home

Surreptitious Baggage Searches

Have any of you returned home from a trip to find this in your checked luggage? I did today when I went to unpack my suitcase after my trip to Omaha. My problem with it is that I don't believe it's random. Security searched my bag on my out-bound trip (details here) -- what are the chances that 24 hours later, a surreptitious search of the same bag, this time checked, is random? There must have been some kind of coding that flagged it after the outbound flight.

This is particularly odious for traveling lawyers, most of whom are probably like me. On the outbound flight, our client files are in our carry-on luggage. We either want to review them during the flight or know we will need them immediately upon our arrival and can't take a chance on them being delayed or lost by the airline. On the return, however, rather than lug them, we check them.

But those files contain notes we made while meeting with our clients or expert witnesses, print-outs of case-related emails or memos with defense strategy. They are protected by the attorney-client and work-product privileges. In a high-profile case, what's to prevent the TSA officer from scanning them and sending them on to the Justice Department?

Suffice it to say from hereon out I will probably use fedex to return the files rather than check them in my luggage. But for those occasions where there isn't time, I'm going to create a lawyer's version of the TalkLeft 4th Amendment Subway Tote which I will pack on top of the contents of my suitcase. It will contain a warning to TSA that should any of the material in my suitcase wind up in the hands of the Government, they will be responsible for my motion to suppress and the likelihood that someone the Government regards as a serious criminal is likely to walk free. The final line on the tote will be: "Go ahead, make my day."

For those of you who are not lawyers, there is nothing you can do about the searches. Except you may feel better to pack a TalkLeft 4th Amendment Subway Tote on the top of your checked luggage. You may not be able to prevent a search, but at least you can remind the searchers of the 4th Amendment by forcing them to confront its language before proceeding. Maybe a few will feel guilty.

This is just craziness. America has gone mad with fear. TSA can scan our luggage for explosives. They don't need to open it and conduct a physical search. The terrorists have won. We're no longer the land of the free and the beacon of liberty in the free world.

Amerika, heal thyself. Vote these crazy legislators and autocrats out of office in November. It's time to take back our country, and our freedoms.

< Anti-Marijuana Cabal to Meet in San Diego | No Link Between Saddam Hussein and Zarqawi >
  • The Online Magazine with Liberal coverage of crime-related political and injustice news

  • Contribute To TalkLeft


  • Display: Sort:
    Re: Surreptitious Baggage Searches (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Sep 08, 2006 at 03:27:28 AM EST
    TL: Those extra searches have been going on for a while. You do get extra drama points for spelling amerika. Made me concerned! So you really think if the dems run the show after Nov. the TSA will not be inspecting bags anymore?

    Re: Surreptitious Baggage Searches (none / 0) (#11)
    by Che's Lounge on Fri Sep 08, 2006 at 06:48:37 AM EST
    The safest place to store contraband is in your pocket. It's the last place they search, unless they go all body cavity on you.

    Re: Surreptitious Baggage Searches (none / 0) (#13)
    by roy on Fri Sep 08, 2006 at 07:09:49 AM EST
    I found one of those tags in my bag, after flying out of Arizona. Pretty much all I had in there was a week's worth of dirty laundry. Heh. But this:
    It will contain a warning to TSA that should any of the material in my suitcase wind up in the hands of the Government, they will be responsible for my motion to suppress and the likelihood that someone the Government regards as a serious criminal is likely to walk free.
    Seems a little off. If they don't send any of the materials to the Government, the Government won't see it. If they do sent it, you'll get it supressed, and the Government will see it but the jury won't. Doesn't seem like sending the materials actually increases the chances of anybody going free.

    Re: Surreptitious Baggage Searches (none / 0) (#9)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Sep 08, 2006 at 09:15:01 AM EST
    The real question is, if you had a LOCKED satchel in your locked luggage, would they be empowered to crack the lock of the satchel? And for that matter, if there was a "puzzle box" present for your nephew would they be empowered to break that open too? This slippery slope just got teflon thrown on it.

