Originally Posted by
TSO1973
You're right, it doesn't say passengers. It says individuals as it pertains to being allowed to board the aircraft, that sounds like the passengers to me. Being regulatory vs. statute is semantics. Traffic laws are regulatory as well, doesn't mean they can be ignored.
They can, and have, denied boarding for not complying with the gate screening. Not anecdotal, I've seen it happen.
Since the ID check, property checks, etc are covered under administrative searches at the checkpoint, how does doing the same check suddenly go into 4th amendment issues simply because the location has changed to the gate, prior to boarding?
Last time I checked there were no federal reservation signs at airports stating:
You are entering a federal reservation and are subject to search and seizure at any time. You've got one chance to do it right at the checkpoint. Have problems with the unscreened masses who work at the airport? Take it up with them, not the passengers who get treated as though they are felons on the way to prison.