Originally Posted by
WillCAD
Such speech is indeed protected - but such protections would not prevent the TSOs from piling every secondary screening method upon me in retaliation . You know, because I had been causing a disruption, which makes me a suspicious person who needs to be screened heavily. After all, I could be a terrorist who is trying to play the system by causing a disruption as a diversion so I could smuggle IED components through security in my underwear.
That is what continues to amaze me about this incident. I made a scene, a big one. I was not screaming, but my voice was raised. I was noticeably angry. At no time did I refuse his commands, but I made it known to him and the audience of literally 20-30 people crowded at the xray of the total ridiculousness of his accusation and
his decision to hold up the line.
As I reflect, his taking one of my electronics boxes, the one he said could be made into a detonator, and flipping the switches, was the most asinine thing I have ever seen at a checkpoint. A suspected detonator and the TSO is flipping the switches? There were audible gasps behind me when he did it. It proves he knew it was not dangerous and all a show. What sort of lack of intelligence does it take to hold a suspected IED detonator in a crowded area and start flipping the switches?
All of this and no retaliation. Amazing. When I was talking to the Supervisor, I turned to point out the TSO that had created this and he was gone, nowhere to be seen. They had even switched out xray operators. How convenient and appropriate.