We have yet another case of a police or security officer threatening a citizen for recording an encounter. The videotape below was taken by a young man who filmed the putdown of his father at the New Orleans airport. The supervisor warns the young man that he will be arrested for filming the public scene.
What is most striking is that the young man calmly explains that that TSA regulations allow such filming so long as people do not photographs the monitors. This appears news to the TSA supervisor who should be aware of such key regulations. The young man was right. Here is the language from the TSA:
TSA does not prohibit the public, passengers or press from photographing, videotaping or filming at security checkpoints, as long as the screening process is not interfered with or slowed down. We do ask you to not film or take pictures of the monitors. While the TSA does not prohibit photographs at screening locations, local laws, state statutes, or local ordinances might.
Taking photographs may also prompt airport police or a TSA official to ask what your purpose is. It is recommended that you use the Talk To TSA program on tsa.gov to contact the Customer Support Manager at the airport to determine its specific policy. Or, if you are a member of the press, you should contact the TSA Office of Public Affairs.
This young man was clearly not interfering with operations. If he was, then there is no ability to film a TSA checkpoint. You can judge for yourself:
There is no indication that the TSA is taking steps to discipline this supervisor or order new training on how to handle such incidents. There should be in my view.
I hope they fire that TSA supervisor, and start reevaluating the kind of person they want in that position. We certainly don’t want ss troops.
DutchJim, accepting that the TSA is allowed to inspect travelers and their belongings is a reasonable attitude, but a person’s freedom to travel is not being limited or taken away by the inspections. No one has a freedom to take dangerous materials or weapons on a commercial passenger airplane, and while an argument could be made that this is an infringement on an individual’s Second Amendment rights regarding carrying a gun, airlines are private companies and can legally and rightfully prohibit what their passengers may bring onboard, even if the government allowed it. Making their flights as safe and secure as they can is an intelligent business strategy which should increase their sales and profits. I personally find the inspections invasive and offensive, and while I do accept and tolerate them, I still have the freedom to publicly and privately complain about the process and to openly object whenever I feel I am being treated improperly or unfairly, and to record the activities I’m being subjected to. This helps keep the inspections and the time they take to a minimum, and potentially could contribute to their being eliminated entirely when feasible.
“Monitors” are the video screens that show what the scanners have detected in the luggage and purses, not the “agents” who are operating them. The agents are public servants who should have no expectation of privacy while they are doing their jobs. The monitors show the contents of the luggage and purses of passengers who do have a right to expect those contents to be kept private, despite a government agent having to inspect them. Agents being randomly videoed while doing their jobs, even by private citizens, helps ensure the agents are not doing things they shouldn’t be doing. Big Brother may be watching, but lots of Little Brothers and Sisters watching and recording what he does is only good insurance to help keep the governments at every level constrained and under control.
cubicz
Having to abide by rules, which prohibit one from capturing the faces of TSA monitors, does not equate to being enslaved, by any stretch of the imagination. Given that terrorists have decided to target air travel as a means of inflicting mass casualties, I am one of those who comprehend that flying comes with certain necessary trade-offs–inconveniences that I accept to bear because they make us all safer and more likely to arrive at our destinations in one piece. Radiation? If you don’t want to enter into that circular machine which scans our bodies, then don’t. Opt out. It’s a free country. Slaves don’t have choices to opt out.
@ bambam just because you are alright with being enslaved and slowly radiated at the same time doesnt mean everyone is….
Get over it. We gave away our freedom when we allowed the Aviation and Transportation Security Act (ATSA) to be signed into law and the TSA was formed. “The TSA oversees security in all modes of travel.” (per TSA site) It has become a bloated bureaucracy which grows bigger every year.
What possible legitimate reason could there have been to film these TSA monitors, including their faces? In an age where terrorists are looking for every possible crack in our security, including every possible opportunity to thwart our efforts to remain safe, I say that we should vigorously enforce the rules prohibiting filming or photographing these TSA monitors. We all give up a certain amount of freedoms and liberties every time that we decide to take a flight. Do I like it? Of course not, but a sane person understands that these rules were put into place for a reason–not to unduly burden the public, but, rather, to grant us some modicum of safety and security when we decide to take a flight. The faces of these workers should not be recorded, for a myriad of reasons. Anyone, with even the slightest background in matters dealing with security, would attest to that. I want these TSA monitors concentrating on what they are supposed to be doing and not worrying about some pimple-faced 16 year-old snot trying to push the boundaries of what is and is not allowed.
An website dedicated to just this type of situation, an excellent group.
http://photographyisnotacrime.com/
“We do ask you to not film or take pictures of the monitors.”
TSA policy is not law. Record those monitors all you want. If you can see the monitors from your legally allowed position, record away. I repeat, policy is NOT law.
Just one of thousands of pointless but untouchable little fascists that we, in our apathy and ignorance, empowered. And unionized! Yay. Of course he’s still on the job; his boss agrees with him and could not care less about you and your stupid little civil rights. Respect the badge, prole. Move along.