Date: Thu, 2 Apr 2009 17:12:26 -0400
From: "Paine, Cheryl" <Cheryl.Paine%AT%dhs.gov>
Subject: FW: Got Feedback : Orange County John Wayne (SNA)
To: Phil Mocek

Dear Mr. Mocek,

Thank you for visiting the TSA website, specifically our blog. While I cannot speak on behalf of the state or city regarding photography at the airport security screening checkpoints, I can tell you that the TSA does not prohibit passengers or media from filming or photographing at our checkpoints, provided you refrain from filming of our x-ray monitors. I would recommend that you contact the John Wayne Airport, or visit their website at www.ocair.com, in order to obtain the airport policies on filming or photographing within the terminal or any other airport specific information.

Feel free to contact me if you have additional questions.

Cheryl Paine
Stakeholder and Customer Support Manager
TSA-John Wayne Airport
949-862-5524 Office

Date: Thu, 2 Apr 2009 14:30:48 -0700
From: Phil Mocek
Subject: Re: Got Feedback : Orange County John Wayne (SNA)
To: Cheryl Paine - TSA <Cheryl.Paine%AT%dhs.gov>
Cc: GotFeedback <Gotfeedback%AT%dhs.gov>

Ms. Paine:

You're welcome. Thank you for responding.

I haven't asked you to speak on behalf of any state or city, only to provide the location-specific information that your colleague Bob Burns stated on Tuesday, March 31, 2009, would be made available to those who contacted TSA using your "Got Feedback?" program [1].

[1]: <http://www.tsa.gov/blog/2009/03/can-i-take-photos-at-checkpoint-and.html>

Mr. Burns has already published the fact that TSA does not prohibit any photography at airports unless it is done in such a manner that airport or TSA operations are disrupted. He wrote that photographing monitors at TSA's luggage search stations was discouraged but not prohibited. Additionally, I have received responses from TSA representatives of 18 other major U.S. airports to the same question posed to you, and 15 of them confirmed that non-commercial photography in publicly-accessible areas of their airports is not prohibited as long as it does not interfere with airport and TSA operations. Only three even mentioned computer monitors. I await clarification from them.

If you have an airport-specific policy with regards to photography of monitors that are visible to the public, please tell me where I can read that policy.

Mr. Burns at TSA wrote, "while the TSA does not prohibit photographs at screening locations, local laws, state statutes, or local ordinances might. Your best bet is to call ahead and see what that specific airport's policy is. I suggest you use the Got Feedback program to directly contact the Customer Support Manager at the airport you're going to be traveling through. They will have an answer for you and if they don't, they can connect you with somebody who does."

I'll assume that you are unaware of any applicable local laws, state statutes, or local ordinances, since you did not mention any. Please correct me if I am mistaken.

If you don't have an authoritative answer, could you please provide me with the name and e-mail address, postal address, or telephone number (in that order of preference) of someone who does?

Thank you for your continued assistance.

--
Phil Mocek

Date: Tue, 14 Apr 2009 09:11:33 -0700
From: Phil Mocek
Subject: Re: Got Feedback : Orange County John Wayne (SNA)
To: Cheryl Paine - TSA <Cheryl.Paine%AT%dhs.gov>
Cc: GotFeedback <Gotfeedback%AT%dhs.gov>

I have received no further contact from you. Are you able to provide the information I have requested?

--
Phil Mocek