TSA: coming to a roadway near you

[GeekwithaGun]

Well said TAM

[bilgerat57]

Those of you who have occasion to use the Galveston - Bolivar ferry may have noticed the vehicle security checkpoint, on the Bolivar side at least. That checkpoint is manned by TSA personnell. Just to set the record straight, many people call them rent-a-cops but as far as I know, they are (through Dept. of Homeland Security) tied to each and every other federal law enforcement agency. So now we have another "police force" running around, controlling access and movement of the citizenry. Let's be honest here, the so-called "training" these people get is nowhere near what is required for FBI, DEA, US Marshalls, etc... But their statutory authority is every bit as strong as the Special Agent in charge of the Houston Office of the FBI. Scary thought, isn't it?
I have no problem with maintaining the security of our country. I have all the respect in the world for LEO's, and I support them whenever and however I can. What I fail to understand is, why aren't we stopping the threats at the border? After reading the article at the beginning of this thread, I couldn't help but think about how many states a terrorist would have to go through to get TO Tennessee and cause trouble. And with all due respect, what is so special in Tennessee to attract an attack of any significance? If I were to plan something along those lines, I would go for a major seaport, airport hub, or manufacturing center, none of which I find there. An attack on Graceland might be something to worry about.......maybe.......possibly........never mind. So I have to wonder, why start in Tennessee? Could it be to make us accustomed to the idea of having TSA doing this and setting a precedent for further expansion? What happens when these TSA agents/officers are paired up with BATFE, DEA, and/or FBI? Seems to be a short step for getting around a search warrant for your vehicle here. As far as I know,TSA DOES NOT REQUIRE PROBABLE CAUSE TO SEARCH YOUR VEHICLE. Please correct me if I'm wrong! In the course of making crew change at Bolivar we were required to undergo a "random" inspection of the vehicle and it's contents, which also included being required to identify ourselves. They did not open our bags and check inside them, but they did visually inspect the interior of the vehicle after we stepped out. I was told by the TSA "person" that declining the "inspection" was not an option. So once again I say Holy Bolshevik!
We need to be very cautious about how far we let this kind of stuff go. We need to concentrate our efforts on prevention of access. Border security, airports, and seaports need to be our front lines. Not local ferry's and highways.

[VoiceofReason]

TSA has no law enforcement authority so I don’t know what they think they are going to do except maybe get shot by a fugitive.

Was the TSA person armed? Was there a place to turn around? If there was a place to turn around then as far as I am concerned the inspection would have been an “option”. I turn around and don’t take the ferry, my car doesn’t get inspected and I don’t show ID.

I don’t think I would pull over for a TSA checkpoint.

[bilgerat57]

At every TSA station I've ever seen in Texas (both airport and road) there is either local LEO or DPS in support. Just how far they can go in their support, I really don't know. Bypassing or circumventing security checks at ports nowadays gets called a security breach and can stir up some very unwelcome attention from all sorts of people. Even making crew change at the wrong dock stirs up a hornets nest....... I guess it might be a good idea to find out just how far they can go with these "security inspections" and what the status is of the TSA employees. I know that people who have gotten physical with TSA in the past have been charged with assault on a federal officer (or something very similar). As far as finding a way to turn around down there at Bolivar, there may have been a way to do it. I didn't pay that much attention and to be honest, we were more amused than anything else. Whatever else these TSA people were, intimidating wasn't on the list. The DPS vehicles were a bit of an ominous note though.....

[tbrown]

Last comment......... I do not desire or want there to be a violent revolution to overthrow our government. I may consider myself a Texan by choice (since Texan by birth is not something I can claim), but I am an American first. I love my country unapologetically. But, I will also say that if this crap spreads nationwide, I can't think of a more likely way for one to start. The constant and deliberate provocation of the public while exercising their constitutional right to freedom of movement, even in their daily local travels, will not last for long before some sort of militia movement or other decides to do something about it. If that ever happens, the responsibility for it will lie squarely on the shoulders of a monstrous and ever more encroaching government, not on the people. The people, for the most part, just want to be left alone to enjoy their lives.

[VoiceofReason]

Well, me getting physical with a TSA agent would be ridiculous. I walk with a cane (three back surgeries) and can barely walk with it sometimes.

Were you carrying? Does it violate any laws to carry on the ferry?

