Popular Post atyclb Posted February 17, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted February 17, 2014 The TSA in all of these years since 9/11 have never caught or stopped a would-be terrorist or bomber. 13 years. This begs the question: "Has their mere presence stopped anyone from trying?" I think probably. They have found kiddie porn, drug smugglers, 11 firearms and apprehended illegal aliens and people with false travel documents. No one was linked to terrorists. There have been a couple of incidents of passengers apprehending someone such as the Shoe Bomber, but he was inbound, in flight. We haven't lost another plane since 9/11. I don't mind them searching for bombs and guns before I get on an airplane, but I think searching my computer is patently a violation of the US constitution. And they can't tell me I'm not on US soil being dealt with by US law enforcement just because I haven't cleared customs. Really tough to protect against terrorists magical ability to cause every bolt and weld in the 2 world trade center towers hit by planes AND in the third building 7 that wasn't hit by a plane to break / rupture / come apart in a highly synchronized manner on floors below as to make the 3 buildings fall symmetrically into their own footprints at or near free fall speed. the tsa needs to add a black magic detection device. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post inzman Posted February 17, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted February 17, 2014 The good ole USA, we lost our rights and freedom long ago. The terrorists won. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayceenik Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 So much lol, and fail. This doesn't just happen to Americans. This doesn't just happen to "single males travelling from a certain place". It doesn't just happen to certain people because of their hairstyle. At the end of a 4 year posting to Germany, Canada Customs sent agents to our base to inspect everything everyone was shipping "home". Married, single, male, female, didn't matter. They literally sat there and went through every magazine page by page, and every movie (on F/F - back in the days of VHS tapes). They brought in the dogs. They took stuff apart. They were looking for any and everything that was illegal to bring into Canada. I wasn't even allowed to bring back a special (Canadian) edition of Playboy, that had been bought in Canada, even after I showed the customs agent the info proving it had come from Canada. That was back in the mid-80's. I've been travelling internationally (personally and professionally) since the early 90s. Many trips to/from Thailand (as a single male). For the last 10(+) years I've been working in an ME country and living in Thailand. Once every couple of years I have to return to Canada for one reason or another. With passports full of stamps/visas from Thailand, Cambodia, UAE, Philippines, Egypt, Afghanistan, Turkey and India, how many times have I been stopped/questioned/searched when arriving ? Zero. I've actually been searched more often when leaving Canada, including having my phone/laptop swabbed and tested for traces of explosives. Then again. I try to look presentable whenever I travel and rarely have more than a couple of drinks (if any - tend to dehydrate too much when flying). I have nothing to hide and maybe my mannerisms show that. I'm that guy you see ahead of you in the line that breezes through the metal detector/scanner because he has already removed ALL metallic objects and put them in his carry-on or screening tray beforehand. I'm the guy that whizzes through Immigration because my passport/paperwork is in order and ready to go when I get to the counter, I am polite and don't reek of booze/puke/body odour or act suspicious (or belligerent) towards the Immigration officer. Actually, you won't see me ahead of you, because I'm usually through and gone so smoothly, hardly anyone ever notices. You usually only notice the people that are inconveniencing you. Whether it's people ahead of you causing delays, or people "singling" you out for some reason for additional "screening". Funny how it's usually "someone else" that is the main cause of most people's problems........... (note: It seems that in the last 10 years, I've only done 38 round trips and gone through 80 sets of Customs/Immigration in 8 different countries, so I may not have the experience that some other members here have with these matters.) So, you imply that because you are properly dressed and have the noble mien of a landed gentry gentleman you have never experienced trouble going through any Customs and Immigration and it's us, the riffraff, hoi polloi, dirty, unshaven, dressed in tattered clothes, unkempt, half drunk trailer park crowds who experience, rightly so, the close attention of border officials ... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brucegoniners Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 This has been going on a long time. It finally stopped when I was verbally abused by a dyke officer and sent them a scathing letter, telling them they've checked me many times and have found nothing and I was tired of it. Then I started traveling with my gf and now wife, so no more searches. But they are arrogant as&$oles. Power drunk jerks. I sense some anger, resentment and hostility in your post. "Dyke, jerks, as&$oles, drunk". Very interesting indeed. As you should. I get very upset when my country takes their power too far. Like they do often. