Amtrak police chief to TSA: Stay away

The chief of Amtrak Police has told TSA to stay away from his train stations. 

It seems a TSA VIPR team set up shop unannounced at the Savannah Amtrak Station and insisted on screening every passenger that entered—including some who had just gotten OFF a train.

The police chief got wind of this after a You Tube video of a nine year old boy being searched went viral. He said until an agreement between his department and TSA is finalized he doesn’t want them anywhere near the train stations. 

Eventually, TSA responded. It defended its actions and even, are you ready, admitted it might have made a small mistake.   Gee, really?

(Frank II)

Comments

[Smith]

Wouldn't it be awesome if those TSA agents were arrested for trespassing and obstruction!!!

[Paula S]

What???
Why are they doing train stations now and who sanctioned it?
More to the point, why on earth would they check off-loading pax when they don't even do that at airports. That is just weird.

[Frank II]

TSA said that they posted signs saying anyone entering the train station building would be searched. It seems you can arrive by train and get your luggage without entering the "building." Amtrak rules say your belongings can be searched but you will only be searched if they find something in your possesions. The TSA Chief was mad because people were searched both physically and with portable magnetometers.

What's really interesting is that TSA plans to deploy everywhere like near bridges to stop cars and people to search them. However, local communities have the right to opt out--and many have.

So, I guess, TSA believes that just driving your car is suitable cause to pull you over and search you.

And, these VIPR team carry armed agents. While TSA agents can't carry firearms, armed Federal Air Marshalls are being pulled off of aircraft and given ground duty to assist these teams.

In Denmark, residents pay nearly 50% in taxes but don't complain because their government runs efficiently and gives great services.

Look what we get....and now they're asking for more money.

What has America become?

[Till]

Answer: Getting closer to a police state. Not what I expected under Obama, to be honest.

It's total mission creep and it's not "accidental".

[Andy Mesa]

I liked this blog better when it was about one-bag travel and not TSA bashing.

Yes, we get it, the TSA sucks.

[Till]

There's only so far you can go with onebag travel. The options of TSA bashing are endless. That's about their only advantage. :D LOL!

[Laurie]

TSA's mission creep seems to imply that the security failure has already occurred. To use such broad security measures (all the while ignoring local authorities) makes me think they have collected little to no intel on the who, what, and where of potential suspects.

[Andrew]

Powerful forces clearly want to condition the population to a mindset that the USA is a giant correctional institution and the population exists as inmates...where all 'privileges' are temporary and subject to revocation by any random enforcer in a uniform.

I don't drink and don't condone DUIs, but I object to arbitrary sobriety-test roadblocks as well. These are also manifestations of the same mindset and have no place in a free society.