    Re: Surreptitious Baggage Searches (none / 0) (#10)
    by jazzcattg1 on Fri Sep 08, 2006 at 09:20:09 AM EST
    I just completed my weekly trip from Phoenix to Los Angeles and the security screeners would not allow a box of 'sample' non-narcodic medication from my doctor due to the fact my name was not on the package-this whole screening process is purely for show and makes no one safer - I'll need a 4th amendment medication case!

    Re: Surreptitious Baggage Searches (none / 0) (#12)
    by legion on Fri Sep 08, 2006 at 09:20:09 AM EST
    Wretched, If they can break the lock on the main piece of luggage, I assume they can break any lock they feel they "need" to. That said, there are certain flags that will _always_ get you searched more thoroughly... I travel a fair amount myself, and any time I have to change airlines to get where I'm going, I know it's going to be extra pain, for example...

    Re: Surreptitious Baggage Searches (none / 0) (#14)
    by marty on Fri Sep 08, 2006 at 09:20:09 AM EST
    ccoaler: re: Armitage/Plame leak This changes exactly what? Since Rove had already discussed Plame with reporters BEFORE Novak's story ran, since Rove had explained that he was gooing after Wilson "because he's a Democrat", since Cheney/Libby/Rove had a smear campaign planned and executed without any connection to Armitage, this means nothing. The slime campaign was despicable no matter what Armitage did. Try again.

    Re: Surreptitious Baggage Searches (none / 0) (#15)
    by platys on Fri Sep 08, 2006 at 09:20:09 AM EST
    I have gotten that notice in my luggage, once when I was flying to Denver from Chicago. I assumed it was due to the massive quantity of Penzey's Spices I was bringing home for the family - there were a number of sealed, labeled bags of leaf like items that probably stood out on whatever screening they do. Or, maybe it was random. What was funny was that I was dating a lawyer who works for Customs and Border Protection at the time.

    Re: Surreptitious Baggage Searches (none / 0) (#16)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Sep 08, 2006 at 09:20:09 AM EST
    Your idea of a tote like that is a fantastic idea and I suspect it is applicable to more than just lawyers. I would go it a bit better and make it a heavy, vinyl, transparent envelope with a zipper on top that can be securely fastened with a colored plastic tie. Into that goes the files in a manila folder demonstrating what you have is just papers, but also showing you if the envelope has been opened. Okay, so this next part is my cynical how I get rich scheme. Disclosure, I have never had a good experience with a lawyer, even when they are my own. They have all the power. They charge me for their time, even when I have to chew them out for the crappy mistake they just made that I had warned them about. But I respect their power and ability to get people to pay for every piece of nonsense the legal profession deems necessary. What that boils down to is this. Here is how you get rich selling your TSA-Transparent/Searchable Envelopes. 0) Since they have a movable part (The zipper), do what you can to get patent protection -- patent pending should be enough. 1) Market them and sell them. Take out lots of ads in lawyer magazine AND in Forbes, Golfer's Digest, all sorts of high roller magazines. If that works, great, if not, move on to phase two. 2) Find a few high profile cases in which the lawyer traveled across country, and ask them how they know their files weren't searched. Do what you need to do to get those lawyers cases thrown out or get the lawyers disbarred or whatever for obvious incompetence. I have a few more ideas in the category of "tech really can help out the legal industry, and I can become rich if I can force this tech down the lawyers throats knowing that they will become my bill collectors to the unsuspecting public."

