TSA Doing Random Truck Searches On Tennessee Highway 578
OverTheGeicoE writes "TSA is expanding its presence to the American road system. As part of its Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response (VIPR) program, TSA agents are now working at 5 weigh stations and two bus stations in Tennessee. They are randomly checking trucks with 'drug and bomb sniffing dogs', and encouraging truck drivers to join their First Observer Highway Security Program and report anything suspicious that they see to authorities. VIPR is allegedly not a response to any particular threat."
Re:Wow. (Score:0, Interesting)
It's simple, really - first you destroy the economy, so that the only decent jobs left are security or defense-related. Second, the ideology problem solves itself because troops and security guards already drink the government Kool-aid, and the rest will have no jobs/money/resources to properly affect change. Third, those with no jobs/money/resources will become ever more desperate over time, and will be encouraged more and more to report subversives to their local political officer. Guess what, everybody - the original Gestapo numbered very few, but they owe their success to a desperate paranoid population willing to rat others out for reasons like "suspicious behavior." America will then manufacture a reason to either prolong the existing wars or start new ones, and her existing population will have no choice but to be part of the war machine or rot in jails or FEMA camps.
Do any of you live in San Diego? They blamed a recent rolling blackout (most cell service was also down) on some hapless technician in Arizona, but the reality was that they were doing a dry run of a inconvenient but harmless "false flag" terrorist attack or rehearsing how they would take the advantage in a martial law situation after a popular revolt.
Let's go over this one time: - 9/11, Amerika's Reichstag fire, Amerika goes to war in the middle-East, Amerika expands its domestic Gestapo apparatus and restricts free speech, Amerika destroys economy to limit options so more people become troops/security, Amerika continues war and starts more wars, Amerika outlaws free speech and the internet, popular revolt begins and is crushed by hired paramilitary goons, Amerika expands its war into Iran and compromises other Arab states along the way crushing all resistance, Amerika begins war with China and Russia is forced to intervene on China's behalf.
World War III, baby. Amerika is the new Nazi Germany.
Re:What happened to the constitution? (Score:5, Interesting)
Agent: What citizenship are you? me: US...i didn't cross any border... Agent:Where you going?
me: San Diego
Agent: Where you coming from?
me:Phoenix
Agent: Where do you live?
me: Phoenix
Agent: Didnt you just come from El Centro?
me: well yeah...passed through it driving here... (ohyou.jpg)
Agent: How long you staying?
me: 3 days
Agent: You have anything in the trunk I should know about?
me: nope
Agent: 3 days and no clothes?
me: its in the trunk
Agent: I thought you said there's nothing in the trunk...(trollface.jpg)
I didn't sign up for this bullshit...Being treated like an ass, as if it is a priviledge to travel within my own fucking home country and prove I'm not some terrorist to everyone with a uniform.
Re:What happened to the constitution? (Score:2, Interesting)
These are freight trucks used in commerce -- commonly 18-wheel trailer trucks (American version of container trucks), which are required to weigh in at weight stations at certain intervals on their trip. They are often used for smuggling, which was why the weigh station system was built. They are adding more checks to the process, perhaps not because they think they'll catch anyone outright, but because the knowledge of improved operations will deter those who wish to take advantage of this transport system. It has absolutely nothing to do with personal travel. So take off your tin foil hat
Can't believe bullshit paranoia from someone who obviously didn't RTFA and without a sliver of understanding of US freight operations was modded up +5
Constitution-Free Zone (Score:5, Interesting)
Last I checked, Tennessee was further than 100 miles from the national border [aclu.org].
Or are they including foreign embassies and Native American territories in the US as right-to-search borders now? And of the former, I don't just mean static buildings but also ambassadorial mobile vehicles. Want to search without a warrant? Invite a foreign ambassador to visit a nearby county.
Re:What happened to the constitution? (Score:5, Interesting)
Officer: "Have you had anything to drink tonight?"
Me: "No."
Officer: "Where are you going?"
Me: "That needn't concern you."
Officer: "Pull over to the side and park your vehicle and get out your papers, now!"
After producing my papers and waiting over half an hour while they no doubt looked for any possible way to arrest/ticket me, I was released. There was no cause to detain me, other than my refusal to reveal my destination (as is my right). It is odd, but not at all unusual anymore, that the government should exercise its power over individuals for asserting their rights.
Re:What happened to the constitution? (Score:4, Interesting)
I have a close friend that is a medically discharged veteran that is now fighting MS. He was pulled off a Greyhound bus put up against a wall with 2 TSA "agents" keeping him at gun point with M4 carbines with the safety off. For no real reason, seems like they were just looking for drugs on the bus.
When asked if he saw anything suspicious, he said he had indeed seen something off being in the US. Some guys with black caps behaving weirdly. When he was asked to describe them further, he described the TSA agents themselves. They weren't too pleased when he told them this was not what he had fought and came back disabled for.
I can fully understand drug searches, and to some extent support it. But you do NOT pull people off a bus, put them up against the wall and aim weapons at them.
I'm sure having people exit the bus, sit down on the sidewalk and have your weapons at low ready would be just as useful as the above and far less disrespectful and scarring than the above.