Originally Posted by
jkhuggins
Originally Posted by
senseker
Then once you go through, ask a TSO if they can keep an eye on your belongings.
Passengers shouldn't have to ask. It should be part of the SOP for a passenger's belongings to be in view of the passenger at all times, without having to specifically "ask" for this great "favor".
Furthermore, aren't we passengers
required to keep our belongings within view? I think I've heard an airport announcement about that somewhere.
Originally Posted by
TSORon
We dont stop a bag because it may have drugs in it
Really? Didn't you just tell us that when you find something that looks to you like illegal drugs, you stop what you're doing, call police, and wait for them to arrive and take over the investigation?
Originally Posted by
TSORon
if we go into a bag looking for your toothpaste and find your stash of dope then of course we notify a LEO.
I'm not sure why you'd be looking for toothpaste, but once you realized that it was not explosive, you're supposed to move on. If while you're pawing through our belongings, you find something that is clearly not a weapon, explosive, or incendiary, but looks to you like it might be a substance that some people are barred from possessing in some places under some circumstances, why would initiating a police investigation of that substance take precedence over searching the next person for dangerous items?
Originally Posted by
TSORon
And thats how the vast majority of drugs are found in TSA workplaces. We are searching a bag for a suspected prohibited item and we find the stash.
How is that different for your Congressionally-mandated search for weapons, explosives, and incendiaries? You search people's belongings, and if you see something that looks like a weapon, explosive, incendiary, or illegal drug, you take action, right? In some cases, you call the bomb squad, in some cases you confiscate the item, and in some cases, you call the police.
Looking at this a different way, you could just as easily say that you are not searching for bombs, but if you see something that looks like a bomb while you're digging around trying to find some toothpaste, you're going to report it.
Come on, Ron. You're not really searching
for anything. You're simply searching people and their belongings. And when you find any of a number of items, you take action. Those items that, when found during your search, trigger further investigation, include drugs, right?
Originally Posted by
TSORon
Its not intentional but we cannot ignore it.
Wrong. You
can ignore it, just like you ignore a number of other things which might indicate wrongdoing, might not indicate wrongdoing, and almost certainly do not present a danger to anyone if they are carried into the airport or onto an airplane.
Originally Posted by
jkhuggins
I think it's a little disingenuous for TSA to claim "we're not looking for drugs", when in fact TSA has specific rules that say you're supposed to take action if you find something that looks like drugs.
I think it's more than disingenuous.