A mum who was traveling with her toddler has taken to Mumnset asking if she’s wrong to feel uncomfortable with her three-year-old being patted down by customs.
Explaining what happened, the mum said her three-year-old had brushed the security scanner with his hand, which set off the alarm.
‘The lady in charge said that as he had touched the scanner and set the alarm off, they would have to pat him down,’ she writes.
‘So he was pulled to one side, my husband was present at this point, and a male member of staff patted him down. No one asked permission, it was more like we were told this was going to happen.’
Once certain the toddler didn’t in fact pose a security threat the family went on their way, with mum clearly left shaken by the experience:
‘It’s only now that we are back from holiday that I am giving it some thought and feel really very unhappy about someone else patting my 3 year old son down.’
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Seeking some reassurance she adds: ‘Am prepared to be told I’m being precious about it, but can’t shake the uncomfortable feeling I have about it.’
Most people were were quick to say she was being pretty unreasonable especially in the current climate.
‘Sadly in these times security must come first,’ wrote one commenter.
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Another added: ‘I would want anyone who set off a scanner to be checked out… You’re talking about the safety of potentially a couple of hundred people and I’m sure terrorists aren’t beyond hiding explosives on a child.’
Though others did agree it’s not a comfortable experience.
‘I feel uncomfortable when it happens to me so I don’t think you’re being unreasonable,’ said one mum. ‘Hopefully didn’t upset your son? In which case it’s just one of the many crappy things about modern air travel’
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