    Re: Surreptitious Baggage Searches (none / 0) (#19)
    by orionATL on Fri Sep 08, 2006 at 09:20:09 AM EST
    this is really unacceptable on the federal government's (tsa) part. but then so is bugging a client's lawyer (didn't this happen in an oregon case? or have i got my facts mixed up?). even if tl's client was not of federal concern, many, many others might be (drugs, white collar, interstate, federal tax, etc). these kinds of federal government behaviors need to be written up for public education and protest, as talk left is doing. the core of american federal government, the jewel of the constitution, is not a law or a rule of behavior or a syllogism. it is a personal belief - a belief that each citizen must decide to accept, a belief those folks in 1786 certainly accepted based on their experience with government in the colonies and in europe, it is the belief that government should be strictly and explicitly limited in actions it can take against its citizens where its action might suppress political opposition, that is, might, e.g., suppress speech or assembly, allow unreasonable search and seizure, suspend right to a speedy trial by peers (the tower of london wasn't initially built to house the crown jewels for tourists), among others. that core belief is one each of us would do well to express and support with urgency these days. since september, 2001, the bush administration has overstepped both its authority and our security needs in airport and telephone searches, in detention without charges or access to an attorney, in harassment of attorneys representing charged terrorists, and in flimsy terrorism-related charges brought against arab-american citizens. and the above is just the beginning of a long list of bill of rights (and separation of powers) violations of this administration since september, 2001 - the bush administration has disguised this overreaching as a response to our needs for security, but, in reality, "security" has been both a disguise for power-seeking behavior and a cover-your-ass effort to appear on top of security issues. it is folly to say, "well, the government is protecting us. the government will know when to stop, when it has exceeded our need for security. but governments, once they've slipped the leash, NEVER know when to stop interdicting political opposition, and it is only a few short steps from meeting security needs to suppression of political opposition. hence the need for checks and balances and a bill or rights. personally, i'm willing to bet that suppression has already happened without our knowing it. orionATL

    Re: Surreptitious Baggage Searches (none / 0) (#20)
    by cpinva on Fri Sep 08, 2006 at 09:20:09 AM EST
    TL: consider the distinct possibility that, by putting that sticker on your bag, you will be put on the terrorist watch list. try flying then. oh, everyone will know it's bogus, but how long will it take to get your name removed? just ask ted kennedy about that. they can make your life far more difficult than you can make their's, and with complete impunity.

    Re: Surreptitious Baggage Searches (none / 0) (#21)
    by ScottW on Fri Sep 08, 2006 at 09:20:09 AM EST
    I fly from time to time, but last year I was seeing someone who was a four hour drive or one hour flight. So I was buzzing up to Dallas for a day or two almost every weekend ,and almost every return trip I had one of those notes. My conclusion, in and out flights get the screen. I figured they were looking for drugs/cash (Houston/Dallas/Houston), and I am a white male in my early 30's traveling alone on the weekends with checked luggage. I an case, I would always put my dirty underwear and socks up front and center. But I doubt that would help women very much. I would imagine some clever reader could come up with something to keep those 'random' searches to a minimum.

    Re: Surreptitious Baggage Searches (none / 0) (#22)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Sep 08, 2006 at 09:20:09 AM EST
    Had my bags checked on both legs of a round trip flight three straight times last year. Would you like it if there wasn't any security checks at all? No metal detectors, bomb sniffers, luggage inspection?

    Re: Surreptitious Baggage Searches (none / 0) (#25)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Sep 08, 2006 at 09:20:09 AM EST
    I actually see the likelyhood that sensitive business or private information (think Rush's viagra) could be disseminated by unscrupulous individuals for fun or profit. There are two ways around the problem--either fly private charter, which doesn't have the same search priorities as public airline travel, or store the documents digitally, and review them inflight on a laptop. (unless electronic devices become suspicious again!) Of course charter air travel is expensive, and digitally scan documents may cost too much in time or money...

    Re: Surreptitious Baggage Searches (none / 0) (#26)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Sep 08, 2006 at 09:20:09 AM EST
    Deal with it. They are not after your top secret documents, its a security check. "The price of freedom is constant vigilence"

