Originally Posted by
LegalTender
I'm just wondering if screeners are inclined to pass on borderline enforcement items that don't literally violate the carry-on rules.
"Inclined to"? Absolutely!
but should they? Absolutely not!
Originally Posted by
LegalTender
Don't jurisdictions overlap?
Only in the minds of the screeners and/or those who make their policies at TSA HQ. TSA's "jurisdiction" is to keep off aircraft those things which pose an immediate threat to the physical safety of that aircraft: i.e. weapons and bombs. That's it, that's all. Cash, white powders, green leaves, magazines (porn or not, kiddie porn or not) and books (regardless of the language or content) do not pose any danger to the immediate safety of the aircraft and are none of their business. Undeclared cash in amounts greater than $10k going in or out of the country is CBP's jurisdiction. Drugs and kiddie porn are the jurisdiction of local and federal police, FBI, DEA, etc.
They've gone a long way down the slippery slope. Most people would agree they should report a severed human head, even though it's not a threat to aircraft. The argument is that any decent person would report that, gov't employee or not, which is probably fair. But where do you then draw the line? Some people think they should report substances that might (or might not) be drugs, for the same reason that you'd report the severed head. They're now bold enough to think they need to report legal things (like cash) just because there is a scenario in which it
might be linked to illegal activities. Their justification is that they're just "helping out" the CBP. Next they'll want to browse through your magazines to see whether they've got kiddie porn, check the music on your iPod to make sure it's all legal and run a check on your children just in case you're a kidnapper. Just helping out the FBI, you know. The problem, of course, is many innocent people are harassed in the process (which is why the Constitution doesn't allow such searches) and that screeners don't have any of the required training for detective work.
The next step (and if you think this isn't coming you haven't been paying attention) is random searches of your car, home and business to see whether you have any illegal activities or possessions. Game over.