Originally Posted by
halls120
So, if any one of want to dress up like a clerk, and walk around an airport playing BDO, the feds aren't going to prosecute us. Now, if we pull someone into a room to perform a pat down, that probably qualifies.
IOW, mere impersonation of a clerk isn't enough to warrant a federal charge under 18 USC 912.
That is my understanding, too. The law DOES apply to impersonating TSA employees (regardless of whether they are "officers" or not), the issue is that you have to use the impersonation to get someone to do something. So
--Dressing up on Halloween is completely legal,
--Impersonating a government employee to get a discount at a hotel is probably illegal, but is generally not prosecuted unless you specifically demand the discount is necessary to complete your official duties.
--Dressing up as a TSA officer to molest people is completely illegal, but may or may not be prosecuted
However, I would strongly suspect that in some airports, mostly depending on local LEOs, dressing up as a TSA employee at the airport could result in detention or arrest on some charge... 'interfering with the screening process' comes to mind.