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulesMad Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 You are probably 'lucky' to be US citizen.... Imagine what other nationalities have to go thru if they want to enter USA.... And really, any reasonably smart person will get data (any data!) in different ways to USA; not bringing it thru customs!!! You do realize, I hope, that USA is still No.1 in the world, concerning drugs, sex and guns. USA policy is the policy of (unreasonable) fear..... I have been once, and never again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post arjunadawn Posted February 17, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted February 17, 2014 The poster questions the practice and legality [of effectively losing his 4th Ammendment Protection], and wanted thoughts shared from people who, like himself, may feel itis excessive and improper to digitally rape people at the border to his home country: I am fairly shocked by the ignorance evidenced in the responses: This authority does not predate Obama. Sadly, the courts have recently stated, in essence, the borders are a 4th Amd free zone. YES! Ports are US Soil. Under the current Admin invasive government has become a Leviathan! "...if their actions catch at least one..." -are you serious? Why not authorize cameras or billeting agents in your home? I mean, if their actions catch at least one... How sad that so many people are willing to surrender liberties for whatever pretext the State declares. I have no reservation stating that America has slipped so wildly outside its original intent and construction that it no longer remotely resembles the nation I served my entire life. (I won't elaborate here, but a host of weary observers across the world are terrified at America's slip into despotism). The Post here is proper, his gut reaction correct: it is wrong, it is invasive, it is pretext, and it is a gross expansion of State to search Americans without Individual Warrants. Child Porn? Drugs? What about the Fruits of the Forbidden Tree? I assure you the man in customs could have been charged with any number of crimes besides drugs, child porn, or terrorism- all from the pretext of "if it catches one..." When the lights go out in America, the whole world will be dark. I assure you, the light is dim. Great post, brother. Trust your gut. Fools who post such poppycock responses are the ones who enable tyranny. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leosuntime Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 its calles a police state!! wake th fuk up bro or maybe u can just turn aroud and bend over for them then make sure you go home lock your doors and tell your wife you are a man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nisakiman Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 (edited) How do you suggest they catch pedophiles without invading innocent peoples' privacy? I had my laptop searched 2 years back and there were a lot of questions asked about my arm around 2 5 year old hill tribe girls. I answered truthfully and never felt my privacy was violated as I had nothing to hide. It always seems to be guilty people that are first to question the legalities over wiretaps, searches and so on. I love it. Question the limits of government power and to some people, that makes you guilty. Oy vey! Free limitless travel without any checks without any rule of law being a part of said travel. How wonderful that would be. Right.... But the reality seems to be beyond you. So called intrusive policies, laws, checks are things that are required in today's world. It is unfortunate that it has been the case for a hell of a long time now. Watch the news one day and then tell me that being vigilant is not needed, or that the screening of bags is not needed, or that people who meet a certain 'profile' should not be stopped and questioned for the safety of others? So the old saying is as true today as it has always been and as it always will be. If you have nothing to hide then you have nothing to fear. This is not the film "North By Northwest". I would appreciate it if you could work out how to use the 'quote' facility. You have posted a comment which infers that your opinion is in fact mine, as it appears in my quote box. Kindly edit this, as my opinion differs from yours, and I don't wish anyone to ascribe your opinions to me. Or perhaps, failing that, one of the mods could could go back to the past couple of posts by iamriva1957 and edit them. This is a serious matter, or at least, it is serious to me. Edited February 17, 2014 by nisakiman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevenhills Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 It's completely legal and pre-dates Obama. Legal maybe, but certainly not Lawful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Stan7444 Posted February 17, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted February 17, 2014 After 25 years of air travel in the US on business, and 100s of body searches, especially since 2001, I moved to Thailand 6 years ago and this is one of the reasons I vowed to never step foot on US soil again. It has become a police state, in my humble opinion, justified by mostly phony terrorist hype. I am certainly not interested in molesting young kids but also do not feel anyone has the right to invade my privacy without due process of law and with a high suspicion of reasonable cause, and not just since I have lived in Thailand. This is like saying if I lived in Chang Rai; therefore I am possibly a drug lord. Stupid that this over-surveillance has gotten so out of control in the US (i.e. NSA) and we have to become paranoid about what use to be a simple matter of going through US Immigration. There use to be Soviet and other spies going through Immigration all the time without this level of intrusion. Who were more dangerous to the US: Communists or some bunch of Islamic fundamentalist? Nuclear war or one bomb in a building? Neither is good but at what price does everyone pay for the loosing of their freedom? What happened to the simple life when I was growing up in Calif. and we did not even bother to lock the house doors, although my family lived in the countryside and not a major city? 