New research (further) undermining SPOT/BDA
Aug 25, 2019, 12:12 pm
#16
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Some years ago saizai put up a list of indicators used in the SPOT program (I think he got it from the Intercept, put it up as a bmp or something I think, and then after some comments from flyertalkers that it was fuzzy, reworked it to make it more readable). All the indicators are just total nonsense. Off the top of my head I remember excessive whistling, sweating, and leg shaking. And to show exactly what these people are actually worried about, one indicator is contempt for the screening process. Right. Right. A terrorist isn't going to go through smoothly and quietly, he's going to observe all the foolish things the clerks do and their violations of the rules and make a ruckus and call attention to himself. I think all the indicators are just random except for the ones designed to characterize disrespecting the clerk's authoritah as nefarious. The whole list was done in bad faith.
Aug 25, 2019, 4:03 pm
#17
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Most travelers are probably guilty of at least one of the behaviors on TSA's absurd list, meaning TSA has legal grounds for targeting (fishing expedition or pure harassment) anyone.
Aug 26, 2019, 9:26 am
#18
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 3,526
And that's what it was designed to do - allow anyone to be harassed by TSA.
Aug 28, 2019, 8:42 am
#21
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: boca raton, florida
Posts: 621
I still see them about 25% of the time at the larger TSA checkpoints.
https://www.flickr.com/gp/sanchezpaulk/fDw9k3
https://www.flickr.com/gp/sanchezpaulk/fDw9k3
Aug 29, 2019, 8:25 am
#22
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Greensboro
Programs: TSA
Posts: 2,424
I still see them about 25% of the time at the larger TSA checkpoints.
https://www.flickr.com/gp/sanchezpaulk/fDw9k3
Aug 29, 2019, 7:14 pm
#23
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Aug 30, 2019, 9:38 am
#24
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 962
Even that is not likely for a year or two at least, at best guess. It's been already going for a couple years and is barely started.
TSA has been steadfastly refusing to produce the record, there'll be a fight over whether I'm allowed to see the things they show the court, and there are some unrelated ancillary issues as well about e.g. whether I can get appointed counsel, etc etc. TSA has been obstructionist the whole way. Plus I'm challenging the court's authority to even hear the case, because I argue that 49 USC 46110(a), as applied, is unconstitutional - and that a correct reading of the statute shows that it doesn't even apply to TSA policies, only to the "orders" they give in actual administrative proceedings where you have a chance to participate (e.g. fines and such), and therefore it should be transferred to a district court (where it *can* go to trial, I can get discovery, etc).
TSA has been steadfastly refusing to produce the record, there'll be a fight over whether I'm allowed to see the things they show the court, and there are some unrelated ancillary issues as well about e.g. whether I can get appointed counsel, etc etc. TSA has been obstructionist the whole way. Plus I'm challenging the court's authority to even hear the case, because I argue that 49 USC 46110(a), as applied, is unconstitutional - and that a correct reading of the statute shows that it doesn't even apply to TSA policies, only to the "orders" they give in actual administrative proceedings where you have a chance to participate (e.g. fines and such), and therefore it should be transferred to a district court (where it *can* go to trial, I can get discovery, etc).