Airport Police

neil_r wrote in post #10075097
Land of the Free, home of the world longest ongoing argument

Rights are funny old things, everyone has them, some even have the right to make the odd mistake.

A totalitarian state is great, at least you know where you stand

Often, it's in front of a wall...

FlyingPhotog wrote in post #10075255
Often, it's in front of a wall...

LOL

dtw757 wrote in post #10073495
I tired to take a photo of a Coast Guard Jayhawk helicopter on the ramp at Portland International and was told to leave because the TSA doesn't allow the public to photo registration numbers on commercial, private or military aircraft. One....it says Astoria Air Station right on the side...no mystery as to it's base...two, the TSA is responsible for internal airport security while the Port police are responsible for outside security, three...on the far side of the runway as on the departure ends and approach ends of the runways there are plenty of places along the public road that you can take photos from without the hassle..four...when I showed her my Air Transport Pilot (ATP) and mentioned that I was a Captain with an (unmentioned) airline, she sheepishly agreed that she was wrong and that it was okay to photo airplanes. The problem is not of being confrontational...it is one of letting the people in "charge" know that you have rights in this country and that just because they are uneducated, stupid or just plain mean and petty, you are entitled to those rights. I will not let anybody touch my cameras, my ID or anything else for that matter if I am in a public place. If someone wants to run my plate, let them, I have nothing to hide but there are laws about reasonable suspicion and if someone sees I am in a public place taking obvious pictures of airplanes, not acting covertly or suspiciously, they don't have the right to subject me to the "9/11 defense". Just my humble opinion. Be courteous but be firm. Assert your rights, call for a supervisor.

Personally, here's another aviation professional (formerly, after 22 years in the industry) that agrees with you whole heartedly. TSA is about the most %$#@ up organization in existence. You can't photograph airplanes because of the "N" numbers, but you can get on Flightaware and freakin track them anywhere they go? You can't shoot images around an airport (security, ya know), but can pull up Google Earth and look at them from satelite?

Its all BS. Someone name a terrorist whako that hung around airports, in the open, with thousands of dollars worth of photography kit.

Security is one thing, but loss of personal freedom is a heck of a price to pay for it. We need to let our voices be heard thru proper channels if our rights are violated.

District_History_Fan wrote in post #10081339
Its all BS. Someone name a terrorist whako that hung around airports, in the open, with thousands of dollars worth of photography kit.

I couldn't, my guess is a few people could but they wont. That is a very silly question you pose though, because the fact that no one can does not imply that they didn't, also by the same argument it does not imply that they did either, so all together pointless to the point of rhetoric.

neil_r wrote in post #10081807
I couldn't, my guess is a few people could but they wont. That is a very silly question you pose though, because the fact that no one can does not imply that they didn't, also by the same argument it does not imply that they did either, so all together pointless to the point of rhetoric.

The real silliness is your willingness to give up precious personal freedom when there are no facts to justify it.

District_History_Fan wrote in post #10085496
The real silliness is your willingness to give up precious personal freedom when there are no facts to justify it.

LOL I gave up my personal freedoms the day I got married

LBaldwin wrote in post #9999647
In case no one let you in on a litte secret, some nutbags decided to learn to fly well enough to crash airliners into the World Trade Center and kill 2973 folks, destroy entire businesses and untold number of lives for quite some time to come.

This happened once, nine years ago, hasn't happened since, and never happened before. Using 9/11 as an excuse to strip people of rights and liberties "in the interest of security (theater)" just doesn't jive with me.

Remember what old Ben said. "Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."

If I am rightfully situated then I will firmly yet politely tell whomever that has a problem with my location that I will remain there. If they disagree then we'll let the courts decide.

Let's not forget that efforting to keep airports secure is a lot older than 9/11:

A Chronology

deadpass wrote in post #10087196
This happened once, nine years ago, hasn't happened since, and never happened before. Using 9/11 as an excuse to strip people of rights and liberties "in the interest of security (theater)" just doesn't jive with me.

I am siting in the middle of this but when you say "has never happened since", you must factor into that statement that the security circumstances that allowed it to happen in the first place have significantly and fundamentally changed.

deadpass wrote in post #10087196
This happened once, nine years ago, hasn't happened since, and never happened before. Using 9/11 as an excuse to strip people of rights and liberties "in the interest of security (theater)" just doesn't jive with me.

Uh.......you need to do a little "recall." While there haven't been many attacks on U.S. soil, I guess you forgot when "they" bombed the WTC via the car bomb in the parking area. The attack on the USS Cole was no toy, either. And lest we forget the Marine barracks attack?

While I realize fully none of these included aircraft, they DO involve security. But while TSA is running around searching grandmothers, afraid of "profiling," one wonders what important points are overlooked.

I do agree with you that much of what TSA does is more "theater" than serious prevention.

Here's the thing, folks. Bennie and his buddies have ALREADY accomplished many of their goals---costing the free world lots and lots of money, time, energy, and freedom

Good points all around.

I agree good points all around. But even tho old Mr. Franklin, had some very good ideas as to rights, he did have to deal with a world that moves at or near the speed of light. Communications were hand carried, in his day, now they are transmitted with speeds he never dreamed of.

Technology aside, I do not wish to give up even one iota of rights. But the erosion of your rights is coming from several differnt angles, not just security concerns.

damn, let us know

LBaldwin wrote in post #10091024
But the erosion of your rights is coming from several differnt angles, not just security concerns.

One quick look at Washington today certainly drives that fact home.

District_History_Fan wrote in post #10094997
One quick look at Washington today certainly drives that fact home.

Sad but true...