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watcharacters Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 ... When I returned to the US after a stay in Costa Rica customs asked what I was doing there. I just replied "having a great time" and i was waved on. Depends on you and circumstances I guess. What's on that magnetic strip????? I'd pay to know. I never have a problem with customs and I've shown up with a damaged passport. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leosuntime Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 After 25 years of air travel in the US on business, and 100s of body searches, especially since 2001, I moved to Thailand 6 years ago and this is one of the reasons I vowed to never step foot on US soil again. It has become a police state, in my humble opinion, justified by mostly phony terrorist hype. I am certainly not interested in molesting young kids but also do not feel anyone has the right to invade my privacy without due process of law and with a high suspicion of reasonable cause, and not just since I have lived in Thailand. This is like saying if I lived in Chang Rai; therefore I am possibly a drug lord. Stupid that this over-surveillance has gotten so out of control in the US (i.e. NSA) and we have to become paranoid about what use to be a simple matter of going through US Immigration. There use to be Soviet and other spies going through Immigration all the time without this level of intrusion. Who were more dangerous to the US: Communists or some bunch of Islamic fundamentalist? Nuclear war or one bomb in a building? Neither is good but at what price does everyone pay for the loosing of their freedom? What happened to the simple life when I was growing up in Calif. and we did not even bother to lock the house doors, although my family lived in the countryside and not a major city? agreed 100% just listen to the testimonials of ppl who SAW what happened with the underwear bomber!! how ever what we are fighting here is the majority of people who are literally brainwashing them selves and are oozing with arrogance they r like school yard bullies, they will never come out with facts, they will just belittle the people warning about the things that are going wrong in the world!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HerbalEd Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 (edited) No different than racial profiling and illegal! You're rather stretching profiling here, and what happened to OP was very different that racial profiling. I've been through US immigration 100-plus times after traveling in Thailand ... and often Cambodia, Laos and/or Vietnam ... and have only had my computer looked at one time. The agent told me it was the Cambodian and Laos trips that triggered a computer search (i.e., looking for pedophile photos). However, I've returned to USA after twenty-plus trips to Cambodia and/or Laos and never had my computer searched. There's no profiling conspiracy going on here. However, that being said, I highly object to US Customs being legal able to confiscate my computer. Look at it's contents? I'll give a reluctant OK. But confiscating it? Hell no. Edited February 17, 2014 by HerbalEd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HerbalEd Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Nothing at all wrong. If their actions catch at least one pedophile, all the privacy violations will be worth it. Imagine if it was your daughter being fiddled by some of the trash you see here in Thailand. I'm curious ... and this questions for the OP and anyone else here how chooses to answer. How many privacy violations are you willing to endure ... and how often ... to catch pedophiles? I'm not being smug or facetious here ... I'd genuinely like to know. I'd like to see any and all pedophiles ... and terrorists ... captured and put away. But I'm not willing to give up my basic human rights in order to do so. OK, I'll endure long security lines and appropriate body and baggage searches, but what's happening more and more ... esp. since 9/11 ... is our civil rights and right to privacy are being eroded in the name of safety. So, where and when does it end? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HerbalEd Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 (edited) How do you suggest they catch pedophiles without invading innocent peoples' privacy? I had my laptop searched 2 years back and there were a lot of questions asked about my arm around 2 5 year old hill tribe girls. I answered truthfully and never felt my privacy was violated as I had nothing to hide. It always seems to be guilty people that are first to question the legalities over wiretaps, searches and so on. Re. your "It always seems to be guilty people that are first to question the legalities over wiretaps, searches and so on." How could you possibly know that? Do you always assume (know?) that when someone questions authority, they are guilty? Edited February 17, 2014 by HerbalEd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post arjunadawn Posted February 17, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted February 17, 2014 The contents of a computer, if anything, are intellectual in nature; viewing the contents of another person's PC is in fact equivilent to confiscation. If USA practiced Profiling across the board, instances such as this would not be so disagreeable to me (from NON