...Finally, here is ways that you can do your part to help ensure you hold on to your remaining freedoms which have not yet been infringed out while enduring the TSA screening process:

Always be polite and courteous. Just because the TSA gives you ugly stares, threatens you, or gives commands which violate your rights doesn’t mean you should be ugly back. Be professional and courteous. Doing so will make them look all the more vile and evil in the eyes of the public. Readers have reported that when filming their voice gets jittery, their hands unsteady, and they get nervous. This is your body’s natural reaction when facing a threat. Some may choose to not continue to film due to this visceral reaction. Doing so in a peaceful way provides good practice for handling these situations, or for unexpected more grave “fight or flight” situations outside of the airport in the future.

Know the State or City Laws. The vast majority of states and cities do not prohibit your natural right to videotape or be a journalist at an airport. However there are a few exceptions which operate in a Constitutional grey area. This CNN article is a great reference. We have had dozens of reader submissions of filming the TSA checkpoint and not once has a reader been detained by police or not been able to leave the scene and go about his or her business when he or she wished to. With that said, it sadly only takes one bad apple TSA agent or LEO on a power trip make your day difficult.

Film just AFTER you’ve completed the screening process. You have every right to begin filming the TSA at any point in the screening process. The problem is, if you start right off the bat, say at the ID checkpoint, or before going through the metal detector, the TSA can immorally and easily ruin your day. They can say you were a security threat and prevent you from going through the screening process and therefore getting on the plane. The TSA cannot legally detain you in any circumstance, they can call the police who potentially could, and make you miss your flight. Therefore clear the screening process. And as you are finishing repacking your bag then begin to make your films and video. At this point you have successfully passed the screening process and film away. The TSA has no more “power” over you to screen you. We suggested standing in the public hallways where it is crystal clear your camera or the surveillance cameras can see you are not blocking or impeding the screening process. Don’t film the x-ray machines or the private rooms.

Film often. The individual TSA agents to which we have spoken truly dislike it when you film them even though they are being filmed at all times by surveillance cameras. Much of this reason is that people value their privacy, even if they don’t have an expectation of privacy when you take a job that serves or works in public like Police and TSA. Point out the irony to them that they value their privacy just like you value your ability to travel in public without an unconstitutional search and seizure of of your 6 oz contact lens solution. We have many readers now who pull out their camera phone every time they complete a TSA screening just to capture the scene or see what interest interactions happen with agents.

Film as recourse. If an agent was particularly rude to you, maybe barking orders loudly, not showing courtesy or sensitivity to your needs, or giving you a very intrusive enhanced-pat down, pull out your phone and take his or her picture! They will hate it, it is your right, and you may be able to warn other travelers of this agent or help get him noticed by the TSA so they can take corrective action. Don’t forget to submit your pictures and video to: http://tsasecuritytheater.tumblr.com.

Ask Good, Open-Ended Questions. If a TSA agent engages you in a conversation at the checkpoint, ask questions as your responses. For example, if they say “Why are you filming at my checkpoint?”, you could respond with, “To what extent am I allowed to film at a TSA checkpoint, a public place?” or “why do you ask, do you have something to hide?”. Or if you wish to turn their own game back at them, you could say, “I am filming because there have been some safety and security threats at the airport. Your safety is my priority. To what extent are you concerned about these threats?” Once seasoned or confident, you could continue (although no longer open-ended, the effect and irony will be there in the response), “Since there have been reports in the area of thefts of passenger belongings, for your safety and security I’d like to screen you by giving you a pat-down. Do you consent?”