    Re: Surreptitious Baggage Searches (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Sep 08, 2006 at 10:15:34 AM EST
    The implications are staggering, what if they found a couple of grams of Peruvian marching powder? I'm pretty sure you wouldn't be catching your flight. (would this constitute an illegal search?) Oh and the embarassment if a gal had her favourite toy in her luggage. I am a lifetime user of tooth powder as opposed to paste and as such I know that that I always secure the lid correctly. I took a forty minute flight with the British Isles to an offshore island, needless to say when I opened my toilet bag the powder was all over the place. And not even the courtesy of such a note as you received. Such is the lot of a bad lad. But you' right Jeralyn situations like this are worthy of the cor blimey file. I assume since the Patriot Act a search such as this doesn't infringe on your civil liberties. And Coyote is right, nothing will change if the dems retake congress. Which brings me to another point. All the sweeping powers that the Repubs are prepared to give dubya will one day be in the hands of a Dem president, and history has shown nobody relinquishes an iota of power once it is in place. This of course assumes that the repubs are even worried about the dems ever returning to power. I might be away with the faeries but I think the climate in America is ripe for an event that hitherto would have been inconceivable.

    Re: Surreptitious Baggage Searches (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Sep 08, 2006 at 10:15:34 AM EST
    The "lawyer's" version of the tote needs to have some way to secure it closed such that the user can know whether or not it has been opened if in checked baggage: long-enough straps for creative knots would work.

    Re: Surreptitious Baggage Searches (none / 0) (#6)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Sep 08, 2006 at 10:15:34 AM EST
    Unfortunately, since the inspections are secret, they can do anything they want. If your package has a warning to the TSA, they can simply confiscate the package and destroy it. Their response to your complaint: What package? Where's your proof?

    Re: Surreptitious Baggage Searches (none / 0) (#7)
    by Fr33d0m on Fri Sep 08, 2006 at 10:15:34 AM EST
    Agree, I've gotten them before. It seems random but I wouldn't put it past anyone to have some code for "Keep an eye on this one." I just wouldn't put much stock in it. So go grab a paper bag and breath. Oh and Wile, I am sure the TSS will continue the searches. The largest benefit you're likely to see is less fearmongering. The rest will be more behind the scenes; things like following the law, making policy that actually works, capturing OBL, exploiting the entire spectrum of response options to terror threats, and so on.

    Re: Surreptitious Baggage Searches (none / 0) (#8)
    by jen on Fri Sep 08, 2006 at 10:15:34 AM EST
    So they can cut the locks off your baggage, meaning anyone can steal anything out of your luggage after that until it gets to your destination? Or you can (from the website mentioned on the brochure they slipped in your luggage)
    "If a bag is locked, we are allowed to cut the lock off. That's where recognized locks come in. We worked in partnership with several companies to develop locks which offer you security without interrupting the security we offer. These locks are normally available at airports and travel stores nationwide."
    Here, buy this not-a-lock lock. We're the only ones that can open them. Honest.

    Re: Surreptitious Baggage Searches (none / 0) (#17)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Sep 08, 2006 at 10:15:34 AM EST
    I too would like to know how random these searches are. Why do I get pulled out of line every time I board an airplane? Why does my luggage always get one of these tags when I fly? Is there something about an almost 60 year old grandmother that seems unusually frightening? Would it have something to do with my having been a member of SDS in my youth? And what are the odds of someone being audited by the IRS 4 out of the last 4 years, without any tax changes in the final results? Just because I have become paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get me?

    Re: Surreptitious Baggage Searches (none / 0) (#18)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Sep 08, 2006 at 10:15:34 AM EST
    this is really unacceptable on the federal government's (tsa) part. but then so is bugging a client's lawyer (didn't this happen in an oregon case? or have i got my facts mixed up?). even if tl's client was not of federal concern, many, many others might be (drugs, white collar, interstate, federal tax, etc). these kinds of federal government behaviors need to be written up for public education and protest, as talk left is doing. the core of american federal government, the jewel of the constitution, is not a law or a rule of behavior or a syllogism. it is a personal belief - a belief that each citizen must decide to accept, a belief those folks in 1786 certainly accepted based on their experience with government in the colonies and in europe, it is the belief that government should be strictly and explicitly limited in actions it can take against its citizens where its action might suppress political opposition, that is, might, e.g., suppress speech or assembly, allow unreasonable search and seizure, suspend right to a speedy trial by peers (the tower of london wasn't initially built to house the crown jewels for tourists), among others. that core belief is one each of us would do well to express and support with urgency these days. since september, 2001, the bush administration has overstepped both its authority and our security needs in airport and telephone searches, in detention without charges or access to an attorney, in harassment of attorneys representing charged terrorists, and in flimsy terrorism-related charges brought against arab-american citizens. and the above is just the beginning of a long list of bill of rights (and separation of powers) violations of this administration since september, 2001 - the bush administration has disguised this overreaching as a response to our needs for security, but, in reality, "security" has been both a disguise for power-seeking behavior and a cover-your-ass effort to appear on top of security issues. it is folly to say, "well, the government is protecting us. the government will know when to stop, when it has exceeded our need for security. but governments, once they've slipped the leash, NEVER know when to stop interdicting political opposition, and it is only a few short steps from meeting security needs to suppression of political opposition. hence the need for checks and balances and a bill or rights. personally, i'm willing to bet that suppression has already happened without our knowing it. orionATL

