nachtnebel

Normally I might agree with you. But in the context where we cannot fly without running a significant risk of having our own and our loved one's privates felt by complete strangers under duress, I see this as a worthwhile form of protest. I could care less if Phil had shut down the whole dam* airport. Who cares if everything is running smoothly if passengers are getting sexually imposed upon whenever TSA decides to do so? A shutdown would be preferable.

Keep your hands off our private areas first, and then we can talk about how to keep the screening process moving smoothly.

Dan_E

Though I could understand why one would allow phil to "get off" in the court of public opinion because he is doing ones bidding at his personal risk, I disagree that it is worthwhile protest. We are just going to have to agree to disagree on this, but the TSA agents and police at the check points are the exact wrong people to take your anger out on. I am guessing they are mostly folks like you and I who are doing the best they can do at their job, and dont write policy.

Engaging your elected leaders, appealing formally to the right stakeholders and getting personally involved outside of checkpoint militancy is gonna get you a bit further, IMHO.

Dan_E

Says who? Do folks not realize that the TSA blog is the mouthpiece of the TSA, its management, and it furthers the goals and agenda of it? If you go to the Packers blog do you think they are going to give "equal time" to the Steelers?

There are plenty of disclaimers all around the blogosphere. Blogs are not policy, per se, just a public/customer relations management tool, no matter how poorly it may used.

Boggie Dog

Phil did not waste anyones tax dollars. That waste of tax dollars was generated by the ABQ police and the State of New Mexico.

Complain to them about wasted tax dollars.

ElizabethConley

Some of you folks are gluttons for punishment. I think you'd bang yourselves on the head with a hammer, just 'cause it'll feel good when you stop.

chollie

Really? So anyone who lacks the physical or mental ability to drive (or be licensed) and who doesn't travel abroad is...'abnormal'?

So someone (like a family member) whose wallet is stolen while on holiday is...'abnormal'?

But a TSO who has been 'fully trained' to recognize valid IDs (or check a reference, you know, like the TSA website), that TSO is...'normal'?

A TSO whose own boss, Pistole, has acknowledged should be capable of recognizing at least the top 10 valid IDs listed on the TSA website, a TSO whose own boss acknowledged publicly a problem with TSOs performing their job, that TSO is...'normal'?

Perhaps you go through life paying for services you do not receive; perhaps when you don't receive services you've paid for, you are happy to do the work yourself or settle for poor service. I don't find that acceptable or 'normal'.

You likened the TSA to the military. Heaven help us all if the folks on the front lines are so incapable of learning and performing their jobs. Unlike TSOs, soldiers on the front line probably don't have the option of telling the enemy "hold on, I don't recognize this scenario, try a different form of attack".

pmocek

Dan, I've engaged in honest, open communication with you here. I've asked you twice to support your assertions -- about my own actions and the effect thereof -- but you've failed to do so. I suspect that bringing this up a fourth time would be considered badgering and would be strongly discouraged by FlyerTalk moderators, so I won't do so. But I want it to be very clear to everyone reading this that you have made bold and incorrect claims about my actions, and that despite my very polite requests for you to clear up any misunderstanding that might have led me to this conclusion, you have not done so.

Your avoidance of simple, on-topic, questions about your own opinions leads me to suspect that your statements were more of an emotional outburst than the result of an honest evaluation of the evidence with which you have been presented. I suspect that you, like Mr. Breedon and Officer Dilley, find my calm, rational, and lawful actions bothersome. You have every right to be bothered by those actions. Please do not slander me as a result of your frustration with the world around you.

As a final reminder, I asked the following:

chollie

It wasn't Phil causing the problem or inconveniencing anyone. It was ill-informed, power-tripping TSOs and their ABQ PD counterparts, compounded by a corrupt prosecutor willing to build a case on perjury and what he thought was destroyed evidence.

TSA, ABQ PD and the local prosecutor wasted taxpayer dollars and time, not Phil Mocek.

sheneh

You are entitled to your opinion and many if not the vast majority here travel with common forms of ID; however, the fact that somebody *might* have to spend another minute in line because someone intentionally travels without ID does not make it a crime. So we have "anything for safety" folks and "anything for expediency" people. TSA loves to play on this and make out everyone who doesn't follow their preferred procedures (but still following procedures!) as inconveniencing other people regardless of whether or not that's really the case. Whatever. You probably scowl at opt-outs too. The only people slowing you down are the ones that don't know the rules or their rights. And TDCs that call police officers when someone pulls out a camera. If he had just ignored it there would have been no scene and no trial. Personally I expect better judgment and behavior from TSOs than from the travelling public. I see people far less polite and more disruptive than Phil at C/Ps all the time but they don't get arrested.

Dan_E

If I may ask, just to apply some statistical analysis to the discussion, how often do you personally travel without typical identification through a TSA checkpoint? I will unfairly classify "typical" ID as a US State drivers license/ID card, a passport of any country, a government ID card (military, civ, CONT, etc).

Then, again, just for perspective, how often do you turn on a video camera to document the process of the actions that occur due to the answer to number 1 above.

So, lets tally up the numbers. Realizing that the sample is going to swing way outside the norm because this is TS/S after all , lets tally the results. Now, put that is column 1. Lets make a column 2, and call that "everybody else." Answer the same questions above for everybody else who passed through security on that same day.

Now, here is some math here, compare both numbers. Mean, Median, and Mode...I suggest they all say that phil was the odd man out here. FWIW

Boggie Dog

The difference is that the Packers blog is not funded with those tax dollars you seem so concerned about.

KIXman

Actually, a lot of FTers have been already doing what you suggest, but either receive a canned response, or no response at all:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...-reaction.html

On the other hand, Phil's actions, and other actions at the checkpoint which tackle other issues with "security" (touch my junk, National Opt Out Day) have brought these issues to the attention of the public, and thus eliciting more response on these than what elected leaders have shown.

sirdatary

I'd suggest you peform the same stastistical analysis on the number of African Americans that, on December 1, 1955 would have simply moved to the back of the bus vs. not.

How many bus passengers were inconvenienced that day? What were the social norms at the time?

You make think it disrespectful to compare the actions of Rosa Parks to Phil Mocek, and I'm not asserting that they are of equal significance, but they both asserted their rights at great personal cost in the face of a perceived injustice by persons in authority. The difference is that we know how the story of Rosa Parks ended.

Caradoc

Were it not for the TSA, none of the others would have been involved to waste time or money.

Dan_E

I believe I have directed my honest and non-confrontational personal opinion, which may or may not be opposed to yours (and others) and have answered your repeated question. People were inconvienanced, I gave examples via scenarios above (e.g., TSO, police, other travelers, ticket agents, TS/S readers, courts, lawyers, jury, blogger bob, phil himself, me).

As for the use of the specific word "refusal," in hindsight it may have seemed the correct word at the time (not unlike nachtnebel in the mix-up of he/they above), but I regret its use and apologize. In my mind not presenting an ID is a refusal, but I think I am probably on shaky ground. I could attempt to pick nits, but I will promise to search for a nuetral term that more accurately describes my perception of your act.