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PODCAST - The TSA: Or How to Feel Unwelcome in Your Own Country (Patreon)

Published:
2018-09-06 12:01:00
Imported:
2026-06

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This is an audio only version of a recently released video for the convenience of those who wish to listen when unable to watch. 

This is Patreon perk for all supporters. You can listen to it via the browser, here, or you can subscribe to all future InRange podcasts via an RSS feed:

https://patreon.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/212055866-How-Do-I-Get-and-Use-My-Audio-RSS-Link-

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Upon my return to the USA from Finland I was flagged with SSSS (special screening).   I was treated with respect in Sweden and like a criminal in my own country while passing through Chicago.

This is a somewhat out of the norm video for InRange but it does touch on digital security rights and is something I felt compelled to do.

If you're not interested, feel free to pass on to the next video coming Saturday which is indeed gun related.

Thank you,

Karl

Illegal seizure and search of data:

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/08/woman-my-iphone-was-seized-at-border-then-imaged-feds-now-must-delete-data/

TSA Theft:

https://www.google.com/search?q=tsa+theft

TSA Failure:

https://www.google.com/search?q=tsa+failure

Files

Comments

Marlo Delfin Gonzales

I think it is vitally important that these experiences are shared every time they are imposed on people. Thank you for your post.

Ralph Reagan

Everyone who works for the tsa should be arrested and beaten. I was so humiliated the last time.

Gabriel Costa

Similar thing happened to me when they found my broken down bass guitar in my suitcase. They said it was an assault rifle and proceeded to quite literally freak out. I was 17 mind you.

John S Wren

I think many of us have similar tales to tell. It can't an easy or fun job but it's the sheer rudeness of the encounters I've had that just puts me off.

Michael Quinn

This was after going through customs in Chicago? You were in the USA taking an ordinary domestic flight?

Andrew Mazur

Edit: Sorry for rant and spelling errors but on mobile and not worth to try to edit. Reply and ask me any questions/what meant. 11 year veteran of USCG. The fact that they get it so wrong is appalling. The majority of money that was dumped into the newly form Department of Homeland Security went directly to TSA or was retained. The Coast Guard, an organization that has been in the business of securing our borders since the Damn founding of our country (securing it from smuggling via the revenue cutter service) saw almost none of that money while having it's mission vastly expanded. I bet you that if the Coast Guard had been given, by law, this task the existing CG culture would have resulted in it being done with cultural sensitivity, vigilance, and moved it beyond security theatre. The underground motto if the Coasties (or guardians of whatever they are officially called these days) is "do more with less". It's unofficial because you can only do this for so long and it suggests that if you do ask for resources you've failed to live up to the culture. With the ridiculous mission creep (port and inland waters cyber security...really DHS? Think you can get anywhere with that without and expanded budget?) that DHS pushed on them this became a counterproductive cultural meme. However the meme still lives on today and the day to day work of the general coastie has a risk/cost/benefit mindset built into it (so glad I never have to sit through a GAR model meeting ever again). If DHS didn't force USCG to put some lifetime GS15 professional bureaucrat at the head they would have made our mistakes when we still had the concerns of the American people counter balancing the instinct of Americans to distrust their government, as they should. But a commanding officer would get fired over this if one of his boarding officers treated a law abiding citizen like this while conducting a safety check or even if they were suspected of having broken the law. Glad to contribute to the dumpster fire.

LYSANDER SPOONER

they need to get rid of the entire DHS. ICE, TSA all needs abolished

Steven Schumacher

Something like this happened to my best friend while we were coming back from England thru Chicago. Just a bit of background on my buddy Cliff... He was invited to the White House by each of the last 10 Presidents, He helped arrange for my invitation to the White House, He was a full Col. in the Air Force (43 years of service), He had dinner with the Chicago Mayor monthly, He took me into "The new Scotland Yard" during our trip to meet the head of the bomb disposal unit for greater London, and the Who's-who list of the people that might call him at any time in our travels was incredible. We got stopped going thru baggage x-ray because they couldn't ID something in his bag. In seconds we were surrounded by guys with MP-5s and M-4s. Cliff was asked if he had any contraband in his case.... "Of course not!". After rummaging thru his case and it's contents, they found the item in question.... His US issued Bomb disposal badge and credentials next to his dress uniform!

