Call the TSA's Office of Strategic Comms when you're threatened with arrest for airport photography

Flyingfish knows he's allowed to photograph TSA checkpoints from public areas in the airport. He knows this because it is the TSA's publicly stated position.

But a refused-to-identify-himself TSA agent and a state trooper at Hartford's Bradley International Airport don't know this, so they detained Flyingfish, told him he was in big trouble -- that he had, in fact, committed a "federal offense."

Flyingfish called the TSA's Office of Strategic Communications at [phone], and within 20 minutes, Flyingfish had been released with an apology. This is an admirable degree of integrity and responsiveness from a busy federal agency.

I just wish they were as efficient at actually explaining TSA policy to their own staff.

I've just added the Office of Strategic Communications to my speed dial, along with the TSA Office of Civil Rights at [phone].

So...I Got Detained By The TSA At The Airport Today (via Reddit)

• [Anonymous]

  This whirlwind that has kicked up in the past 4-6 weeks is crazy. It’s media driven, with stories that are unfathomable. I remember when the scanners were 1st talked about, they were supposed to provide at your request a piece of metal to block the genital area. I haven’t flown in a while, is that an option? Is that $99 a year quick security pass still used/available for frequent travelers? Does the pass allow you to skip the scanner? I just can’t wrap my head around how ‘fake’ bombs/toner cartridges with wires = all of this hulabaloo

• [flatfive]

  I think you’d do better having your own lawyer on speed dial. I don’t trust a word any of these weasels say. Cops (and TSOs) lie, just like anybody else. Never take legal advice from law enforcement.

  • [mccrum]

    I disagree, the best advice I ever got was from a cop. It was “Don’t talk to cops. The Miranda rights say nothing about what you say can be used FOR you in a court of law, only that it can be used AGAINST you.”

    After that I determined it made more sense to not be helpful without legal advice if I was ever taken downtown.

• [Anonymous]

  I’m glad people are finally thinking to use the phone. A phone call generally gets you to a real live person, in real time. It helps an agency understand that there are real and pressing issues that they should deal with in a timely fashion, in a way that email does not.

• [RealityBytes2010]

  To Troutwaxer, how about “bent” over for freedom by the TSA???

  On another site I read “Fubar Airlines”, “Where Security is in your hands”.
  1. if you are in the military “great”, please id yourself.
  2. law enforcement “wonderful”, please id yourself.
  3. gang members “right on”, please id yourself and no fighting amongst yourselves, play nice please.
  Noticed we have scanned all your checked in luggage as well as your carry on bags.

  Also notice we have allowed you to keep all your weapons. Please do not use those on each other.
  You are now in control of the security, should someone try to blow up or hijack the plane and anyone of you stop them, you will be handsomely rewarded with $100K cash and a lifetime of free flights on “Fubar Airlines” Where Security is in Your Hands.

  We will leave it up to you how you will split the money amongst yourselves.If you make a bogus call we will have you arrested and let TSA have a go at you.

  Have a wonderful flight and know you are safe from terrorist and the TSA!

  When all the airlines go belly up next year, they’ll know whom to thank…the wonderful people at TSA.

  On my way to MN by car and loving the sites.

  FYI: this is not exactly how it was posted, just doing my best to recall it from memory.

• [ocschwar]

  It’s getting even worse:

  http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/travel-safety-security/1149967-latex-gloves-communicable-disease-transmission-tsa.html

  The TSA thugs are spreading disease by not changing gloves between pat downs.

  They are putting their unchanged, dirty gloves in people’s underwear.

• [danthelawyer]

  According to the TSA website (http://www.tsa.gov/what_we_do/civilrights/employees.shtm), the number given for the “Office of Civil Rights” is for calls related to *employee* civil rights.

  You may want to try the number for “specific violations and concerns about security”: 1-866-289-9673

• [sing it, baby]

  During my last security check, the TSA agent concluded with a good luck pat on the ass. Should I call?

  • [CheshireKitty]

    Only if another TSA agent said a fellow passenger couldn’t take a picture of it.

    PIXPLZKTHX

• [pmocek]

  Last year, I took the advice of Curtis “Blogger Bob” Burns at TSA and contacted 50 U.S. airports via TSA’s “Got Feedback?” form to ask if they had local laws regarding photography in public areas of the airports. About half of them responded. I documented every reponse, along with my followups, on Flyertalk Forums.

  * 2009-03-21 – Text of my query & list of airports contacted
  * 2009-04-07 – Count of nonresponsive airports, causes for concern
  * 2009-04-10 – Update on survey of 50 airports’ polices re: photography of publicly-accessible area
  * 2009-06-24 – Minor update on 50-airport survey of photography policies

  “Blogger Bob” refused to allow comments on the TSA blog referencing my project, purportedly because I published without redaction the e-mails I received from TSA public relations representatives at each airport. He expressed concern about the fact that I published their work phone numbers — those that are included in the signature line attached to every message they send in response to public inquiries.

  Also, “Blogger Bob” first stated that TSA ask people not to photograph TSA’s computer monitors, then later said that TSA prohibit people from doing so, but despite numerous requests for him to back his claim with any verifiable information ( #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6), he never did so.

  • [pmocek]

    ABQ was one of the airports I contacted, and one of those for which I received a response. In November, 2009, I was arrested at ABQ while attempting to return home from Drug Policy Alliance’s biennial conference. It’s unclear why I was arrested (one police officer told my travel partner that I was being arrested “for being stupid”; I received an audio recording of him saying so via public records request). My arrest seems to be related to the fact that I was documenting the process by which TSA verifies a passenger’s identity when he presents a boarding pass but no identity documents.

