[IP] more on was detained at the TSA checkpoint for about 25 minutes today

[David Farber <dave@farber.net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Adam Fields <ip20398470293845@aquick.org>
Date: September 27, 2006 10:38:54 AM EDT
To: David Farber <dave@farber.net>
Cc: ip@v2.listbox.com
Subject: Re: [IP] I was detained at the TSA checkpoint for about 25  
minutes today

Fo IP, if you wish:

On Wed, Sep 27, 2006 at 06:48:22AM -0400, David Farber wrote:
[...]
> After he was assured I didn't have any warrants out the first office
> came back and I had my first chance to really speak, I explained that
> I was just expressing my opinion and my writing should be protected
> my by First Amendment rights. When he didn't respond, I then repeated
> that the TSA Supervisor stated my First Amendment rights didn't apply
> at the TSA check point and I asked if he (the deputy) agreed that was
> the case. He responded by saying "You can't yell fire in a crowed
> theater, there are limits to your right.
[...]

There should be a lawsuit over this.

This makes me wonder why some public service organization (possibly
the EFF or ACLU) doesn't buy a few thousand refundable tickets and
send people through the checkpoint to test the limits on speech
repression.

I haven't flown in a while, and even when I did, my experiences with
security were reasonably fast once I got to the end of the long line
(except at Logan, where they're still really paranoid about guarding
the empty barn) and always civil.

There's something to be said about the plight of these confused
individuals who are being asked to implement this array of nonsensical
rules. From a lot of these stories, it sounds like people are being
hassled by people part of an overworked system with too much power, no
clear direction, and most importantly, no accountability for random
abuses.

Unfortunately, the above paragraph describes all too much of our
society lately. Let's start fixing that by not putting up with it.

--
				- Adam

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