A Texas college student has been questioned by the TSA at an airport security checkpoint after making a ‘finger gun’ salute.
Diana Durkin, 19, explained to officers at Hobby Airport in Houston that gesture was merely her school’s symbolic sign that she would perform whenever she saw a fellow Texas Tech University student out and about.
But TSA officers pulled her aside to explain how her seemingly innocent actions were misinterpreted as a sinister sign that could land her in serious trouble.
Diana Durkin, 19, is a passionate supporter of Texas Tech University’s football team and made the ‘gun salute’ gesture while waiting in line for security at Houston Hobby airport
After making the gesture, TSA security staff pulled her aside to question her
The Texas Tech mascot has a lot to answer for when it comes toM iss Durkin’s behavior
An officer noticed the finger gun sign and immediately pulled her out of line for further questioning.
Miss Durkin ended up tweeting her experience as she was given a talking-to by security personnel.
‘In the airport security line and I see someone wearing a Texas Tech hoodie and I look at them and do the gun hand signal because wreck em amiright [sic]. tsa is now pulling me aside to talk to me,’ she wrote in a her initial Twitter post.
Miss Durkin explained toBuzzFeed that whenever Texas Tech students see each other, they often salute one another with a finger gun and a ‘Wreck ’em’ slogan.
‘I love Texas Tech. I love the people, I love the school. Anytime I see someone I get really excited,’ she said.
It is that move which got her flagged by the TSA. The agent tapped her on the shoulder and sternly asked for her ID after spotting the gun symbols she was making.
The salute is so popular that fellow student often signal one another out and about using it
Miss Durkin was subjected to additional screening and a full body pat down
Miss Durkin thought the story was funny and decided to share what was happening on Twitter
”What are you doing?’ the agent asked her. ‘You can’t do that in an airport!’ they explained.
She was then subjected to a full body screening and patdown.
‘Oh my gosh, they think I’m a terrorist… Oh my gosh I’m going to jail,’ Miss Durkin said she remembered thinking. ‘I’m just sitting there, almost in tears, like, ‘No, I’m just really dumb, I’m not a terrorist!”
Miss Durkin said the TSA eventually let her off with just a warning after she explained the innocent misunderstanding. She also attempted to reassure them that she had learned her lesson.
Writing on Facebook, Miss Durkin said she is grateful that the situation didn’t turn out differently and says she realizes that if she had been African-American she may have faced much harsher treatment from the officers.
Miss Durkin has come under fire on social media and she has stressed how she realizes how the situation could have been vastly different had she beennnnnnnnn black
Cheerleaders to spectators are all familiar with the Texas Tech gun salute – just not the TSA
‘I am very lucky the situation was not worse. I do recognize that people of color are treated unfairly in situations like this and that racism and profiling is a epidemic in America that I do not condone or endorse. I am a huge advocate for Black Lives Matter, and for minority discrimination awareness. I think there is something very wrong with the fact that people of color in my position would have had to fear for their lives. Our country needs to change.
‘I am truly sorry for anyone that is offended by my story. I don’t know that more to say about this situation, except for apologize that our Country is in the turmulous state that it is in. I was not paying attention at all when I did this, it was a habit of a girl who loves her school. Please stop coming on my social media accounts and bashing me for this!! I just wanted this to be a funny story people would laugh at,’ she wrote.