    Re: Surreptitious Baggage Searches (none / 0) (#23)
    by Strick on Fri Sep 08, 2006 at 10:15:34 AM EST
    The airline did warn you about this, right? They asked if any of your bags was locked? How is this any different from the search you and your bag go thru before getting to the gate? Haven't the courts ruled that search reasonable?

    Re: Surreptitious Baggage Searches (none / 0) (#24)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Sep 08, 2006 at 10:15:34 AM EST
    I actually see the likelyhood that sensitive business or private information (think Rush's viagra) could be disseminated by unscrupulous individuals for fun or profit. There are two ways around the problem--either fly private charter, which doesn't have the same search priorities as public airline travel, or store the documents digitally, and review them inflight on a laptop. (unless electronic devices become suspicious again!) Of course charter air travel is expensive, and digitally scan documents may cost too much in time or money...

    Re: Surreptitious Baggage Searches (none / 0) (#27)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Sep 08, 2006 at 10:15:34 AM EST
    Airport security has gone overboard, but really, if you can carry the files on the outbound flight you can carry them on the return flight. I rather do that than FedEx them back. Also, I would never check them, even prior to the current security situation. With the possibility of lost luggage you owe it to your clients to maintain strict control over the documents.

    Re: Surreptitious Baggage Searches (none / 0) (#1)
    by merlallen on Fri Sep 08, 2006 at 10:24:57 AM EST
    The terrorists have won.

    Re: Surreptitious Baggage Searches (none / 0) (#2)
    by michael on Fri Sep 08, 2006 at 10:24:57 AM EST
    TL, It is possible that you were randomly searched on both flights. It is improbable, but with a large flying population, improbable events will happen from time to time. FedExing confidential documents is wise in any case: the TSA regime has removed any expectation of privacy for our checked luggage.

    Re: Surreptitious Baggage Searches (none / 0) (#29)
    by squeaky on Fri Sep 08, 2006 at 10:25:51 AM EST
    tom bostic-
    "The price of freedom is constant vigilence"
    Is that a quote from Mussolini, Hitler or Stalin?

    Re: Surreptitious Baggage Searches (none / 0) (#28)
    by Bill Arnett on Fri Sep 08, 2006 at 10:28:15 AM EST
    This reminds me of "random" drug testing when I was in the Philippines where, somehow, all 1,100 Security Policemen had their SSANs "randomly selected" for testing each and every month. The gov't has a funny idea of the meaning of the word random.

