Smuggle condoms at PHL-lawsuit
Jan 8, 07, 10:29 am
#1
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Smuggle condoms at PHL-lawsuit
I like this news story:
A woman who was arrested and jailed for three weeks on drug charges for what turned out to be flour-filled condoms has settled a lawsuit against the city for $180,000.
Only problem, it's the city of Philadelphia which has to pay up, and not the TSA. They should at least split the cost.
A woman who was arrested and jailed for three weeks on drug charges for what turned out to be flour-filled condoms has settled a lawsuit against the city for $180,000.
Only problem, it's the city of Philadelphia which has to pay up, and not the TSA. They should at least split the cost.
Jan 8, 07, 11:10 am
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Originally Posted by eyecue
TSA had almost nothing to do with that. Why should they have to pay?
Some screener thought they were a hero in discovering drugs in a passengers bags.
In a lawsuit everyone gets sued.
Jan 8, 07, 11:27 am
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This is another example of how the TSA has designed itself to be unaccountable. This is a complex situation here. First of all, since the TSA will be the first to proclaim that they have no arrest or detention authority, there is nothing for which they can be sued. The Philly cops were the ones who did the arresting, so they were the ones who were sued for false arrest (I'm assuming that's what the suit was about.).
This whole thing got started because the TSA has taken upon itself the job of fighting the War on Drugs and the War on Large Amounts of Cash. This lawsuit never addressed the issue of whether or not the non-security related contriband was discovered and seized legally -- too bad. I wish she were a poly sci or pre-law major. Perhaps she would have gone the extra mile and taken on the legal/illegal search issues in her suit. Once again, the TSA's practice of consentual search, in-plain-sight search, or whatever else you want to call it, is not challenged. Instead they are entirely insulated from this and blameless. As a matter of fact, I'd be willing to bet that the screners who fought this battle in the War or Drugs were rewarded. This was really a victory for the people in the War Against Zealot Cops, Prosecutors, and Screeners in Relentless Pursuit of the Big Catch.
Let's review the casualties:
1. Ms Lee, who now has an arrest on her record. It doesn't matter that the charges were dropped and she won a chunk of change in a false arrest lawsuit. If she ever goes for a security clearance, she has to report fact of the arrest, no matter how it turned out. If she petitions to have her records expunged (or whatever they call it), I'm sure it will cost her most of her settlement.
2. The good citizens of Philly, who are out 180K in their hard-earned tax money.
The screeners, cops, and prosecutors live happily after to fight another day.
This whole thing got started because the TSA has taken upon itself the job of fighting the War on Drugs and the War on Large Amounts of Cash. This lawsuit never addressed the issue of whether or not the non-security related contriband was discovered and seized legally -- too bad. I wish she were a poly sci or pre-law major. Perhaps she would have gone the extra mile and taken on the legal/illegal search issues in her suit. Once again, the TSA's practice of consentual search, in-plain-sight search, or whatever else you want to call it, is not challenged. Instead they are entirely insulated from this and blameless. As a matter of fact, I'd be willing to bet that the screners who fought this battle in the War or Drugs were rewarded. This was really a victory for the people in the War Against Zealot Cops, Prosecutors, and Screeners in Relentless Pursuit of the Big Catch.
Let's review the casualties:
1. Ms Lee, who now has an arrest on her record. It doesn't matter that the charges were dropped and she won a chunk of change in a false arrest lawsuit. If she ever goes for a security clearance, she has to report fact of the arrest, no matter how it turned out. If she petitions to have her records expunged (or whatever they call it), I'm sure it will cost her most of her settlement.
2. The good citizens of Philly, who are out 180K in their hard-earned tax money.
The screeners, cops, and prosecutors live happily after to fight another day.
Jan 8, 07, 11:31 am
#6
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Apart from the legal issue, I am wondering why she filled condoms with flour and transported them on a plane? Was it a run-up to a practical joke of some sort? (Not that this excuses the items not being tested, I'm just trying to understand this woman's actions.)
Jan 8, 07, 11:38 am
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Originally Posted by WillTravel
Apart from the legal issue, I am wondering why she filled condoms with flour and transported them on a plane? Was it a run-up to a practical joke of some sort? (Not that this excuses the items not being tested, I'm just trying to understand this woman's actions.)
Maybe she was worried she wouldn't be able to buy any flour at her destination and she had a lot of baking to do.
Jan 8, 07, 11:39 am
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Originally Posted by WillTravel
Apart from the legal issue, I am wondering why she filled condoms with flour and transported them on a plane? Was it a run-up to a practical joke of some sort? (Not that this excuses the items not being tested, I'm just trying to understand this woman's actions.)
The flour-filled condoms were a phallic toy that freshmen at the women’s college would squeeze to deal with exam stress. Lee said she thought the toys were funny, so she packed them to show to friends at home.
anyways, sounds very similar to the rubber band ball incident a bit back where the very dense ball appeared to be hiding something illict inside.
Jan 8, 07, 12:39 pm
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Originally Posted by BDLORD
They sure did have something to do with it. How would a flour filled condom be a security risk? Shouldn't they have just swabbed it for explosives?
Some screener thought they were a hero in discovering drugs in a passengers bags.
In a lawsuit everyone gets sued.
Some screener thought they were a hero in discovering drugs in a passengers bags.
In a lawsuit everyone gets sued.
Jan 8, 07, 12:46 pm
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The flour-filled condoms were a phallic toy that freshmen at the women’s college would squeeze to deal with exam stress. Lee said she thought the toys were funny, so she packed them to show to friends at home.
Jan 8, 07, 1:09 pm
#14
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Originally Posted by eyecue
TSA had almost nothing to do with that. Why should they have to pay?
You can bet if I went up to the LEO at DEN and accused you or one of your team members of having some blow or a weapon in your possession, I'd be hauled off in cuffs.
