PV Alert: Can I Take Photos at the Checkpoint and Airport?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: PHX
Programs: AA Ex Platinum & 1MM, DL PLT, Marriott Gold, HH Diamond
Posts: 2,490
PV Alert: Can I Take Photos at the Checkpoint and Airport?
Yet another attempt at letting a post marinate overnight...
http://www.tsa.gov/blog/2009/03/can-...and.html#links
http://www.tsa.gov/blog/2009/03/can-...and.html#links
#3
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Louisville, KY, US
Programs: QF Plat - OW EMD | DL Gold / Starwood Gold
Posts: 6,106
Originally Posted by PV
However… while the TSA does not prohibit photographs at screening locations, local laws, state statutes, or local ordinances might. Your best bet is to call ahead and see what that specific airport’s policy is.
FWIW, I've taken a few pictures near checkpoints and I've never had a problem.
Now that I know what PV's stand is, I think I'll snap a few close up photos to add to a stock photo collection, if nothing else.
#4
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 222
I was told that it is fine unless you are not disrupting the screening procedure. I guess the supervisors determine whether or not you are being disruptive.
Why would anyone want to take pics at that terrible place anyway? If anything I'd want to forget most checkpoints.
Why would anyone want to take pics at that terrible place anyway? If anything I'd want to forget most checkpoints.
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: PHX
Programs: AA Ex Platinum & 1MM, DL PLT, Marriott Gold, HH Diamond
Posts: 2,490
It's about documenting the behavior & abuses that many of us see on a daily basis. As the old saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words, right?
#6
Moderator: Coupon Connection & S.P.A.M
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Louisville, KY
Programs: Destination Unknown, TSA Disparager Diamond (LTDD)
Posts: 57,953
#7
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: USA
Posts: 1,439
I took TSA Bob's advice and asked about photo policies at 50 U.S. airports
I took Bob's advice and used TSA's "Got Feedback?" form to ask about photography policies at each of 50 major U.S. airports.
I submitted the following:
I submitted the form for the following airports: AZ Phoenix, CA Los Angeles, CA Oakland, CA Ontario, CA Orange County, CA Sacramento, CA San Diego, CA San Francisco, CA San Jose, CO Denver, DC Washington (Dulles International), DC Washington (National), FL Ft. Lauderdale, FL Miami, FL Orlando, FL Tampa, GA Atlanta, HI Honolulu, IL Chicago (Midway), IL Chicago (O'Hare), IN Indianapolis, LA New Orleans, MA Boston, MD Baltimore, MI Detroit, MN Minneapolis/St. Paul, MO Kansas City, MO St. Louis, NC Charlotte, NC Raleigh/Durham, NJ Newark, NM Albuquerque, NV Las Vegas, NY New York (John F. Kennedy), NY New York (La Guardia), OH Cincinnati, OH Columbus, OR Portland, PA Philadelphia, PA Pittsburgh, PR San Juan, TN Memphis, TN Nashville, TX Dallas/Fort Worth (Regional), TX Dallas (Love Field), TX Houston (Intercontinental), TX Houston (William P. Hobby), TX San Antonio, UT Salt Lake City, and WA Seattle-Tacoma.
I'll follow up here with results.
EDIT: following are links to a post in this thread for each of the airports for which I have received contact:
EDIT: added BWI and CLT
see also:
2009-04-07 - count of nonresponsive airports, causes for concern
2009-04-10 - update on survey of 50 airports' polices re: photography of publicly-accessible area
2009-06-24 - minor update on 50-airport survey of photography policies
2009-08-04 - cross-reference related TSA blog post
2010-12-21 - policies verified via telephone contact
I submitted the following:
On March 31, 2009, Bob at the TSA blog wrote that TSA does not prohibit any photography of publicly-accessible parts of airports [1]. He also wrote, "while the TSA does not prohibit photographs at screening locations, local laws, state statutes, or local ordinances might. Your best bet is to call ahead and see what that specific airport’s policy is. I suggest you use the Got Feedback program to directly contact the Customer Support Manager at the airport you’re going to be traveling through. They will have an answer for you and if they don’t, they can connect you with somebody who does."
Do any such local laws, state statutes, or local ordinances apply to people who wish to photograph publicly-accessible areas of your airport? If so, which ones?