CITIZENS, that is). The USA does NOT profile people from numerous Muslim countries as does El Al, but routinely applies profiling to less vocal uses- perhaps this example. This is duplicitious. Guys (ladies), I rarely post here: this topic really hit me today. As I watch my nation daily descending into a dysfunctional Entitlement State where our people daily scream "save me," "give me," "more," I grow alarmed. The USA government responds to the US Masses demanding other people's money by growing government ad naseum and redristibuting vast sums of wealth and debt. Meanwhile, the most provacative infrastructure of a police state has been fullly laid in place, including the militarization of civilian law enforcement, total surveillance from birth to death, sunrise to... correction, birth to death (it no longer stops at sunset). It's not difficult to extrapolate horrific [un]intended consequences in the near future. Cui Bono, Cui Bono, Cui Bono! I ask all to kindly consider what has happened since 9/11- Cui Bono Frmr USA Special Forces 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HerbalEd Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 So just get down on your knees right now and thank Baby Jesus that they did not make like MIchael Jackson with the one-glove routine. And remember, your constitutional rights don't begin until after you have passed through both immigration and customs. What is one to think when Michael Jackson wore one glove and sang "beat it"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sayonarax Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 You forgot your TSA t-shirt.. try encrypting your personal data. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thailiketoo Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 You can rent a computer for $10 a week in the US. You can get a google hard drive for free. Who is dumber Customs or the folks complaining about customs? That's like carrying a severed head through customs after you murder someone. Duh.. I didn't know they would search my bloody pillow case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tacho De Lao Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 It's completely legal and pre-dates Obama. He's right. This is straight up Patriot Act stuff, but in your case was DEFINITELY more pedophile related. Because of your age and if you were travelling alone and stayed in Thailand a long time, its par for the course. Before I moved here I would come every 3 months or so and I would say 3 of the 8 times I came, I got the same treatment. Add that Ito the fact I didn't have a short consevative hair cut, not blonde hair blue eyed, and well was here 4 times a year, I wasn't surprised I got the treatment. After the first time it didn't bother me. I had nothing to hide and I expected it. I just talked to them as they were going through my stuff and wondering why I had 2 big packs of Mama LOL LOL Can't you buy Top Ramen here? Ignorance is bliss Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdamRich Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Why? Because TSA is not a law enforcement agency and the "searchers" are neither trained nor certified to enforce the law. All too often people confuse TSA with ICE (Immigration Customs Enforcement). When you enter the country you first pass through Immigration then Customs. If you do not have a connecting flight then you do not pass through TSA (security). You go right out of the door to go home. TSA does not have the power to search files on your electronics and could not give a care what you had there. Their duty is to not allow you to take things that should not be brought aboard a commercial airplane. If they find a gun or drugs on you they can not arrest you. They have to get local or national law enforcement to do that. I think it confused people even more when they decided to give TSA metal badges, but was done so to deter people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RecklessRon Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Easy. If you do not want some federal employee rummaging through every photo your took on your Asian trip, just use the program TrueCrypt....It has two password levels, and is in essence uncrackable.... http://www.truecrypt.org/downloads This is the ABSOLUTELY WORST thing you can do. The more you attempt to hide data the more they want to see it. Anyone with encrypted data will find themselves assumed to be guilty and subject to much more scrutiny - plus there is no way you'll be able to get it past them. Most encryption can be cracked by the NSA and anything that is uncrackable will result in your being compelled to decrypt it for them or face charges of terrorism or espionage. At the very least your device will be confiscated and your entire life will be investigated. Far better to upload the encrypted data somewhere, wipe your drive, reload the operating system and download it once you are inside the country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krisb Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Have had a random camera check arriving back in Australia before. Didn't say what they were looking for but was obvious. For some reason I always get swabbed for explosives when leaving Australia, every single time. Don't take offensively, they're just doing their job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RecklessRon Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 I would have preferred that the OP had not warned the kiddy-fiddlers. Just as I don't think it decent for others to advise ways around it. Except many, many people have stuff on their computer that can get them in serious trouble without even knowing it. Anyone who has a