8-Year-Old Boy Can't Get Name Off Airport Security Watch List

Mikey Hicks, an 8-year-old Cub Scout from Clifton, NJ, dreads flying out of Newark because airport security is always pulling him aside for frisking and interrogation, explaining that his name is "on the list." He was first patted down at the age of 2, and cried like a baby. His mother would like everyone to feel sorry for him, but the other passengers probably felt a lot safer knowing no surprises were waiting inside his Pampers, hey-o.

Of course, the Transportation Security Administration says just it's a myth that this kid is on their "No-Fly" list, which is technically true—Mikey is actually one of 13,500 people on the larger "selectee" list, which automatically triggers a high level of security screening. But for almost seven years, this snafu (which the TSA won't comment on) has gotten increasingly annoying for the family, because they get tied up with security and are usually the last to get seat assignments and board the plane, preventing them from sitting together. Mikey's mother, who actually got clearance to fly on Air Force One as a photojournalist, is well-armed with zingers for the Times:

Up your arms, down your arms, up your crotch — someone is patting your 8-year-old down like he’s a criminal. A terrorist can blow his underwear up and they don’t catch him. But my 8-year-old can’t walk through security without being frisked... I understand the need for security. But this is ridiculous. It’s quite clear that he is 8 years old, and while he may have terroristic tendencies at home, he does not have those on a plane.

81,793 travelers have submitted formal requests demanding their names be taken off the watch list; more than 25,000 of their cases are still pending. Mario Labbé, a Canadian record-company executive, was stopped so many times since 9/11 he finally got fed up and just changed his name. Now they don't bother him anymore! The system works! "We can’t just throw a bunch of names on these lists and call it security,” Representative William J. Pascrell Jr., a New Jersey Democrat, tells the Times. "If we can’t get an 8-year-old off the list, the whole list becomes suspect."

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By John Del Signore in News on January 14, 2010 9:05 AM

Comments [rss]

Barbara Shepler

security is too busy taking away little old ladies nail clippers, while the bad things are getting thru. They tell you to light up your cell phone(a terrorist could light it up all day,until he's ready to push number 5. They tell me they confiscate nail files, etc. because its what people want to see. Don't they realize that these security people are not qualified to find things a well trained terrorist can create? It's scarey. BS

Jayme

First a cat is called for jury duty, then an 8 year old is frisked. I hope our government realizes we are the butt of every other country's jokes...

Kevin

Stop using the words "just" and "actually"—it really weakens the article and makes you come across as an amateur who doesn't know how to write a compelling article. Good content, poor delivery :-|

vvpinko

LOL, the TSA is a JOKE. Biggest waste of an agency there is LOL

RT

www.web-privacy.se.tc

FelixtheCat & Christine Quinn'

The fear of liability is very strong. because it is easier and not liable to put someone on a list but if remove the person and the person commits an attack afterward than it is lawsuit heaven.

jackmurphy

the whole system is a joke, top to bottom. the people in charge have created useless lists, and the people on the front lines of security are a bunch of minimum wage jokers who might as well be punching in at MCD's.

Mr Mel

I think the kid is a terrorist. He looks sneaky and I wouldn't want my daughter to marry him.

Pachinko

The TSA should hire sex offenders for the job.

Spirit of 76

They have to do this. You never know when this kid might decide to sneak through for a few minutes with his girlfriend.

Steven

Flying is like being in jail.

tom9d

How often does this kid fly, that this is that much of a problem? I bet someone at the TSA is bitter about the miserable childhood he had, and saw that there was this infant jetsetting all over the world and said, "Fuck this. Little asshole is going on the list."

robingee

The opening sentence, "Mikey Hicks, an 8-year-old Cub Scout from Clifton, NJ, dreads flying out of Newark" is weird. He's all, "I told you to book me out of JFK! Now call the car service, I have a meeting in Austin!"

ProcedureTurn

TSDA agents are some of the dumbest people I've seen. It'sscary that they're in charge of security.

babyhitler

The Selectee list is just a smokescreen for the actual discriminatory selective practice of screening dark muslim looking dudes. It's like "hey, we're frisking a baby so don't complain all you muslim dudes! we're being fair". It's kinda like in the movies where they throw every black stereotype in the book at a token character but then they'll throw in the fact that he's got a IQ of 200 and he's a supergenius so people can't complain that they are being racist.

hunter.blatherer

He may look innocent now, but what you don't know is that the TSA is staffed by precogs.

potsmoker

i thought it was only catholic church's policy to pat the crotches of 8yr old boys!?!?!

mookie

I've never once passed through security without a seat assignment. (Kind of poor reporting). It's a hassle for this family I'm sure, but the kid's not going to be traumatized from this and give me a break, in the scheme of things it's not really a big deal. (But press attention feels nice on the ego).

Anathema777

"I've never once passed through security without a seat assignment. (Kind of poor reporting)."

The family is questioned and delayed at the airline check in counter, not at the security line.

From the original article: "...Leave early for the airport, always with his passport. Try to get a boarding pass at the counter. This will send up a flag. The ticket agent, peering down at tiny bespectacled Mikey, will apologize or roll her eyes, and call for a supervisor. "

hotstepper

what do you expect?

he's wearing a Canadian tuxedo, an immediate red flag for those on the lookout for terrorists.

Rocknrope

Laugh all you want, you haven't seen what he's got stored in his Underoos. I guarantee it's worse than PETN.

NannyState

"Silly terrorist, Gitmo's for kids!"

NannyState

But it requires his scoutmaster to set it off.

sj

What it will take to get this system changed is a real terrorist named John Smith.

Mordicai

I like when people brought up the Underpants Bomber being on the list. Like-- at this point, who isn't? It would be statistically weirder if he HADN'T been on the list. See, having a huge arbitrary list & sacrificing rights blindly doesn't actually help catch terrorists-- it only helps criminalize the citizen. If I didn't know better, I'd almost think that was the point of all this...

Dirk

Stories like this just confirm that airport security is a dog and pony show.

Sketto

More foolish security = less freedom. It's almost funny.

Eugene

Yet another agency that makes no distinction between working and getting the job done.

S.D.

Wow, Adding names blindly makes sooooo much sense now...

yomama

Hard to believe the parents haven't sought litigation for the psychological damage to a child just to get him off the list by now.

Politburo

It's very difficult to successfully sue the government, especially over something that is considered 'voluntary' like flying. Such an endeavor would only benefit the family's lawyer.