References:
[1]: <http://www.tsa.gov/blog/2009/03/can-i-take-photos-at-checkpoint-and.html>
Do any such local laws, state statutes, or local ordinances apply to people who wish to photograph publicly-accessible areas of your airport? If so, which ones?
References:
[1]: <http://www.tsa.gov/blog/2009/03/can-i-take-photos-at-checkpoint-and.html>
I'll follow up here with results.
EDIT: following are links to a post in this thread for each of the airports for which I have received contact:
EDIT: added BWI and CLT
- Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ
- Boston Logan International (BOS)
- Baltimore Washington International (BWI)
- Port Columbus International (CMH)
- Charlotte Douglas International (CLT)
- Reagan National (DCA)
- Denver International (DEN)
- Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW)
- Washington-Dulles International (IAD)
- Indianapolis International (IND)
- LaGuardia (LGA)
- Orlando International (MCO)
- Chicago Midway International (MDW)
- Ontario International (ONT)
- Chicago O'Hare International (ORD)
- Portland International (PDX)
- Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX)
- Pittsburgh International (PIT)
- Raleigh-Durham International (RDU)
- San Diego International (SAN)
- Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU)
- Sacramento Metropolitan (SMF)
- Orange County John Wayne (SNA)
- Tampa International (TPA)
see also:
2009-04-07 - count of nonresponsive airports, causes for concern
2009-04-10 - update on survey of 50 airports' polices re: photography of publicly-accessible area
2009-06-24 - minor update on 50-airport survey of photography policies
2009-08-04 - cross-reference related TSA blog post
2010-12-21 - policies verified via telephone contact
Last edited by pmocek; Dec 21, 2010 at 4:45 pm Reason: add links to later posts
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: PHX
Programs: AA Ex Platinum & 1MM, DL PLT, Marriott Gold, HH Diamond
Posts: 2,490
I took Bob's advice and used TSA's "Got Feedback?" form to ask about photography policies at each of 50 major U.S. airports.
I'll follow up here with results.
I'll follow up here with results.
#9
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: USA
Posts: 1,439
initial response from PDX re: airport photography
I took Bob's advice and used TSA's "Got Feedback?" form to ask about photography policies at each of 50 major U.S. airports.
Date: Tue, 31 Mar 2009 21:49:39 -0400
From: "Burke, Tina A" <Tina.Burke%AT%dhs.gov>
Subject: RE: Got Feedback : Portland International (PDX)
To: Phillip Mocek
Cc: GotFeedback <Gotfeedback%AT%dhs.gov>
Mr. Mocek,
Can you tell me what it is you'd like to do/photograph and I'll see what
I can find out.
Thanks,
Tina
Tina A. Burke
Stakeholder and Customer Support Manager for Oregon
Portland International Airport (PDX)
Transportation Security Administration
#503.889.3055 (o)
#503.201.4563 (c)
www.tsa.gov
From: "Burke, Tina A" <Tina.Burke%AT%dhs.gov>
Subject: RE: Got Feedback : Portland International (PDX)
To: Phillip Mocek
Cc: GotFeedback <Gotfeedback%AT%dhs.gov>
Mr. Mocek,
Can you tell me what it is you'd like to do/photograph and I'll see what
I can find out.
Thanks,
Tina
Tina A. Burke
Stakeholder and Customer Support Manager for Oregon
Portland International Airport (PDX)
Transportation Security Administration
#503.889.3055 (o)
#503.201.4563 (c)
www.tsa.gov
I responded:
Hi, Ms. Burke. Thank you for your prompt response.
I didn't have anything in particular in mind. I'm just interested in policies regarding photographing public places, so I followed the suggestion of Bob at TSA to find out more via their "Got Feedback?" program. You can read Bob's blog post on the TSA blog at <http://www.tsa.gov/blog/2009/03/can-i-take-photos-at-checkpoint-and.html>.
In an attempt to give you something more specific to work with, let's say that I want to video record and/or photograph everything that I can see as a passenger arriving at the airport, walking through the terminal, being searched at the TSA checkpoint, and waiting to board my flight at the gate. I won't enter any areas that I am not allowed to enter. I will only use small, hand-held equipment (possibly hanging it from my neck at times), without a tripod, without a flash, and I will not interfere with any airport or TSA staff as they do their jobs.