    Re: Surreptitious Baggage Searches (none / 0) (#33)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Sep 08, 2006 at 03:05:13 PM EST
    There's every good reason to think that the TSA does keep lists of people to search more than randomly, and every good reason to think that these lists are littered with people who pose no security threat whatsoever, but are added because of their political rabble rousing. That said, it's also well within the bounds of normal statistical happenstance that one person will randomly be searched on both legs of a roundtrip flight. They probably search at least one random person per flight, and if, say you fly on planes with 300 people (and I think these count as somewhat conservative numbers), the odds of being the random person both times are 1 in 90,000 (300 x 300). Pretty small odds, but not really very impressive. After all, some 30,000 commercial flights fly each day in the U.S. That means that we should expect someone to be the random search victim on both legs of their trip about once every three days. Looks like you are now part of a small but growing club. Also, about the possibility that it wasn't random--did you have any electronic devices in your luggage? Or something else that, glimpsed in an x-ray machine, might make them curious for a closer look? The one time I got one of those "pardon our searching of your luggage" notices was on a return flight from Tel Aviv. I had a video camera in my checked bag, and I'd left the battery inserted. When I got home and got the bag with the notice of searching, I saw that they had removed the battery from the camera--I guess it makes them nervous (and understandably so) to have things connected to batteries. Now, was this random? No idea. I was returning from having worked with the International Solidarity Movement agitating with Palestinian activists against the occupation in the West Bank. My bags were searched from top to bottom by the Israelis at Tel Aviv airport on my way onto the plane. But then again by the U.S. coming in to Boston? (This was in January 2001, so before 9/11 and the current TSA.) Who knows.

    Re: Surreptitious Baggage Searches (none / 0) (#35)
    by Sailor on Fri Sep 08, 2006 at 05:29:00 PM EST
    Anonymous September 8, 2006 08:53 AM - I figured you were a geek, only we start numbering from zero;-)
    Deal with it. They are not after your top secret documents
    Riiiight, we're from the gov't, trust us. TL specifically deals with high profile cases the gov't would do anything to win ... and this is definitely in the category of 'anything.' w/o probable cause the gov't shouldn't be able to search anything, see Constitution, U.S.

    Re: Surreptitious Baggage Searches (none / 0) (#36)
    by Sailor on Fri Sep 08, 2006 at 05:36:02 PM EST
    "The price of freedom is constant vigilence"
    Yes, constant vigilance against gov't intrusion.

    Re: Surreptitious Baggage Searches (none / 0) (#34)
    by profmarcus on Fri Sep 08, 2006 at 06:04:57 PM EST
    i travel a great deal internationally and i find those in my luggage all the time... to make matters worse, when i arrived in san francisco from frankfurt this past june, my laptop, flash drives, and camera were seized without warrant and not returned to me until nearly three weeks later... it wasn't until late in july that i read the southern district of nevada court decision that uphelp warrantless search and seizure of laptops at customs checkpoints... unbelievable... i have since flown back into the u.s. at jfk without incident but i am prepared, if necessary, should it happen again, with copies of the paperwork from the first go-round... my riposte will be, "do you really want to go down this road again?" which will probably land ME in search and seizure for three weeks...

    Re: Surreptitious Baggage Searches (none / 0) (#30)
    by baked potato on Fri Sep 08, 2006 at 06:10:44 PM EST
    I've gotten those notices more than once. The first was when I was returning from visting my mom's apartment in New York. Not only did I get the notice, but after I landed there was a public address announcement at our small regional airport telling TSA staff to come to the office for a "possible security opportunity." Then my bag was suspiciously late coming onto the carousel some minutes after all the other bags. I had picked up from my mom's apartment and put in my suitcase a stack of musty, dusty old Irish sheet music books. I also had a copy of James Joyce's Ulysses whose cover was almost ripped in two by the good TSA inspectors. I guess those old music books must have set off their ultra-sophisticated detectors. Or maybe they really wanted to seize Joyce's "dirty book," but the government had tried doing that some years back and it didn't work out so well for them in court.

    Re: Surreptitious Baggage Searches (none / 0) (#31)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Sep 08, 2006 at 06:10:44 PM EST
    We've had this happen repeatedly when I have packed for our family of four and put all the toilet articles and razors in the last bag to be closed (usually a carryon size). It has become quite predictable and I really doubt our family is on any list. I think they just can't see the contents well enough with the xrays.

    Re: Surreptitious Baggage Searches (none / 0) (#32)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Sep 08, 2006 at 06:10:44 PM EST
    I travel every week. In the airports that conduct manual searches, these are put in to show that the bag has been searched. In airports that do electronic searches (like x-rays), they do not, because the bags are not opened. I have a large collection of these fliers from my travels.

