Originally Posted by
SgtScott31
If I had to take a guess on the short video without any audio or other facts, I would think that she was told to step back from her belongings to get screened and refused to.
TSA shouldn't be trying to take pax out of visual contact with their belongings during a search. The LEO certainly shouldn't be telling someone to not watch their property during screening unless the LEO is going to take personal responsibility for the person's property while the owner can't watch (which I doubt any LEO would do).
Interesting that your assessment and mine from a previous post essentially lead to the same thing--the LEO tried to distract the pax from visually watching her property, the pax declined to do so, and the LEOs used that as a motivation to dominate and control the pax. IMO a typical response--LEO for a second thinks he/she doesn't have total control of a situation and so takes down and arrests a civilian to regain that control.
If you have initiated the screening process and refuse to do anything TSA tells you to do, then LE will be called and you will be subject to search because of your behavior and/or actions.
TSA has no grounds to keep a pax from watching the search of their belongings. It is well established here and elsewhere that TSA is crawling with thieves and wannabe thieves.
A LEO called over because a pax demanded to watch the search of her belongings has no probable cause to initiate his/her own search of a passenger. Any such search is a case of joint power-tripping and abuse by the TSOs and the LEOs and should be harshly dealt with by escalating punishment leading to termination.
Her level of cooperation has everything to do with it. If you do not want to cooperate with TSA, then don't fly commercially. If you do not agree with how you are treated, it is not a good idea to start causing a big "ruckus" at the checkpoint. This can definitely lead to an arrest.
So pax should put up with TSOs stealing their belongings, separating them from their purse and/or wallet, grabbing their pregnant wife's breasts, claiming a leather bookmark is a deadly weapon, forcing them to remove their prosthetic limbs, claiming the pax has no free-speech rights at the airport, etc.? Every one of these is a
confirmed incident that has been reported here on FT or elsewhere. But they shouldn't make a ruckus because power-tripping TSOs and LEOs will trump up some charges and intimidate them through arrest?
Absolutely disgusting.
I would say 99% of the traveling public are smart enough to handle it a civilized way by filing complaints with the appropriate agencies involved.
I'm not worried about the traveling public. I'm worried about the TSA following their own bleepin SOP, allowing passengers to monitor and protect their property since TSA refuses to do so, and treating passengers with the respect and dignity they both deserve and are guaranteed under the Constitution.