Ok, repeat after me . . . the TSA is not a law enforcement agency . . .

ACooper

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#3
OMG.........WTF? I would be FURIOUS! That is F'ing ridiculous!

Checking my receipts? Asking if my prescription diet pills work? Searching my wallet for "razor blades" after I passed the metal detectors.........then accusing me of embezzling money from my husband :eek: I am telling you, I am so very thankful I don't fly and have no intentions of doing so in the future!!! :madgo:
 

AGonzalez

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#4
I'd have gone to jail, plain and simple. I would have flipped out and told them to stay the f*** out of my personal stuff that does not relate to security (i.e. the checks)

I've been harassed at airport security, it is a horrible feeling indeed. Luckily my harassment wasn't to this extent, I would have gone off for sure.
 
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#6
TSA: Behavior Detection Officers (BDO)

Super creepy. The special training seems to make them more suspicious of ALL passengers, not just those exhibiting whatever behaviors are on their watch list, from the wording of one of the statements in a background article here.

And they were encouraged to look for signs of crime unrelated to airline sabotage, which supposedly should not be done now. (Though if someone being kidnapped asks for help like in one case they report, that would be different. I could see calling the police then.)

TSA: BDOs SPOT More Than Just Opportunities at TSA

My husband has to fly a lot, and so far they have been very decent to him about avoiding the scanners that use radiation. Of course those are still proliferating thanks to stimulus money being diverted from creating jobs like it was supposed to be used for, and eventually he might have a rough time.
 
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#7
So... if the TSA sees evidence of a crime, they call the police... but isn't that going to open a whole can of evidence worms related to probable cause? The excuse has always been that you don't have to be searched, you can not try to fly, or lose your flight and the cost of the ticket. (Though, will they let you leave a checkpoint without calling the police?) But, in reality it isn't usually so easy to avoid flying sometimes.
 

Lilavati

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#8
So... if the TSA sees evidence of a crime, they call the police... but isn't that going to open a whole can of evidence worms related to probable cause? The excuse has always been that you don't have to be searched, you can not try to fly, or lose your flight and the cost of the ticket. (Though, will they let you leave a checkpoint without calling the police?) But, in reality it isn't usually so easy to avoid flying sometimes.
The real issue here is not that they shouldn't call the police if they see evidence of a crime, its that it isn't their job to be looking for evidence of a crime to begin with. Their job is to determine if you pose a threat to the plane. Looking though your receipts has NOTHING to do with being a threat to the plane. No one ever hijacked a plane with a reciept. Even if you had a reciept for a super-terrorist kit, the rest of the search should have determined that you had no such kit with you, and therefore, are no threat to the plane.

Having checks for a lot of money, or a large ammount of cash, are not a threat to the plane, nor are they clear evidence of a crime (in the face of clear evidence, like a big bag o' pot or a dead baby in your carry-on, of course they can, and should, call the police). They are not the TSA's business.
 

AGonzalez

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#9
I was wondering how the checks became any part of TSA's business at all. I know when I travel, I usually carry a fairly large sum of cash in my carry on, somewhere around $1000+ usually, in the event that my credit card company shuts my credit card off for "fraudulent use" when I'm somewhere I don't live (I've had that happen on a road trip). I'd think it'd be fairly common to carry cash and or things like travelers checks or checks for deposit say if you were on business.
 
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#10
The real issue here is not that they shouldn't call the police if they see evidence of a crime, its that it isn't their job to be looking for evidence of a crime to begin with. Their job is to determine if you pose a threat to the plane. Looking though your receipts has NOTHING to do with being a threat to the plane. No one ever hijacked a plane with a reciept.
Paper cuts!
 

Doberluv

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#14
I don't have to tell you how infuriated I'd be. I'd resist up the ying yang, cry, holler, act really nervous, delusional and really neurotic.... until they really got riled up and decided to handcuff me, throw me in a cell, take my belongings away, make me miss my flight and then I'd call a lawyer. It would be you, Lil. And then we'd sue the livin' daylights out of them. Bring your megaphone! I hope something is done about this illegal searching, violation of rights. There's a line between airline security and abuse of authority (yet again by another entity) and they're clearly crossing it time and again. That is not the only story out there, by any means.
 

AGonzalez

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#15
Hey Dobe, you could cut all the acting out and just wear a tinfoil hat, that's sure to get everyones attention! :D

I'd probably react very poorly to be harassed like that too though.
 

Doberluv

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#16
LOL. What is a tin foil hat? Would that make them suspect me of being some kind of robot...receiving and sending secret messages, implimenting mind control on TSA agents, zeroing in on listening devices I have imbedded in the tin foil? Or might it have some kind of long distance, radio controlled, static detonating device? Geezes...I better stop talking this way on the Internet! Someone from the TSA might believe me and suspect me of such a tin foil hat, and come arrest me for unpatriotic activities.:rofl1:
 

Lilavati

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#17
LOL. What is a tin foil hat? Would that make them suspect me of being some kind of robot...receiving and sending secret messages, implimenting mind control on TSA agents, zeroing in on listening devices I have imbedded in the tin foil? Or might it have some kind of long distance, radio controlled, static detonating device? Geezes...I better stop talking this way on the Internet! Someone from the TSA might believe me and suspect me of such a tin foil hat, and come arrest me for unpatriotic activities.:rofl1:
No. They'd just decide you were going to use the tin foil to make a deadly weapon and hijack the plane. :cool:

Edit: I should note though Dober, that in the somewhat unlikely case that you are actually hauled off by the TSA you would probably want a lawyer that, um, actually makes court appearences. Unless you want to build a power line or merge two large corporations, I'm probably not your best choice.
 

Doberluv

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#18
No. They'd just decide you were going to use the tin foil to make a deadly weapon and hijack the plane. :cool:

Edit: I should note though Dober, that in the somewhat unlikely case that you are actually hauled off by the TSA you would probably want a lawyer that, um, actually makes court appearences. Unless you want to build a power line or merge two large corporations, I'm probably not your best choice.[/QUOTE]

:rofl1::rofl1::rofl1:

Actually, I might need to merge two power lines from my tin foil hat. Then I'll think about making a single, small scale corporation.:lol-sign:
 

AGonzalez

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#19


A tin foil hat is a piece of headgear made from one or more sheets of aluminium foil or similar material. Alternatively it may be a conventional hat lined with foil. One may wear the hat in the belief that it acts to shield the brain from such influences as electromagnetic fields, or against mind control and/or mind reading; or attempt to limit the transmission of voices directly into the brain.

The concept of wearing a tin foil hat for protection from such threats has become a popular stereotype and term of derision; the phrase serves as a byword for paranoia and persecutory delusions, and is associated with conspiracy theorists.
 

Doberluv

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#20
Oh! That's GREAT!!! So, this is common knowledge? If I ever fly, which I won't, if I can at all help it, I'll be sure to wear a tin foil hat. LOL
 

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