DEN is in the news again
 

This was on the local NBC station today. It would be interesting to find out what they were actually videotaping and for what purpose. I can't believe DEN is a bastion of AQ cells though we did have that crazy last year that bought hair supplies and drove all the way out to NYC to do something nefarious.

http://www.9news.com/news/local/arti...xt|FRONTPAGE|t

On a side note, on NOD I was briefly questioned by the local police when I went out to DEN to observe how the NOS were being utilized. I wasnt detained (but I had an ID and I wasnt videotaping) and the police said they were going to supposedly pass my information to the FBI. I havent flown since so I have no idea if I made the domestic extremist list.

'the sky is falling, the sky is falling!!!'

Either something doesn't add up here, or I need some sleep. :confused:

Or both. :p

I would say though there are pieces missing to this story.

I'll bet on the TSA clerks calling it in because they didn't want to end up on Youtube.

The article doesn't even make sense (unless it is updated after I viewed it).

As far as what happened to you at DEN, I find it disturbing the local police found it necessary to collect your information to pass onto the FBI, unless it was said as a 'threat' to scare you.

Did they ever say why they intended to pass your info to the FBI? I presume they found nothing wrong with what you were doing and there wasn't more to it (i.e. police asking you to leave).

<shakes head>

As this is my home airport, I am disappointed to hear that if I take my DSLR to watch the checkpoint, I may be detained by the DPD :rolleyes:

I'm interested to hear the rest of the story..

No, obviously not, TSA does not want see video onto youtube. It's too extremely dangerous out there.

Just a guess, but I'm thinking that the three people with no IDs and no boarding passes were videotaping the fourth (who had ID and a boarding pass?) in the hopes of landing their 15 minutes of youtube fame catching a TSO giving their friend an aggressive pat down. The three others probably weren't carrying ID or a boarding pass so they could have their own Phil Mocek moment.


Some people would appear to have waaaayyyy too much time on their hands.

And in what way is videotaping, having too much time on their hands or carrying no ID illegal? Your opinion on what people should be doing with their time is in no way relevant.

I never said not carrying ID was illegal. What I'm guessing is that these four were deliberately hoping for a confrontation with either TSA or airport police. It's my opinion that deliberately traveling to the airport with the hope of creating a confrontation or becoming involved in a confrontation is silly. Furthermore, when you deliberately look for a confrontation, guess what you're more likely to get, a confrontation.

I don't consider this overused statement a bad thing, although it's usually inferred as such and made to belittle someone who's engaged in an activity the other doesn't approve of.

If someone's hobby is bringing to light the immature and shoddy behavior or the TSA and its practices, and someone has the time (on their hands) and resources to do it - then that's a very good thing for that person and anyone interested in it.

The TSA will never be mistaken from a crack team of anti-terror agents. Who would present more of a threat? Someone openly video taping and snapping pictures or a person covertly doing surveillance with hidden cameras? Someone truly looking to gather usable intel would be discreet and do little to draw attention to their actions.

I can only imagine if the DHS/TSA was assigned to search out OBL. They would have marched their "honor guard" into Abbottabad in a "show of force." They would then proceed to knock on every door with a picture of OBL asking, "Do you know this guy?" Anyone not speaking English would have the same question repeated in a voice twice as loud. The real OBL would then proceed to walk away as dozens of clerks stood around.

Filming or recording, other than of the TSA monitors, is allowed by TSA and is legal and constitutionally protected behavior in most jurisdictions. A law enforcement officer is sworn to protect citizens and their rights, not look for reasons to harass or intimidate them, or to judge how they should spend their spare time.

It takes two to tango. If TSA and law enforcement operate within their bounds, confrontation is not possible during said recording, without deliberate provocative action by the recordists. Filming is not of itself provocative, and should not be feared unless TSA or law enforcement has something to hide.

The things that sticks out like a sore thumb in the news report is that 3 of the 4 were trying to gain entrance to the sterile area, and that 3 of the 4 had neither IDs nor boarding passes. This means that at least two people trying to enter the sterile area were not qualified to do so. On top of that, someone was there to film the debacle.