    I was charged with four misdemeanors:

    1. New Mexico Revised Code 30-20-1: Disorderly conduct
    2. Albuquerque Code of Ordinances 12-2-16: Concealing identity with intent to obstruct
    3. Albuquerque Code of Ordinances 12-2-19: Resisting, obstructing, or refusing to obey a lawful order of a police officer
    4. Albuquerque Code of Ordinances 12-2-3: Criminal trespass

    My jury trial will begin at Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Tuesday, December 7, 2010. The case number is CR 2573709. The judge will be Kevin L. Fitzwater. My defense attorneys are Molly Schmidt-Nowara and Nancy Hollander.

    See also:

    * The Identity Project: State of New Mexico v. Phillip Mocek FAQ
    * The Identity Project: Trial to begin December 7th in TSA checkpoint case
    * Cannabis Defense Coalition: Activist arrested at Albuquerque airport
    * Philosecurity: Flyer Arrested After Declining to Show ID
    * Carlos Miller: Man arrested after refusing to show TSA his identification
    * Flyertalk Forums: Flyer “Processed” (Arrested?) in NM After Declining to Show ID
    * Related documents, audio, and surveillance camera video I received via public records request

  • [pmocek]

    ABQ was one of the airports I contacted, and one of those for which I received a response. In November, 2009, I was arrested at ABQ while attempting to return home from Drug Policy Alliance’s biennial conference. It’s unclear why I was arrested (one police officer told my travel partner that I was being arrested “for being stupid”; I received an audio recording of him saying so via public records request). My arrest seems to be related to the fact that I was documenting the process by which TSA verifies a passenger’s identity when he presents a boarding pass but no identity documents.

    I was charged with four misdemeanors:

    1. New Mexico Revised Code 30-20-1: Disorderly conduct
    2. Albuquerque Code of Ordinances 12-2-16: Concealing identity with intent to obstruct
    3. Albuquerque Code of Ordinances 12-2-19: Resisting, obstructing, or refusing to obey a lawful order of a police officer
    4. Albuquerque Code of Ordinances 12-2-3: Criminal trespass

    My jury trial will begin at Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Tuesday, December 7, 2010. The case number is CR 2573709. The judge will be Kevin L. Fitzwater. My defense attorneys are Molly Schmidt-Nowara and Nancy Hollander.

    See also:

    * The Identity Project: State of New Mexico v. Phillip Mocek FAQ
    * The Identity Project: Trial to begin December 7th in TSA checkpoint case
    * Cannabis Defense Coalition: Activist arrested at Albuquerque airport
    * Philosecurity: Flyer Arrested After Declining to Show ID
    * Carlos Miller: Man arrested after refusing to show TSA his identification
    * Flyertalk Forums: Flyer “Processed” (Arrested?) in NM After Declining to Show ID
    * Related documents, audio, and surveillance camera video I received via public records request

  • [A.West]

    pmocek –

    The reason you are asked not to take a picture of the computer screen has to do with basic privacy rights. People have an expectation of privacy as to what is packed in their luggage making it off limits to photography.

    • [pmocek]

      A. West, if what’s packed in people’s luggage should be off-limits to photography, then shouldn’t it also be off-limits to everyone who walks by? Asking people not to photograph a monitor does not protect the privacy of the person whose belongings are shown on it.

• [Anonymous]

  Good “luck”? It’s that agent’s partial responsibility to ensure there’s no question of luck. I would’ve felt extremely threatened had I observed an agent telling a passenger that, pat-on-the-butt or not.

• [SpeedRacer]

  That kind of variability is, according to the head of the TSA, an essential part of defending us from TERRORISTS. Apparently, not knowing if they will get stopped for doing something that is legal will prevent the TERRORISTS from attempting anything illegal.

  I wish I was being sarcastic, but I think the guy was serious when he said it.

• [warreno]

  “This is an admirable degree of integrity and responsiveness from a busy federal agency.”

  The hell it is. It’s a scramble to avoid a lawsuit by a bureau of officious pricks.

• [Troutwaxer]

  The simple security math goes something like this: On a ten-year average, we’ve had about 270 terror deaths in the US every year – and 99% of that is the attacks of 9/11/2001. On the other hand, we lose 7000 people a year because they take the wrong over-the-counter-pain reliever, 70,000 a year from diseases they contract during a hospital stay, and 400,000 each year due to heart disease and smoking.

  In other words, terror deaths in the US are a statistical whisper as compared to almost any other form of death you can imagine. The idea that we must submit to porno scanners and grope searches to prevent terrorism is ridiculous. If we re-focused those same efforts to making sure that every medical person washed their hands after seeing every patient, we’d save many, many more lives.

  • [spydrmannyc]

    Please stop. You’re making too much sense and it’s hurting my head.

    • [Troutwaxer]

      Terrorists!! Muslim ninjas with toothpicks! Pirates hate freedom! We must attack you to keep you safe! Bend over for freedom!

      Is that better? I think “Bend Over For Freedom” would make a great T-Shirt.

      T.

  • [Cowicide]

    Which part of security theatre don’t you understand, Trout?

    Enjoy the show. Be quiet, sit back and enjoy the show…. and, don’t forget how free you are….

• [Anonymous]

  The speed dial thing is a great idea. I think I’m going to collect a few other useful numbers to add as well, like offices of my elected officials