Ian F

TSA: The RV industry is thankful for it.

Ian F

I have not had any issues with TSA, but I also generally avoid flying unless absolutely necessary.

Mike

I recommend not flying through Chicago

Fabian Haberhauer

In German, we (of course) have an own word for that sort of behavior: Schikane

Gabriel Rich

I had a similar experience the last time I flew Intentionally, but I was 16 at the time. I was leaving the country for Jamaica with my family. I had to deal with the full pat down, the scattering and disregard of all my items the didn't ask about the phone, it took place 10 years ago. Later when I had my credit checked for a car something called an OFAC check came back with a 95% match to a south Sudanese Lt. General Gabriel Jok Riak. I don't know if they were related but this check said I was a 95% match to him and had me prove my identity in triplicate wit my DL, SSC and Birth Certificate. Everything is so backwards.

koyote

I won't fly commercial anymore. It's weird to think that I'm copying all the stuff we learned about Europeans (and not just behind the curtain!) doing when I was younger.

Michael Baggott

I can guarantee that the shabby treatment you were subject to was a direct result of you having the audacity to refuse to unlock your phone for him. You were apparently getting the secondary check regardless but you likely got the "extra special" treatment because you refused to kowtow to your "betters." I'm a recently retired police officer and I spent over 30 years trying my best to be a good cop. TSA "Agents" are a joke. These are people who would be flipping burgers if they hadn't been hired by TSA. The groping pat downs, questionable secondary screenings, theft of personal property, forced entry into electronic devices, etc are unacceptable in a free society. What is truly scary is folks I know who just shrug off this kind of stuff and say, "If you've got nothing to hide then what are you worried about"?

R Brooks

Suggestions; 1. join the EFF, they fight for your digital rights. 2. if possible, travel with a chromebook instead of a Win/Mac laptop. With a chromebook, your data is in the 'cloud', not the machine. Also you can delete your usual id while you travel so it won't be available at checkpoints; later you can add it back quickly. One advantage of a chromebook is how easy and thoroughly you can add/delete users (really <5 minutes). You can even leave your phone at home as the chromebook can be used to make and receive calls (via Google Voice); its a bit clumsy but not difficult.

Spanky's Basement

Wonder if that would happen if one has been "Pre Checked"?

Samson

Except for the fact that the EFF is funded by Silicon Valley megacorps and isn't actually interested in anyone's rights but theirs. And silicon valley doesn't want your info to be private, they want your information to be private to everyone who hasn't bought it from them.

Brett B

Thank you for sharing this experience with us. It is important that people hear about it and I wouldn’t mind hearing more content like this on InRange.

R Brooks

Some of the people live in the valley but it's not fair to say Silicon valley funds them. Check out <a href="https://www.eff.org/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.eff.org/</a> for yourself and see what what issues they are involved with. If you write them off then you're also not supporting one of the most effective digital rights organizations.

Zap Rowsdower

One of my favorite Ron White bits is about taking two Viagra before hand and demanding a pat-down.

Jason

This is why I have taken the train (Amtrak) to go from eastern Washington state to Florida. I'd rather spend 4 1/2 day on a relaxing train than deal with the TSA.

Bruce Brodnax

How can these agencies *fail* to adopt a NAZI-esque subculture when the whole umbrella ["DHS"] is using a NAZI-style title? Lebensraum! Anschluss! Do it for Father- [or Home-] land security!.. ::p

Bruce Brodnax

After asking for a female agent, of course?

Samuel Roberts

I'd almost finished writing up the back-of-knuckle thing for touch-id when I got to the point where you covered that. Separately, while I take the point, I do think the stylized “S” on the YouTube title card is in bad taste.