    Re: Surreptitious Baggage Searches (none / 0) (#37)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Sep 08, 2006 at 08:30:55 PM EST
    I found one of those in my bag last week, on the flight home for a business trip. I have made a round trip flight every week for the last month or so, and have seen one of those exactly once.

    Re: Surreptitious Baggage Searches (none / 0) (#38)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Sep 08, 2006 at 08:51:43 PM EST
    Strick wrote:
    How is this any different from the search you and your bag go thru before getting to the gate? Haven't the courts ruled that search reasonable?
    At the gate, they search in front of you and then give your bag back to you. This search was done outside of my presence and without my knowledge. The issue I'm raising here is not the 4th Amendment but the attorney-client and work product privilege. Since I only checked the bag 30 minutes before departure, I doubt they had enough time to scan any documents. But, what about when I check my bag 2 hours before departure? How do I know the TSA searcher isn't reading and looking for things the Government might find interesting? Especially if they recognize my client's name?

    Re: Surreptitious Baggage Searches (none / 0) (#39)
    by Sydnie on Fri Sep 08, 2006 at 09:37:32 PM EST
    Yes. I have traveled for a funeral and been inspected on the outbound flight, had my things wiped for some sort of check, always pulled out of line for a check when leaving. And, I always find the slips in my luggage on the return flights too. I only fly when someone is dying. I take over a weeks worth of clothes each for myself and my children. Every piece of luggage with my tag on it gets inspected. I hope they enjoy the added obituary and funeral cards that are there on the return trips. How long before they plant something in someone's luggage to build a case to support what they are doing? You know it has to happen sooner or later.

    Re: Surreptitious Baggage Searches (none / 0) (#41)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Sep 09, 2006 at 08:21:38 AM EST
    I agree that it looks non-random, but I don't think they're necessarily picking on you. Some of the scanners used to detect explosives give a "false positive" if they see a big dense lump of paper. The screener has to open the suitcase to see it contains a stack of paperback books, or a 5" thick bundle of papers in manilla folders or whatever. A bag with a lot of paper is more likely to be opened and hand-searched than a bag with just clothes and toiletries, because of the weird false positive thing with the electronic scanner. Dividing the paper in several sections and packing clothes (or other light stuff) between them will reduce the risk of the false positive somewhat, but there will still be some risk, especially if you have to carry a lot of paper. My mother and my aunt always get their hand baggage searched extensively. They thought it was because they were getting profiled, and they really resented it. I pointed out that they *always* travelled with a lot of metal jewelry. They both have little cloth cases where you can put each necklace or bracelet or fancy hair thingee in its own compartment, so it doesn't get tangled or anything, and roll the whole thing up. Tuck it in the bottom of a bag, and x-ray perceives it as a suspicious-looking lump of metal that has to be taken out and looked at. Taking it out can make the rest of the bag unsuspicious.

    Re: Surreptitious Baggage Searches (none / 0) (#43)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Sep 09, 2006 at 09:12:43 PM EST
    My wife and I had the same ticket in our luggage while on a trip to a reunion last week of my infantry company from Vietnam. Our clothes were mostly wet inside the bags--it was raining heavily in Atlanta. My wife a 56 year old retired teacher was also frisked and had her personal items gone through. We did manage to get her chapstick through. Thanks, George.

    Re: Surreptitious Baggage Searches (none / 0) (#42)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Sep 09, 2006 at 09:18:49 PM EST
    Hey Wiley, Do you think that if we leave the traitors in power that things get better is more germane of a question.

    Re: Surreptitious Baggage Searches (none / 0) (#40)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Sep 09, 2006 at 09:27:27 PM EST
    I just returned from a round trip from Burbank to Omaha as well. My bags were searched each way with the same notice inside. I have no affiliation with any group or nor does the TSA have any specific reason to single me out. Sometimes, a cigar is a cigar.

    Re: Surreptitious Baggage Searches (none / 0) (#44)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Sep 11, 2006 at 04:34:21 PM EST
    Check out John Barlow's experience in 2003. These searches are ostensibly for security against explosives...but they looked in the bottom of a small pill bottle.