seanthepilot

Following a flyertalkers advice to 'call this bluff', I have dared them to do so, twice. 1st time he backed down. 2nd time not so lucky. I recommend avoiding this approach if al all possible.

KleineFrau

Depends on your definition of "not so lucky." If they want to call over a law enforcement officer, usually they won't. But you have to be confident and prepared to handle the situation if they do. Don't be afraid to deal with the police.

seanthepilot

Agreed.

I am not afraid of the police, who I find infinitely easier to deal with than the security humps.

But the situation sure gets twisted when two uniforms decide to take over. What really happened becomes unimportant.

T-the-B

I'm strongly considering purchasing a small digital voice recorder. Most TSA employees I've dealt with are professional and courteous. However; the occasional "Barney Fife" types are terrible. For my own protection I think that having an audio record of what I said and what they said would be helpful if and when a LEO gets pulled into a situation. I think a surreptitious recording might be a useful "ace in the hole".

Doppy

Putting legal issues with this aside, how do you expect to employ the recorder in practice? Presumably you can't take it through the WTMD, and usually when they're engaged in a search of your stuff, they won't let you touch it, so you wouldn't be able to get the recorder out.

I suppose you could turn it on, put it in your bag or jacket pocket, then run it through and hope that it recorded something if there were a problem on the other end, but I wouldn't count on it recording anything audible.

Spiff

"Be my guest, tough guy."

T-the-B

You pretty much summed up the alternatives:
1. Turn it on before entering the lane and place it in my bag. For this to be effective it would probably require an external microphone.

or,

2. Turn it on before entering the lane and put in in my shirt pocket. I understand that it would trigger hand-wanding but it would capture all interactions between me and TSA. I'll have to weigh the added hassle of a guaranteed hand-wanding against being able to document the occasional TSA goon-like behavior.

I'm still thinking through the cost/benefit ratio and trying to decide if it is worth it or not.

Another strategy I'm mulling over is to say nothing and rely on written notes if I am stopped/questioned. I can't stop TSA people from lying to supervisors about what they say to me but at least I could product an exact record of what I had said to them.

timothyp_787

What happened the second time? Whisked away for a body cavity search?

FatManInNYC

Think twice about recording a conversation without everyone's consent. For example: http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles...iretapping.htm

bdschobel

On several occasions -- though none recently -- I have insisted that a law-enforcement officer be summoned. Every time but one (in Boston), he sided with me. The best example was at Newark when a TSA lead screener told me that he's a "Federal agent" and "considered to be a law-enforcement officer." I demanded to see a real one, who promptly set the TSA guy straight.

Bruce

goalie

emphasis mine: rotflmao and he's running for president, too, isn't he. sheesh, what a f*ng moron we have helping us feel safer at the airport which fails its own surprise (yet secretly announced) internal security tests. . how do you flunk an open book test? easy-work for the tsa at ewr.

mkt

Did you inform the real police officer of the TSO impersonating a police officer? I'm sure that would be wonderful

bocastephen

Although I don't trust PA police as far as I could spit, I would have insisted felony charges be laid against the screener.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the law require the police to charge someone with a felony if a citizen insists they have evidence of the crime?

vesicle

Now Boca...you know laws are enforced at the whim of the 'agent of the law' present.

Good luck getting a cop to nail a TSO...

bdschobel

I merely repeated what the TSA guy told me and asked the police officers (three of them!) if the TSA guy was correct. They rolled their eyes and promised me that they would set him straight, which they did. Meanwhile, I was free to go.

Bruce