Hirschkind was arrested Dec. 22 of last year after she told security officers she did not want to be touched in the breast or genital area.
"It is assault and that's why I said I would submit to a normal pat-down," Hirschkind said.
Quote:
The prosecutor refused an interview, and TSA officials who testified turned away from YNN cameras when approached.
Jury candidate Jeffrey Monroe said post-911 security has gone a bit too far.
"I think we are always hunting for the boogie-man and it's too easy to be looking for that under every cover and doing away with you know, your rights and your innocence until you're proven guilty," he said.
The judge in this case issued a $50 fine plus court costs for a total of $118.
Well, I can only hope that the jurors responsible for this never have another sound night's sleep as long as they live.
Time to fire up those keyboards and start communicating with your federal, state and local representatives. The way to get around all of these pro-TSA rulings is to just get TSA disbanded altogether.
Can't wait to see those TSOs unemployed and living on the streets.
__________________
Freedom is always more important than security! Fight TSA abuse of travelers' civil rights:TravelUnderground.org
Programs: AA (Life Plat), Starwood (Plat) and every other US program
Posts: 3,409
The headling on this thread is wrong (at least according to the cited article). She was arrested for refusing to EITHER allow the patdown OR to leave the airport. And she allegedly was lying on the ground?
Sensational title ... she was guilty of not following a police order. She was given two options and it sounds like she acted like a two year old instead.
Quote:
"At one point during the incident, she threw herself down on the airport floor, unwilling to cooperate. Shortly thereafter, Hirschkind was taken into custody."
Sensational title ... she was guilty of not following a police order. She was given two options and it sounds like she acted like a two year old instead.
I have to agree. However...
I don't like the part where she was told to cooperate with the search or leave the terminal. The pre-security portions of terminals are open to the public (yes, I know there's probably a rule about being there on airport business or somesuch). The only thing the TSOs should have told her is that if she didn't submit, she wasn't passing security. Period. If she wants to sit on a bench and sulk, that's her choice. And if she continues to make a scene at the checkpoint, or stands near the ticket counters ranting and raving, then yes, the police should get involved. But until that happens, leave her alone.
Though it sounds like she wasn't going to go quietly, but still...
That said, I don't think a temper tantrum is the appropriate way to express dissent at the checkpoint.
that was about as nothing a fine as you're going to get. I like way the TSA man didn't want his face to be seen. Way to be proud of your job dude! How's it feel to be despised by everyone in the country.
I am certainly no fan of TSA, from the upper managment that makes up the assinine, window dressing security rules and restrictions, to the lowest form of existence there is, the "clerks" with their tin badges.
That being said, behaving like a 3yr old and throwing a tantrum in my opinion was not the way to handle it.
What I would have done is step away from the security checkpoint, not create a scene, sit down somewhere in the public non sterile area, and when told to leave the airport, I would have refused and fought the charges in court after being arrested.
thanks for re-releasing a compendium of tsoron's greatest hits....
And lets not forget all other people who commented on this before, including me, without all the facts
This thead highlights a good point: how at the start we have so little reliable information regarding what actually happens and what is first reported in the news. The stories couldn't be more different than what was first reported and what actually happened. Yet all the initial comments we all had...
I don't like the part where she was told to cooperate with the search or leave the terminal. The pre-security portions of terminals are open to the public (yes, I know there's probably a rule about being there on airport business or somesuch). The only thing the TSOs should have told her is that if she didn't submit, she wasn't passing security. Period. If she wants to sit on a bench and sulk, that's her choice. And if she continues to make a scene at the checkpoint, or stands near the ticket counters ranting and raving, then yes, the police should get involved. But until that happens, leave her alone.
Though it sounds like she wasn't going to go quietly, but still...
It is not clear to me if what she was doing was a temper tantrum or civil disobedience. I am sure the British called the Boston tea party, a tantrum.
It is not clear to me if what she was doing was a temper tantrum or civil disobedience. I am sure the British called the Boston tea party, a tantrum.
I read a news report or something (may have been on this forum) that suggested that she may have had a seizure, and that is why she ended up on the floor. I can't recall exactly where/when I read this. Does anyone else recall that story?
I read a news report or something (may have been on this forum) that suggested that she may have had a seizure, and that is why she ended up on the floor. I can't recall exactly where/when I read this. Does anyone else recall that story?
According to her the police "pushed her to the ground". Without the video that may be true, false, somewhere in between, or still unclear.
Remember the woman who died at PHX ? There was a video of that but I still couldn't tell from it exactly who did what.
All day to come up with a peppercorn fine ? I guess there was a lot of "did", "did not" testimony .
to the Judge.
.
