TSA to investigate body scan resister

[wsc321]

None of this whole thing has surprised me so far, but today's story did. I did not think the TSA would double-down - I thought at this point the "happy medium" movement would start.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/nov/15/tsa-probe-scan-resistor/


So, the man is being "investigated" (who knows what that involves?) for simply choosing to leave the airport rather than going through the "scan". One commenter on the story linked above argued that airports are now "Constitution-free zones where you become guilty until proven innocent."

It seems the TSA is just wildly overplaying its hand here. What will they do when the American people boycott the airlines?

Anyway - seems to me the answer might be to get the Federal Government out of the airline security role. Let them set some standards and inspect the private security programs of the airlines if they must... but let the airlines do it themselves.

When do Americans get it: once the Federal Government takes something over the Individual has little to no recourse. At least when we encounter abuses by a corporation we can vote with our wallets.

[Bruno]

And he is being faced with a $11,000 fine (he'd have no shortage of people helping him to pay for that. Was he informed ahead of time that he would be fined $11,000 if he changed his mind once he decided he didn't want to be groped?

"According to Aguilar, Tyner is under investigation for leaving the security area without permission. That’s prohibited, among other reasons, to prevent potential terrorists from entering security, gaining information, and leaving." :rolleyes:

[malkusm]

Is there a list somewhere of which airports have these scanners?

[Bern]

His story got too much attention/publicity and now they need to make an example out of him to quell the sheeple.

The original SoSD story:


...
More senior TSA administrators showed up, and one San Diego police officer. Tyner's personal information was taken down and then he was escorted out of the security area. After he put his shoes back.

His father-in-law, a 40-year retired deputy sheriff, can be heard pleading in the back ground for some common sense.

Tyner went over to the American Airlines counter where an agent, to his amazement, refunded the price of his non-refundable ticket.

Before he could leave, however, he was again surrounded by TSA employees who told him he couldn't leave the security area. One, who kept insisting he was trying to help Tyner, told him that if he left he would be subject to a civil suit and a $10,000 fine.

Tyner asked if the agents who had escorted him from the security area would also be sued and fined.

The same man who told Tyner he would be sued and fined if he left, also insisted that he did not tell him he couldn't leave.

So Tyner left.
...

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/nov/14/tsa-ejects-oceanside-man-airport-refusing-security/

It's the same bulllshit you see when drivers are detained at checkpoints and repeatedly ask if they are being detained or are free to go. The authority simply denies the former and ignores the latter. They never give positive indication that you can go and they never give positive indication that you are being detained (because then they would need to cite legal cause). They can effectively keep you in limbo forever and that's an arrest for all practical purposes.

[Baptist]

Is there a list somewhere of which airports have these scanners?

NPR yesterday said that soon every airport will have at least one. Who cares, though? Even if an airport does not they still molest you with the new pat-downs.

[Deborah K]

I listend to the entire recording. They instructed him the entire time. He's got it on record. They don't have a case. It's an intimidation ploy. My guess is no case will be filed.

[Deborah K]

NPR yesterday said that soon every airport will have at least one. Who cares, though? Even if an airport does not they still molest you with the new pat-downs.

This whole step-up in security is for one reason only - money and control. The gov't signed a contract to buy a certain number of the those scanners and now they have to buy them. The reason the pat-downs are so invasive is to encourage more people to just go through the porn scanner, instead of being molested.

Why else would they step up security? We haven't had a single incident since 9-11 and these scanners only came out about a year ago. This is about money and control over us and nothing else. They want to get us used to these things so they can use them at all gov't facilities and eventually stadiums, etc.

[Bern]

Is there a list somewhere of which airports have these scanners?

http://epic.org/privacy/airtravel/backscatter/

[Bruno]

"Everybody needs to go through the scanning process"

Not true - people are "randomly" selected to go through additional screening.

So, are they playing russian roulette with our lives?

[toowm]

http://epic.org/privacy/airtravel/backscatter/

This is not updated. I know Logan airport in Boston has some too.

[HOLLYWOOD]

NPR yesterday said that soon every airport will have at least one. Who cares, though? Even if an airport does not they still molest you with the new pat-downs.


And look who's sitting in the background laughing all the way to the bank:

http://www.puppetgov.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/michael_chertoff_RSA_2008-320x226.jpg

[Deinonychus]

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/travel-safety-security/1138014-complete-list-airports-whole-body-imaging-advanced-imaging-technology-scanner.html

Community contributed list of the scanners.

[Deborah K]

I'm wondering if we should apply some pressure on the manufacturers of these porn scanners. You know, free market and all. Expose them and their deal with the devil (gov't.) Apply pressure from the top and the bottom. Top:protest TSA, pressure on elected officials, find out who did the deal. Bottom: the manufacturers, and the whack-job media personalities who say stupid shit like "I have nothing to hide".

[txaslftist]

Michael Chertoff is a lobbyist for one of the machines.