Cops at any level have been forced into articulable reasonable suspicion before they can initiate a search of an individual and/or their property -- i.e.: the famous Terry Stop and other rulings.

At our nation's airports, reasonable suspicion has devolved into the unintelligible babble that this particular screener has written. Cops all over America have had a field day because reasonable suspicion has been handed to them on a silver platter wearing a spiffy dark blue uniform and wearing a spiffy brass badge. Cops all over the country have used this type of logic to turn administrative screenings into criminal searches and into demands for IDs and warrant searches.

I don't know about anyone else, but, I want OUR Constitution back!

Doober,

Her statement appears to be pretty clear to me. She says "When a person becomes part of Law Enforcement..." which in my mind goes much further than implying that they are part or comparing their actions to those of LEOs.

She is actually representing herself/TSA as law enforcement, which is not only incorrect from a "what you can do with passengers at the security screening point" perspective but outright providing false/incorrect information to the public on their own site.

This is something that TSA needs to correct, and correct quickly. And they should also either reprimand Kelly for her false statements or, at a minimum, discuss making such misrepresentations with her. When their own trainers have such a misguided sense of the bounds of their authority, it is no wonder that TSA agents feel like they're running American instances of Gitmo and act like Batman throughout the so-called 'secure' area of our airports.

They are in a damage control mode right now and the puppy posts serve two purposes. The first is to push the troublesome post off the radar and the second is to get the troublesome post off of the front page. They pretty much ignore nearly everything we frequent travelers post either as questions (some pretty pointed) or as comments.

True, Blogger Bob has to walk a fine line between giving away the store while not catering exclusively to TSA employees. I don't doubt for a second that some of the posts go up with him wincing. A difficult job that I sure wouldn't take.

Yup. I remember Louisville. I was one of the virus carriers that infected that airport. Ah, the good ol' days. Back in the day of peak paranoia. Even the little scissors in sewing kits weren't safe.

OK, sarcastic moment over. I have to say that I find it quite hilarious that Kelly of the TSA is losing her cool in the blog. What does she expect? Does she actually expect most posts to be all "TSA is awesome?" Keep up the good work with the TSA blog, FTers. I might have to go back and read up on it again.

I didn't like the answer to the cash question.
So when you repeatedly ask, Why? Why? Why? does TSA concern themselves with peoples cash? B/c it is trained procedure.
We question it because we're trained too? Lame answer. I still question why we have to search. That's a customs issue. If the money can't explode, we do we need to worry about it?

And if she is losing her cool on a blog, I can only imagine her demeanor in person, at a checkpoint.

My thoughts exactly. Might be time to rotate her out.

See, I can almost sympathize with Kelly here. The problem is that there are two subtly-different questions in play here:

• Why are TSOs concerned with cash?
• Why is TSA concerned with cash?

Kelly's answer ("because it is trained procedure") is for the first question. The problem is that most of the posters are asking the second question, and Kelly's answer isn't applicable. But Kelly can't, realistically, answer the second question, because she doesn't have the authority to speak for the TSA. (As, I suspect, is true for almost every TSA employee posting to the blog.)

Right -- put her in baggage where she can literally have her fill of the "bargain basement."

I noticed that as well. Note that the Puppy Post takes up almost the entire average computer screen. All of the other relevant posts are relegated to a second or third "page down" on most computers.

Nice going, Blogdad Bob... No biggie -- We have LONG memories.

Here is a new motto TSA can try on:

TSA- The Kevlar Thong of Security!

Sounds too itchy for me...

The reason we as TSO's have to double check on the cash issue is because the SOP states we have to. I am not defending that reasoning, or offering that as an explanation, it is simply what we have to do. The situation in St Louis was a bad situation all around, the TSO involved is being investigated and will be reprimanded. (I can give no further information on what will happen to him because I am not there and not involved!) I hope you guys understand that the issue is with policy, not necessarily the TSO on scene.

Many of us appreciate your effort of explanation.

However, many of us also do not accept "I was only following orders" as an excuse for such reprehensible, un-American behavior.

No the issues is with the TSO in St. Louis and the policy, two separate issues. The TSO who abused their authority and the policy which deems a large sum of money to be contraband when traveling within the United States. A policy that is open to interpretation because it is vague. Please tell me what law I am breaking when traveling with a large sum of money within the United States, not internationally. This policy of declaring large sums of money contraband allows real law enforcement agencies to avoid proving probable cause.

Your confusion over this problem is new issue. Its bad enough that this propaganda is going on at the TSA blog, but bringing it here is not going to help. Is Kelly going to show up here as well spouting more " we are the problem, not the TSA".

I guess then that your SOP dealing with cash, needs either updating or correcting to bring it in line with the US Constitution. How about trying to get the SOP fixed? At least that way you're not going to be vilified for using the Nuremberg defense.