I was passing through checkpoint D at McCarren this morning a and saw a young man videoing his friend getting hassled by the blue shirts following a nude-o--scope scan. I just stopped to watch when one of the blue shirts told the young man that he could no video them. I spoke up and said that they are in a public place and there is no expectation of privacy at the checkpoint. At this point, one of th blue shirts said that she as going to call the police. I was with my wife and she did not appreciate that I stuck my nose into someone elses fight so I left the area. Before getting on the train to go to the gates, I saw a LEO and asked him what the law stated about the young mans video. He stated that although the blue shirts don't like their pictures taken, there is no law against what happened and no expectation of privacy.. The blue shirts just don't learn do they?

Good for you! Thank you for standing up to them and educating the young man as well.

+1 for supporting the two guys who came to the airport apparently prepared to exercise their right, -1 to the screener who either doesn't know the laws relevant to her job, or was simply lying.

-1 for your wife's opinion: employees paid with our taxes who subvert the law, especially when they are in uniform, are our business.

+1 for the LEO who knew the relevant statutes, +1 to you for affirming that citizens have the right to verify.

I'd like to say "good for you" but you made a nasty mistake. You stood up at first, and then walked away after you were threatened by the TSO saying the Police would be called.

No matter what your reason was for walking away, the TSO won, and is now confident that others can be threatened.

If he had to catch a flight and waiting around might lead to missing it, moving on would have been best.

True. And this is why the TSA gets away with so much - people have more to lose in missing their flight than they're willing to risk in a confrontation with someone that they know beyond any reasonable doubt is both making stuff up or outright lying, and will resort to extreme measures to punish anyone who dares to contradict them.

I understand that, but if you're close to your flight time, don't get involved if you can't follow through.

It would have been better to leave it alone than to let the TSO gain the upper hand.

The end result is all that matters to them.