You might have heard about the public battle between a mother and TSA over her toddler’s sippy cup. She says they manhandled her and acted abusively after she was detained for “accidentally” spilled water from the cup. TSA says she purposely dumped it and went so far as to post surveillance video to prove their innocence. The woman’s tale was picked up by a NowPublic.com blogger and outrage ensued.

Patterico dissects the case, excerpts the key part of the TSA video, and points out that “Although a TSA official is standing in the way, you can tell her action is deliberate. She even shakes off the final few drops.” He adds a caveat: “The TSA should not have made her miss her flight over this. Had she related the story honestly, she would have my sympathy.”

Patterico’s right. I would add a caveat, though, that if the TSA weren’t filled with so many incompetent boobs who enforce sweeping, overbroad regulations while refusing to do common-sense national security profiling, I’d have more sympathy for them.