[Infowarrior] - TSA Changes Rules On Airport Searches

[Richard Forno]

(c/o DaveL)

TSA Changes Rules On Airport Searches ... Very Quietly
Thu, 12 Nov '09

Searches Must Be Related To Airline Safety

http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?ContentBlockID=615e45f8-4a6e-4e58-a2d7-84971d404419
TSA has changed two rules about airport searches after an aide to  
Congressman Ron Paul recorded an incident on his iPhone. The rules  
changes have prompted the ACLU to drop legal action against TSA on  
behalf of Steve Bierfeldt.

Bierfeldt was detained in March while attempting to board a plane at  
Lambert-St. Louis International Airport carrying $4,700 in cash. TSA  
agents spent half an hour questioning him about why he was carrying so  
much cash, and Bierfeldt recorded the exchange on his iPhone.

Bierfeldt is the director of development for 'Campaign for Liberty', a  
group formed by Congressman Ron Paul's after his failed presidential  
bid. Bierfeldt attempted to send a metal box with the cash and checks  
through a metal detector at the airport, precipitating the  
confrontation.

The Washington Times reports that Bierfeldt questioned under what  
authority TSA detained him for carrying the cash. At one point, a TSA  
officer asked Bierfeldt "Are you from this planet?" and accused him of  
acting like a child for questioning his authority.

TSA spokeswoman Lauren Gaches said the new "internal directives"  
stipulate that TSA may not question why someone is carrying large  
amounts of cash through the airport.  The new rules say "screening may  
not be conducted to detect evidence of crimes unrelated to  
transportation security" and that large amounts of cash do not  
comprise a threat to an airliner. The second directive says "traveling  
with large amounts of cash is not illegal." However, TSA said it would  
not release copies of the directives without a Freedom of Information  
request.

The ACLU had filed the suit on behalf of Bierfeldt because "We had  
been hearing of so many reports of TSA screeners engaging in wide- 
ranging fishing expeditions for illegal activities," Ben Wizner, a  
staff lawyer for the ACLU, told the paper. The new rules do not,  
however affect a situation where a TSA agent might come across illegal  
drugs, for instance, during the course of a routine screening.