Originally Posted by
amanuensis
While I am not excusing what the TSO and the airport police did, I feel that I need to point out the obvious -- that if the C4L activist had simply answered the screener's question about the cash, no escalation would have ocurred.
Again, it was the refusal by Bierfeldt to answer a question that caused the screener to think in his mind that the money was related to some type of illegal activity, because if it was not, then why would the traveler not answer the question?
I assume it's because the traveler does not believe that TSOs have unbridled powers or limitless authority, but are required to abide by the provisions of the legislation which specifies their duties.
It is a greater problem that the TSA management/legal has apparently interpreted that legislation to suit themselves and that no other arm of government has (yet) seen fit to rein them in. If you cannot see that demanding the reason
why one has $x is clearly outside the remit of a TSO then I apologize for resorting to a tired cliche:
If you are not part of the solution then you
are part of the problem.
W.