I didn't have anything in particular in mind. I'm just interested in policies regarding photographing public places, so I followed the suggestion of Bob at TSA to find out more via their "Got Feedback?" program. You can read Bob's blog post on the TSA blog at <http://www.tsa.gov/blog/2009/03/can-i-take-photos-at-checkpoint-and.html>.
In an attempt to give you something more specific to work with, let's say that I want to video record and/or photograph everything that I can see as a passenger arriving at the airport, walking through the terminal, being searched at the TSA checkpoint, and waiting to board my flight at the gate. I won't enter any areas that I am not allowed to enter. I will only use small, hand-held equipment (possibly hanging it from my neck at times), without a tripod, without a flash, and I will not interfere with any airport or TSA staff as they do their jobs.
Last edited by pmocek; Apr 2, 2009 at 1:09 pm Reason: obfuscate e-mail addresses
#10
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 222
Plenty of reasons. As I exited the AA side of Terminal B @ BOS a few years ago, I saw 2 teenaged girls being 'screened' by a middle-aged male screener who felt the need to run his hand down the zipper of one girl's jeans while she assumed 'the position'. I don't care if it was w/the back of his hand, he had absolutely no business going there. Or the screener @ LAX who, while hand-searching checked baggage, stopped to pick his nose (in the middle of T4 right in front of the passengers). Or his buddies, on another trip, who were taking belongings out of the checked bags, waving them around, & laughing.
It's about documenting the behavior & abuses that many of us see on a daily basis. As the old saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words, right?
It's about documenting the behavior & abuses that many of us see on a daily basis. As the old saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words, right?
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: PHX
Programs: AA Ex Platinum & 1MM, DL PLT, Marriott Gold, HH Diamond
Posts: 2,490
Who says I didn't? However, given the TSA's lack of accountability to their screeners bad behavior, as I said before, a picture is worth a thousand words & might actually force TPTB to finally do something. Plus a picture makes it much harder for the screener to deny his/her actions.
#12
Join Date: Aug 2004
Programs: Marriott Plat
Posts: 946
I received the following response from Tina A. Burke, TSA's Stakeholder and Customer Support Manager for Oregon Portland International Airport (PDX):
Tina
Tina A. Burke
Stakeholder and Customer Support Manager for Oregon
Portland International Airport (PDX)
Transportation Security Administration
#503.889.3055 (o)
#503.201.4563 (c)
www.tsa.gov
Tina
Tina A. Burke
Stakeholder and Customer Support Manager for Oregon
Portland International Airport (PDX)
Transportation Security Administration
#503.889.3055 (o)
#503.201.4563 (c)
www.tsa.gov
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: DFW
Posts: 28,113
Does this mean that this person founded TSA in Oregon?
Or that they are ready to plunge the stake through the heart of the beast killing it for all of time.
#14
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: USA
Posts: 1,439
update on survey of 50 airports' polices re: photography of publicly-accessible areas
I'm happy to do so.
Please don't suggest that, even in jest.
I've received responses from 10 people representing 11 airports. I'll compile responses and post them this evening. Preview: most have expressed no knowledge of anything prohibiting non-commercial (not sure how that's defined) photographing or video recording of publicly-accessible areas of airports as long as doing so does not interfere with airport or TSA staff or slow the screening process for other passengers. Several have expressed the opinion that photographing or video recording at a TSA checkpoint, or more specifically, photographing or video recording TSA's equipment at the checkpoint, would likely result in "trouble" of some sort, possibly including the involvement of law enforcement personnel. One reported that our exchange had been forwarded "to HQ" and that she was informed that my questions will be answered in more detail.
(Or entertaining to use for prank calls )
I've received responses from 10 people representing 11 airports. I'll compile responses and post them this evening. Preview: most have expressed no knowledge of anything prohibiting non-commercial (not sure how that's defined) photographing or video recording of publicly-accessible areas of airports as long as doing so does not interfere with airport or TSA staff or slow the screening process for other passengers. Several have expressed the opinion that photographing or video recording at a TSA checkpoint, or more specifically, photographing or video recording TSA's equipment at the checkpoint, would likely result in "trouble" of some sort, possibly including the involvement of law enforcement personnel. One reported that our exchange had been forwarded "to HQ" and that she was informed that my questions will be answered in more detail.
#15
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Portland, OR
Programs: DL MM Gold
Posts: 1,676