks urban legends, for an audience of mostly teenagers (I hope). Seems to excessively trivialise what is supposedly a matter of gravest concern - somewhere between 3 and 8 ounces of filtered tap water, that is.

At the moment, the Monica Emmerson non-story is the only entry in the MythBusters section, which doesn’t as yet seem to sit within the site structure. However, it looks as though a clear template for future myths to be busted has been defined.

"Myth: TSA Officers Hassle Female Passenger with Toddler at Reagan National Airport over Sippy Cup?"

"Buster: Decide for yourself. Click on the links below."

Decide for yourself? What a bizarre statement to publish. Will we see other law-enforcement agencies adopting this approach soon. Trial by YouTube? Testimony via MSN?

PS, the person who comes out of this with the most credit is the TSA officer who eventually decides that the wet floor may pose a risk to the stream of passers-by and … moves the sign in front of the puddle and begins directing traffic. He seems highly relieved when the floor has been dried and he can safely move the sign back to where it originally was located.