Shaun Christensen

Would not be surprised if the fact you were in Chicago has something to do with the attitude you faced, the ol Windy City seems to pride itself on behaving like an asshole. No offense, I’ve got family there

Erdanya

Thanks for sharing this, Karl. This is basically the kind of thing that makes me very hesitant to actually fly to to the US - not so much expecting that it WILL happen, but knowing that it's a possibility, and knowing that because I'm Dutch, there's potentially worse ramifications, as our rights are not covered by your constitution like yours were. Effectively, this means that if you say 'I will not unlock my phone', they can't do anything about it, but that doesn't work for me, and I'll likely face more than 'just' a chilled atmosphere and delays. As I understand it currently (and someone do correct me if I'm wrong - I'd love to BE wrong in this case), in the worst case scenario, if they request my social media accounts and passwords (see Extreme Vetting), and I refuse, they can basically detain me until I get a next plane back home, as I'll be refused entry on the basis of... Having done literally nothing wrong in my country or yours, except apparently not wanting to have my personal information violated. I hate that it's come to that, and it means that I'm less likely to visit friends I made over the past 20 years, and what seems like a very interesting and beautiful country.

Robert J Rank

Karl, thank you for the biometric update in regard to forced unlocking of my electronic devices. I will be using my personal from now on. Bob Rank

Earl

A friend of mine got put onto the "Do Not Fly" list about 10 years ago because he forgot to take a small Swiss Army style pocket knife out of his briefcase when going through security for a DOMESTIC flight. At the time, they just confiscated the knife and let him board. It wasn't until 6 or 8 months later that he found out that he was on the DNF list when he had to fly for work. It took another 10 months or so to get it all straightened out, even though he had a government secret security clearance. While I have not had that DNF List experience myself, I still have had to go through extra security pat-down because of my artificial hip, knee, and screws in my shoulder. Even though I carry a card identifying me with metal implants, I still set off the metal detector and have to be patted down. So now, I just don't travel by air at all.

CCW1911

I would like to know why I a male have to get patted down by another male? Also when the male TSA "agent" jiggles your balls for the second time do not look him in the eye and ask him if "does that mean we are a couple now?" unless you want to be late for your flight.

Self Aware WW1 Tank

Right on. More Americans need to speak out about these abuses. Working for the TSA is shamefully unamerican.

Ben T

Karl, if you want to try another path before you go for global pass, you can try filing a redress with DHS. search for DHS Traveler Redress Inquiry Program, and it should bring you to the correct site. Though, remember, this is the good 'ol federal government, so have fun waiting while they "work" on your request

InRange TV

This was international travel and precheck does not apply.

Ben Berry

Thanks for talking about this. Whether or not people want to hear it, I do think it's important. Many of us travel through TSA a few times a year and it's usually a non-event. But being reminded that single box being checked could kick off a process like you talked about here is important.

Will Teasle

What? No respect? Thought you were a employee of the deep state.

Dylan Kempster

When visiting for the World Shoot back in 2014 all the Aussie shooters who attended were all given pretty much the same info. Avoid JFK, LAX, Chicago and basically any major airport that is in a gun unfriendly state. Almost everyone, including me, came in through Dallas and we had few problems. Being alien visitors with firearms we had a hard time of it but for the most part it was smooth. Tampa to Dallas was more of an issue than Dallas was in and out but thankfully that didn't stop we leaving on time. My pistol showed up about 3 days later because it got caught up and didn't make the flight from Dallas to Sydney but I still got it. Likewise if you can avoid it, don't fly through Sydney Airport. Sadly, we don't have much of a choice sometimes but if you can, avoid it.

Kyle Groetsch

I get this special treatment every time I fly, domestic or international. I sport fancy titanium pins in my knee. It’s never a simple wand of the knee and pat down of the targeted area. They always go for the full monty, explosive swabbing and the tear down of my personal belongings. On one occasion they wouldn’t even allow me to physically view the rummaging of my items. I agree, it’s a ridiculous process. Thanks for sharing your experience.

Claw

I have the same miserable experience nearly every time I go through any US airport. Don't know why. My wife always said it was because I looked at the idiots as if they were something nasty I had found stuck to my boot.

Farmer Brown

Agreed - they are the good guys!

Peter Graham

I don't understand why law abiding citizens are so willing to let their own government agencies treat them like criminals and disrespect their rights to privacy and freedom. Look what the nazis did with that power when nobody stood up to them. It's definitely a slippery slope.