Originally Posted by
pmocek
If for any reason you are searching someone's belongings, whether that be by hand or by X-ray, and you see something that looks to you like illegal drugs, you are going to "stop a bag" just as if you found something that looked like a weapon or an explosive, right?
On the XRay it is very very difficult to tell the difference between a block of cheese and a block of C4. The same goes for most organic items. Which is why we will call for a bag check.
Originally Posted by
pmocek
Those people probably wish that you would stay out of their business.
I’d love to, stop bringing it to my checkpoint and we both are happy.
Originally Posted by
pmocek
There must be some miscommunication, here. When you start your search of someone's belongings, whether that search be by hand or by X-ray, you're supposed to be searching for weapons, explosives, and incendiaries. In practice, you're also searching for controlled substances, evidence of immigrations violations, evidence of credit card fraud, and probably several other things. Do you mean to tell me that you will keep searching until you find one of those things? I doubt it.
No, when I start a search of a bag on the checkpoint I am looking for a specific item seen by the XRay operator. Nothing more and nothing less. Once I find that item my search is over. I will rerun the bag through the XRay to verify that I have found the item and that there are no other prohibited items in the bag. It’s the XRay operators job to use his device to detect prohibited items.
Originally Posted by
pmocek
Isn't that precisely what you'll do if you find something that looks like a bomb or other weapon? In either case, you're looking through someone's belongings in an attempt to find things that are not supposed to be there. In either case, if you see something that looks like one of certain items that are not supposed to be there, you're going to stop and call a supervisor. You're only going to move on to the next bag if you can do so without releasing the one with the suspicious item. Please tell me the difference in your reaction to finding something that you suspect is an illegal drug and something that you suspect is a weapon.
No difference, I will call a supervisor in either case. By weapon I mean a firearm, knives and such I have the authority to deal with on my own, unless its larger than 3inches.
If I hand a bag over to a supervisor, its his / her responsibility, and I get back to taking care of mine.
Originally Posted by
pmocek
I stand corrected. So if you find weapons, explosives, incendiaries, or drugs, you call a supervisor.
Correct.
Originally Posted by
pmocek
Now, please answer the question I asked. 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 each case, you call a supervisor. You're treating drugs the same as weapons when you search a bag, right?
When I search a bag its to find a specific prohibited item. Depending on what it is I either deal with the issue myself or I call for a supervisor. Believe me, I know when to call a supervisor over. I am NEVER searching a bag for drugs. Not my job. But if I find them then I am required to notify a supervisor.
Originally Posted by
pmocek
According to what you've told us, weapons, explosives, incendiaries, and drugs are all treated the same by you, except that you say you're not searching for one of them, just the others. If you find any during your search, the result is the same. Am I missing anything?
Yes, you missed a key point. I
intentionally search for prohibited items, I do
not intentionally search for drugs. Finding them is incidental to the search I am conducting, but still require action.
Originally Posted by
pmocek
Yes, I intended for that to make sense. What's the difference between 1) you searching for bombs but not drugs, and 2) you searching for bombs and drugs, if you're going to take the same action when you find bombs or drugs?
See above.
Originally Posted by
pmocek
You keep telling us that you're not searching for drugs, and that you are searching for weapons, explosives, and incendiaries, but you're clearly searching for drugs as well. You tell us, "I"m not searching for drugs, but if I see them while searching your bag, I'll take action." I'm saying that we could describe what you do by saying, "TSA are not searching for bombs, but if they see one while searching a bag, they'll take action." You follow?
No Phil. No. Intent is the point. I
intentionally search for prohibited items, I do
not intentionally search for drugs. Drugs are not the TSA’s concern, just as child abuse is not a citizens concern, unless they are mandated to report it if suspected. I am mandated to report the finding of anything I suspect to be an illegal substance.
Originally Posted by
pmocek
Ron, do you understand that when you look inside a bag with an X-ray machine, you are searching the bag?
Uhh, yeah.
Originally Posted by
pmocek
You may be trained to play fetch, but you TSA bag examiners as a group search every carry-on bag. I don't care what you say you're looking for, but the truth is that you're going to look at everything, and if you find something that looks like weapons, explosives, incendiaries, or drugs, your next step is exactly the same: call a supervisor. This tells me that if what you're doing should be considered a search for weapons, it should also be considered a search for drugs.
See above.
Originally Posted by
pmocek
I'd like to know how you summarize the following instructions: "Examine content of bag, either by hand and naked eye, or with the assistance of an X-ray machine. If anything in the bag appears to be a weapon, explosive, incendiary, illegal drug, large quantity of cash, or toothpaste, alert a supervisor." You can call it a search for gold or anything else, but it's still a search for dangerous items, drugs, cash, and toothpaste.
I would summarize those instructions as inaccurate. When I open a bag or view one on the XRay I am looking for specific things, those things do not include drugs or cash. If I happen to find those things (which by the way do not appear as either on the XRay) during my search then I have specific instructions to notify a supervisor.
Determining what something is on our XRay system is far more of an art form than a cut and dried system. One must actually do it to understand the difference.