Audio recording at the checkpoint
 

I just cleared security at TSA's Terminal 1 checkpoint at SAT and I saw something odd. Right at the end of the checkpoint after the area where you put your bags back together there was a wire strung perpendicular to the direction of travel with microphones hanging off of it at intervals.

I'm wondering how this is legal. Even in a single party state with the assumption that every TSA agent has been briefed they are still going to catch conversations that they are not a party to.

Also, I saw no signs notifying us of this.

What does everyone think?

I think I'm going to start looking for microphones at every checkpoint I cross and let the listeners know just exactly what I think about them and their fascist employers.

Perhaps our intelligence community has discovered that terrorists make a particular sound?:rolleyes:

Just don't get caught littering or you'll find yourself in a replay of Alice's Restaurant...:p

What you in for?

Littering...

And they all moved away.

And disturbing the peace....

Sounds like the smurfs are trying to usurp the NSA, augment the capability of their BDO force (or is that an oxymoron?) or they are trying to justify more manpower.

"Augment the capability of their BDO force" doesn't even rise to the level of oxymoron. It's a total non sequitur -- like talking about maximizing phrenology or something would be.

Texas is a one party state. It would be fun because I would be making comments the along the lines of TSA Delenda Est

You know I looked that up and you are right, Texas is a one party state.

But, if you and your friends are having a conversation and NONE of you consent to the recording then the law has been violated. The only way this could be proper is if someone that consents to the recording is a party of the conversation.

This of course is leaving out the fact the mics are in plain view and by seeing them you know your privacy is diminished.

Sounds to me like the area is ripe for a fart machine held over one's head.

The answer will of course be (not saying it's true, just that it will be) they are only active when there is a TSA person there so the one party rule will be covered.

"You know honey, I heard that one of the Smurfs here - I can't remember what their name was - raped and murdered a young girl. The agency still hasn't addressed it."

As for recording, I don't like it, but the airport is too public a place to expect any privacy. I would always assume that someone might be eavesdropping. Of course, if I saw someone with a parabolic mic, I might mention it to a LEO. If I don't know who installed the hanging mics I may end up doing that about those as well. After all, if the TSA isn't claiming they belong to them.

Well, the AFSD-S called me back and told me that he had never noticed the cable or the microphones. I told him that I feel that the next appropriate response would be for me to call the police to report a violation of Texas Wiretapping laws. It would seem that if the AFSD-S didn't notice it then they can't very well argue that it is plainly visible.

He promised that he is going to call me back.

That's the first I have heard of that. It's not a general TSA thing. It would be interesting to see what it is all about. Are you sure they were microphones?

There are video cameras present and the airport that I am at says "This area is under audio and video surveillance."
The other thing is that there is no expectation to privacy in the airport.

It had a cable with an XLR connector that went to something like a lavalier microphone. I've never seen XLR used for anything besides a microphone.

Police are arresting people under wiretapping laws for recording them on the side of the road. If there is no expectation of privacy in an airport, wouldn't the same be true for the side of a highway?

Do you know why the microphones would be placed at the end of the checkpoint(according to the OP)? I thought it was illegal to record sound when you already have video surveillance. Otherwise, convenience stores would be using both as would other businesses that experience higher than normal criminal activity.

Mainly just Maryland. It's all about how the particular DA reads it.

There is a case in Illinois right now as well, but those two states are the only two I'm aware of that have been maliciously prosecuting people for audio recording police.

In the end, if you are able to record the TSA, police, etc because you are in a public space, then I have nothing against them recording us. It has to go both ways.