movie, TV, documentary, cartoon, etc. picture or music collection can have images that the US consider child porn. Unless you have viewed every single thing you've ever downloaded and deleted anything that MIGHT be considered controversial you can be in trouble. Just one example: You can download the movie Pretty Baby online, from netflix or get it from Blockbuster. That's okay with the US. No problem. Until you try crossing a border and it can get you jailed because it contains images the US considers child porn. Another: Take a picture of your kid or have some that friends have sent you or theirs. If they are topless or bottomless (from the front or back) you can be charged with possession of child porn. Pictures that where common 20 years ago - your 2 year old naked on a bearskin rug or in the bath - can now get you jail time. Remember pornography is in the eye of the beholder and the US government's representatives are the biggest letches on the planet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yankee99 Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 I was detained in detroit a few years back too. I had three copy rolexes, copy software and various med (xanax and cialis). They went through all my electronics and took some of it to another room for deeper inspection i guess. When going through my wallet they asked about my ccw and started asking about weapons. At the end they told me to pack all of it up. Gave me a brochure on illegal counterfiet items and a comment card surveying their job performance. Really not a big deal maybe an extra 20-30 minutes but they were polite and respectful.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayceenik Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 I was detained in detroit a few years back too. I had three copy rolexes, copy software and various med (xanax and cialis). They went through all my electronics and took some of it to another room for deeper inspection i guess. When going through my wallet they asked about my ccw and started asking about weapons. At the end they told me to pack all of it up. Gave me a brochure on illegal counterfiet items and a comment card surveying their job performance. Really not a big deal maybe an extra 20-30 minutes but they were polite and respectful.... "they were polite and respectful" I think no reasonable traveler objects to border searches. It's all about protecting the country from bad people and bad things. What is objectionable is how it's done. Being treated like a vulgar perp even before anything illegal has been found on/with us is wrong. We expect the authorities to be rough with a gun wielding thug on the street but not with somebody who shows up at the border because he/she is travelling for business, pleasure, family, ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nautilus05 Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 (edited) I'm surprised so many are in support of these inspections. I'm not a criminal, so I don't expect to be treated like one, especially when coming home. Unless you have some type of evidence against me -- video / audio recording, photograph, police report, report from a citizen, something -- then you should not be allowed to rummage through my personal belongings as you see fit. That's why they're called PERSONAL belongings. Now if I'm travelling to a foreign country, that's a little different. I'm choosing to travel abroad, plus the country I'm going to, so by doing so I agree to play by their rules. Coming home though, I expect to be left alone, and allowed to go home. Besides, do some of you actually believe the TSA makes you safer? They seem like quite the joke to me, and moreless just an organization setup so politicians could get their business buddies some good paying contracts. There's lots of reports of TSA agents fiddling kids, but not too many of them catching terrorists or pedophiles. And when they do catch someone, that personal is generally already on a list, and is wanted. Not to mention, so any important company documents, trade secrets, code, financial documents, legal documents, or anything else I don't want some 23 year old customs officer on a power trip to get their hands on, I have to go out of my way to upload and secure them to the cloud, where they're then more vulnerable to theft by hackers, before I can go home? This isn't a government issued laptop. It's mine, that I bought with my own money. Edited February 17, 2014 by Nautilus05 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiang mai Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 And how exactly are the Customs/Security services in your country supposed to know that you've not been a criminal whilst overseas, just because you're a citizen, get real! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Nautilus05 Posted February 17, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted February 17, 2014 (edited) And how exactly are the Customs/Security services in your country supposed to know that you've not been a criminal whilst overseas, just because you're a citizen, get real! Right, so let's just treat the entire population as criminals instead. "If we get even one bad guy, it'll be worth it!" as you guys say. I tend to take a different view. Edited February 17, 2014 by Nautilus05 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leosuntime Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 ok lets just say it, this is exactly the same path as nazi germany!! nazi = national socialism there should be a thread about government abuse of power horror stories then maybe the people who dont get it would shut their holes and listen!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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