Originally Posted by Carl Johnson

Ron suggested that the guy was a BDscreening clerk. That whole process is violation of constitutional rights and a waste of taxpayer money.

Originally Posted by onlyairfare

As a woman who often travels alone, I would rather not have a discussion with a stranger about where I am traveling and what I will be doing there. Others could overhear and use the information to my disadvantage - decreasing rather than increasing my security.

Originally Posted by onlyairfare

As a woman who often travels alone, I would rather not have a discussion with a stranger about where I am traveling and what I will be doing there. Others could overhear and use the information to my disadvantage - decreasing rather than increasing my security.

I don't necessarily want to listen to some stranger blather about his kids, especially when I wish to focus removing shoes/belt/laptop, and on avoiding irradiation.

If I have questions about the security process I might ask them, or I might not, since a TSO may give an inaccurate answer - such as an assurance that the backscatter is absolutely safe. If they are patrolling in uniform, those who have questions can ask, without being prodded "Do you have questions?"

Originally Posted by TSORon

You "might" want to read what PTravel has to say. Despite my personal misgivings about his career claims, many here believe that he is indeed an attorney and has some knowledge on the subject. Unless of course you are an attorney, which I doubt for some reason.

Originally Posted by TSORon

Nothing, unless of course you exhibit the behaviors they are trained to look for. The BDO will still do their job.

Originally Posted by goalie

My SOP when presented with this nonsense by a TSO is to simply ask the TSO if they are a BDO where I proceed to ask them questions like

Does the SPOT program work?

Have you caught someone other than one with a fake I/D or someone who has drugs on them?

Did you know that the Israeli BDO's receive upwards to a year to 18 months of training as compared to your two weeks?

Etc...

And usually after the second question, the TSO has presented the deer in the headlights look in perfect form and is so flummoxed that they either stop and/or move off to another location

Originally Posted by ladytraveler

This!!!

I've never understood why the TSA doesn't seem to get it that many women aren't comfortable chatting away with strangers in strange places. Does no one in the government read the news about kidnappings and sexual assaults?

Originally Posted by ladytraveler

This!!!

I've never understood why the TSA doesn't seem to get it that many women aren't comfortable chatting away with strangers in strange places. Does no one in the government read the news about kidnappings and sexual assaults?

Originally Posted by ladytraveler

I've never understood why the TSA doesn't seem to get it that many women aren't comfortable chatting away with strangers in strange places.

Originally Posted by lovely15

I'd certainly never have a chat with any TSA employee about my travel plans. Who knows what kind of shady background they have? Who knows if they're going to take some kind of criminal interest in you?

Originally Posted by cbn42

I know it's sacrilegious to defend the TSA on here, but OP mentioned 3 things that the TSO in question was doing:

1. asking pax if they had any questions about the screening process

2. asking conversational questions like "are you going to Disneyland?"

3. talking about how his son was just finishing a posting to a USAF base.

Which one of these three is a violation of your rights, and how?

The TSA does plenty of things that legitimately deserve criticism, but sometimes I think that people on FT have an automatic reflex that immediately criticizes anything they do. I could post a message on here saying "Today I saw a TSO chewing gum" and immediately people would claim a violation of their constitutional rights and waste of taxpayer money.

Originally Posted by goalie

However, it is also within my rights not to answer them and by doing so and/or asking the TSO if they are a BDO, I am not interfering with the screening process

Originally Posted by lovely15

How does that work? I dropped my boarding pass once at a checkpoint and was accused of interfering with the screening process.

Originally Posted by goalie

It is not a violation of anyone's rights for a TSO/BDO to ask you questions which are "general in nature" as if in fact a BDO, is is their job to ask simple non-invasive questions and to "try and trick you up". However, it is also within my rights not to answer them and by doing so and/or asking the TSO if they are a BDO, I am not interfering with the screening process

Originally Posted by Carl Johnson

You mean #17? If you think PTravel's comment at #17 undermines my viewpoint, I have another question:

Is English your native language?

Originally Posted by jkhuggins

When you're interacting with a LEO, and you're a suspect in a criminal proceeding, the LEO has to inform you of that fact, and make your rights clear to you before proceeding with questioning. Thus, you're fully informed as to the intent of the questions being asked, and how your answers will be used. If you're uncertain as to how to proceed, you have every right to request legal counsel, and for the interaction to cease until that point without any consequence to you.

Originally Posted by TSORon

You "might" want to read what PTravel has to say. Despite my personal misgivings about his career claims, many here believe that he is indeed an attorney and has some knowledge on the subject. Unless of course you are an attorney, which I doubt for some reason.