:low whistle:

Why should there be delay at all?

Oh, goodie, an actual BDO. Now I get to stop trying to cajole answers out of our own BDOs and let someone else with more first-hand knowledge answer questions. Though there is one inconsistency that smacks, and I'll put a question out there, too.

That being the case, why were our BDOs gone for seven days, then came back for their three days of OJT? And this might be more like a no-brainer than anything, but I'll assume you know a definitive answer -- can/does/how often do the airport's local FSD assign additional training to the BDOs not required by the baseline?

The 10-12 hours part fits what I was told, but our BDOs are going to be going for some kind of special training with the FBI to the tune of 100+ hours. Is that nationwide with the program, or just something our own FSD wants done, and approved the funding for?

Here's a question: if you identify a person for additional screening based on their behavior, can/will you tell the passenger why? Would you volunteer that information or wait for the passenger to ask?

And how specific can you be? Would you tell him, "You're wearing a heavy coat in September, sir," or would you say something generic like "Your behavior has led me to believe a secondary screening will be necessary."

Welcome to FT.

A TSA employee (let alone a BDO) who recognizes that the Bill of Rights doesn't stop at the airport terminal? Somebody promote this guy. And send him around the country to do training. He can start with MKE.

Spotnik, where has TSA published a list of all the rules and regulations that TSA will subject someone to if that person wishes to cross a U.S. Government checkpoint at an airport en route to the gate from which his domestic flight will depart, not including laws that the person is required to abide by outside of the airport checkpoint (i.e., just those rules and regulations that apply only at the checkpoint). Please provide a URL or name of the government publication.

I'm not interested in guidelines, hints, and out-of-date or internally-inconsistent Web pages, but the official and legal definition of all the rules beyond those which we were already required to follow that TSA requires us to follow in order to avoid having our right to travel restricted when we attempt to pass through the "roadblocks" TSA has erected at our airports .

first off, welcome to flyertalk and thank you for taking the time to offer your thoughts, experiences, comments, etc as it's always good to have views "from the other side" ^ but also be careful as "big brother is out there"

actually, imho, it's not that complicated but rather black and white. if i refuse or otherwise don't want to engage in a conversation with a bdo, that is my right and according to the tsa's own civil rights policy the tsa does not have the right to "harass" or otherwise delay me (bullet points 3, 4 & 5). i can simply say something like "i prefer not to speak with you", "i prefer not to speak with a bdo" or if i'm cranky, "please spot someone else" and that's it-no detention as the tsa does not have that authority, no secondary screening, no nothing as anything other than letting me go on my way is harassment and retaliatory. so with that, what is the redress procedure (other than calling or e-mailing the tsa contact center)? if i ask for the bdo's name, badge and i/d number, what happens if the bdo refuses?

I'm an introvert who hates talking to strange people in public. I tend not to smile or make eye contact with total strangers. I've been told this seems rude, especially to your average extrovert who for some reason can talk to walls and carry on a seemingly meaningful conversation.

However, if I behave as my usual rude self and refuse to engage in smalltalk with a total stranger will you think I'm a terrorist with something to hide?

spotnik, welcome to Flyertalk!

Please excuse the less than warm welcome from some members. We've become suspicious of those pretending to be who they are not over the years. Plus anyone associated with DHS is not usually welcomed with open arms.

Having said all that, we're satisfied to give you the benefit of the doubt until proven otherwise. And we do appreciate your taking time to answer the questions.

You are now a FT member and, as such, are protected from verbal abuse or harassment from the membership. We expect all dialogue to remain civil and on-topic here. The moderators will be keeping a close eye on this thread to insure this.

Thanks.

_________________________

Cholula
Travel Safety/Security Forum Moderator

I have been to a few leadership seminars with staff from PR and we had a great time


see above



BDOs try to use as much common sense as possible



Its not for the BDOs to determine how much is there, but to report it to higher ups



It wasn't meant as a insult, but a possibility.

BDOs do not know what you have in your bag, what religion you are, nor do they care about your background or ethnicity. Behavioral detection has been around for a long time. Google it. Hundreds of books have been written on this subject. I have seen many here refer to BDOs not having the 6 month Quantico training course and therefore not qualified to conduct this task but nobody can really produce a syllabus for that course to compare. If you are having issues at the airport, it really does stand out.

Because the BDO is immediately suspicious of someone who prefers not to answer questions posed by someone with no legal authority. Or, more likely, you have just dissed that 'authority' and the BDO is going to make you pay.

I haven't seen the content of the BDO training (obviously), but I can make an educated guess as to much of what's in it. In a word; fluff. Discredited and ineffective fluff. You cannot teach behavioral assessment in 4 days, or 7 days or 4 months or whatever. And those without an innate aptitude for it cannot be taught at all.

But carry on Keeping Us All Safe�.

Two questions for tsadude1.

Are you the Kipster himself?

Regarding the $10k. Absolutely nothing illegal about having that much cash or more. Why would TSA concern itself with a legal activity?

I'm glad... I have a great time here too Did you pick up a bottle of Barrilito while you were here? IMO, it's one of the most underrated rums available... and it's cheap!

Why does it matter though, and why does it need to be reported? I can have $1,000,000 in cash on me, and as long as it remains within the US, it isn't illegal.


It's alright... I was just messing with that last one.


Thank god that the airports & seaplanes I've been using mainly for intra-caribbean travel don't have TSA. SIG & FAJ ^^ Show up 20 minutes before departure, passport in hand... and just do the paperwork and off I go!

No and I honestly could not pick him out of a line up
It's a requirement for us to report it and a requirement for someone else to investigate. Could we ignore it, probably. Has it been a requirement since TSA took over from the private screeners? yes.

It is nothing whatsoever against you, but I just find it completely absurd that something completely legal to do requires an investigation. I sometimes travel with over $10k cash when traveling from the mainland to San Juan, simply because the hold times that PR banks place on mainland checks are extraordinarily long, especially when it's a check of that amount. I am honestly astounded that it is TSA requirement to investigate it.

I am assuming it would be a LEO that investigates and not the TSO, am I correct?

This is a substantial revelation and one that I don't think has come out before.

It seems you're saying it's a requirement (i.e., part of the SOP) that you report someone carrying a large amount of cash to "someone else" (be it within TSA or a LEO). Not an option or up to screener judgment, but a requirement. Correct?

As others have said, that is a perfectly legal activity. There's a big difference between reporting drugs you see (controversial, but at least illegal), and reporting someone who is not carrying contraband.

What's the threshold? Wad of cash 2 inches thick? Cash found "artfully concealed" in somewhere other than a wallet? A pair of hundred dollar bills?

Law enforcement and prosecutors also have an annoying tendency to assume anyone carrying lots of cash is a bad guy, and there are a number of unfortunate asset seizure/forfeiture laws relating to that. But the difference is that if I'm carrying lots of cash but otherwise not doing anything wrong, it's extremely unlikely I'm going to get searched by a LEO. (what with the 4th amendment and all)

On the other hand, TSA has their lovely "consensual," "administrative" searches (that you can't back out of ) that travelers are essentially forced to submit to. TSA seems to think it is within their right to paw through wallets, envelopes, etc. even if those have already cleared a WTMD or x-ray, giving them access to the cash carried. So anyone who gets any sort of secondary search has a good chance of TSA finding their cash, and apparently then reporting them.

This is absolutely disgusting. The USA is really going down the tubes thanks to DHS/TSA.