I believe I would tell the TSA agent at a check point “you do not have my permission to search my vehicle” and see what would happen from there. If the TSA agent or LEO told me the search was not optional, I would not resist. I think it would make for a good civil rights test case.

People criticize the “occupy” folks but maybe it’s about time the law abiding working people start thinking about making some signs and putting on our walking shoes. We are losing our liberties one by one. Where is the line? When are we going to say “I have had enough”?

At least the “occupy” folks have the courage to stand up and say they are unhappy with the system (right or wrong) in the face of ridicule and criticism.

[PappaGun]

...I believe I would tell the TSA agent at a check point “you do not have my permission to search my vehicle” and see what would happen from there. If the TSA agent or LEO told me the search was not optional, I would not resist. I think it would make for a good civil rights test case...

And it would make a great video if you recorded the entire exchange.

[mamabearCali]

If you ever have to do that make CERTAIN you record it. You have to, to be able to prove to the court that you were not belligerant/rude/etc etc that they have tried to pin on every other person who has not consented to their assault.

[2farnorth]

I've seen a couple reports of DHS purchasing a few (hundred) of these vans. I can't confirm it though. If so then they don't even have to stop you. My understanding they can even have some home scanning capability in them.

http://www.as-e.com/zbv/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[The Annoyed Man]

Along the same lines:

MIT Develops New Radar Technology: Military Could See Through Walls

They say they are designing this for the warfighter in an urban environment. But I think it is only a matter of time before it finds its way into law enforcement......and civilian oppression. U.S. v. Kyllo (2001) ruled that it was unconstitutional to use thermal imaging devices to penetrate the interior of a building without a warrant. It didn't say anything about radar.

[steelhawk]

This isn't going to stop at Tennesee. I have no doubt there are plans in place to expand this nationally. I'm not sure this can be stopped, but as long as progressives and communists continue to run roughshod over us, things will only get worse.

[TLE2]

What I've wondered is where do all those nifty sounding acronyms come from? Do government officials stay up late figuring that out, or do they, like Exxon, pay big bucks to private enterprise to do their work?

[donkey]

This isn't going to stop at Tennesee. I have no doubt there are plans in place to expand this nationally. I'm not sure this can be stopped, but as long as progressives and communists continue to run roughshod over us, things will only get worse.

This isn't anything new. The program has been in place since 2007 and they've operated checkpoints/inspection areas in many states including California, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida, and New York. The way the law is currently written, they are required to consult with and come to an agreement with local law enforcement on the operation of these checkpoints. Without the support of local law enforcement these checkpoints are meaningless as the TSA has no arrest authority. This isn't just the federal government pushing the "VIPR" program, state and local governments and share a large part of the blame. The reason you are seeing TSA personnel at New York Subway stations and Tennessee interstate weigh stations is because the state and local governments have invited them in. We are doing this to ourselves.

[tallmike]

TSA is turning into Obama's Jack Booted Civil Police Force he talked about. Right before our eyes with nothing being done to stop it!

We'd better wake up soon, or it will truly be too late.

Obama might be the one in power now, but he is not the one that started this expansion of government power and campaign against citizen rights. Voting for R or D will not fix this, you have to vote for a good candidate. Both parties have a vested interest in the increased role of government in all of our lives, especially if it can be hidden behind the word "security"

[donkey]

I knew this would happen you could literally sit there and read the documents they put out that said they wanted to do this type of stuff. Now What..."Don't like it --don't leave your house?" Really. Why don't we just get some saftey scissors and go cut out the 4th amendment of the constitution entirely. Why bother having it if the gov't is going to find any and every way around it to do what it wants to do. I highly doubt these guys have been trained in what citizens are/are not permitted to have on their persons in daily life (knitting needles, water bottles, and even pistols with a CHL carrier are perfectly legit). We have enough trouble in our country educating the real police officers on the law--now we have to deal with rent-a-cops too with pseudo police authority?

At this point privately owned vehicles are not being stopped and search/inspected. The only vehicles affected by this are commercial vehicles subject to DOT regulations and these vehicles are already subject to inspection. Weigh stations and the inspections they conduct have been around for a long time. This doesn't mean I like or agree with this expansion of the TSA's mission, but we (the citizens of the US) have done this to ourselves. Look at the people we elect to Congress and the Presidency. Is it really any surprise that we are getting this type of government.