What do you think of this idea?

How about TSA agents running their fingers through large beards to ensure that those with large beards (think Duck Dynasty, et al.) do not smuggle anything illicit in their large beards?

They have no authority to engage in law enforcement (e.g. non-WEI smuggling) related search, and have to use least intrusive means available in light of current technology.

So that means metal detector and ETD swab, OK; hand manipulation, no.

There's definitely a need, especially at the border, to stop bird smuggling. I've heard of beards with as many as two owls, and a hen, four larks, and a wren.

But they run their fingers through women's hair so why not men's beards?

IMHO that's illegal too. It's unnecessarily invasive assault.

Much of what TSA does is not based on legalities. TSA would rather do something and be taken to court than to do the right an honorable thing first.

Of course taking TSA to court is very likely a proposition that most people cannot afford, hence TSA can get away with all manner of illegal acts without challenge.

Having been the victim thereof, and being in the (long and difficult) process of taking them to court over it, I entirely agree. Their legal strategy seems to be basically to stonewall and dodge to get me to get tired and go away.

I'd bet it works 99% of the time. What can I say, I'm stubborn.

I would say it is even higher than 99% and on top of that most cases settle instead of seeing it to the end.

TSA is in a very strong position and they know it.

Isn't the Patriot Act due to expire shortly? What does that mean for TSA?

Nothing, AFAIK. The TSA was created by the Aviation and Transportation Security Act.

See the 'Notes' tab on Cornell's version of 49 USC 114 (defining the TSA) and 49 USC 44901 (defining air screening, previously under FAA control). The Pub. L. bits at the top ("Public Law") are the actual acts passed by Congress.

ETA: Per Wikipedia (see sidebar; I can't be arsed to read the whole thing myself), the PATRIOT Act:

Created:
18 USC �2712, 31 USC �5318A, 15 USC �1681v, 8 USC �1226A, 18 USC �1993, 18 USC �2339, 18 USC �175b, 50 USC �403-5b, 51 USC �5103a

Amended:
8 USC �1105, 8 USC �1182g, 8 USC �1189, 8 USC �1202, 12 USC �248, 12 USC �1828, 12 USC �3414, 15 USC �1681a, 15 USC �6102, 15 USC �6106, 18 USC �7, 18 USC �81, 18 USC �175, 18 USC �470, 18 USC �471, 18 USC �472, 18 USC �473, 18 USC �474, 18 USC �476, 18 USC �477, 18 USC �478, 18 USC �479, 18 USC �480, 18 USC �481, 18 USC �484, 18 USC �493, 18 USC �917, 18 USC �930, 18 USC �981, 18 USC �1029, 18 USC �1030, 18 USC �1362, 18 USC �1363, 18 USC �1366, 18 USC �1956, 18 USC �1960, 18 USC �1961, 18 USC �1992, 18 USC �2155, 18 USC �2325, 18 USC �2331, 18 USC �2332e, 18 USC �2339A, 18 USC �2339B, 18 USC �2340A, 18 USC �2510, 18 USC �2511, 18 USC �2516, 18 USC �2517, 18 USC �2520, 18 USC �2702, 18 USC �2703, 18 USC �2707, 18 USC �2709, 18 USC �2711, 18 USC �3056, 18 USC �3077, 18 USC �3103, 18 USC �3121, 18 USC �3123, 18 USC �3124, 18 USC �3127, 18 USC �3286, 18 USC �3583, 20 USC �1232g, 20 USC �9007, 31 USC �310 (redesignated), 31 USC �5311, 31 USC �5312, 31 USC �5317, 31 USC �5318, 31 USC �5319, 31 USC �5321, 31 USC �5322, 31 USC �5324, 31 USC �5330, 31 USC �5331, 31 USC �5332, 31 USC �5341, 42 USC �2284, 42 USC �2284, 42 USC �3796, 42 USC �3796h, 42 USC �10601, 42 USC �10602, 42 USC �10603, 42 USC �10603b, 42 USC �14601, 42 USC �14135A, 47 USC �551, 49 USC �31305, 49 USC �46504, 49 USC �46505, 49 USC �60123, 50 USC �403-3c, 50 USC �401a, 50 USC �1702, 50 USC �1801, 50 USC �1803, 50 USC �1804, 50 USC �1805, 50 USC �1806, 50 USC �1823, 50 USC �1824, 50 USC �1842, 50 USC �1861, 50 USC �1862, 50 USC �1863

The TSA is pretty much all under 49 USC. So perusing those bits on the Cornell site:

� 31305 - General driver fitness, testing, and training
� 46504 - Interference with flight crew members and attendants
� 46505 - Carrying a weapon or explosive on an aircraft (criminal penalties)
� 60123 - Criminal penalties (for messing with pipelines)

So the PATRIOT Act didn't do anything that affects TSA's operations.*

Besides, the provisions that have sunset clauses are all (AFAIK) surveillance related, not e.g. the 49 USC amendments.

ETA 2: * Unless of course they're getting information from the NSA to feed their secret watch lists, which is actually pretty likely, so there's that.

That is what I was interested in. The sharing of information (and maybe other things) obtained under the Patriot Act might put limits on the TSA.

Back to the topic on beards: as my granddaughter would say, "Gross! How often do they shampoo that thing?!".