Our rights for searches/questioning in airports?

[e_head]

Hello.
I have recently have heard stories where people were randomly questioned in airports, supposedly for "security reasons".
For example, a friend of mine was at the Detroit Airport when authorities pulles him aside (randomly, and few others) and started questioning him with such questions as
"How much dollars do you have on you?"
More specifically they asked if he had more than a million dollars in his possession (??) and when my friend answered "no", they DEMANDED that they see his wallet/money enveloppe etc, to make sure.
And then they asked him to take his shoes off and whole other shit that made him and I feel shitty because they seemed to be going a little far.
From my understanding, this happens in domestic airports all around the states, under the excuse of "War on terror". But first of all, he was an american citizen, and second of all by no means was he an arab or looked even like a terrorist.
Do the authorities in the airports allowed to do this? i mean... isnt there a thing called "presumed innocence"? And finally, dont we have our constitutional rights to be protected against unreasonable searches or right to remain silent and etc.?
I mean, it may seem like an innocuous thing, but it could be a first step to the government evading our constitutional rights and into our privacy that are guranteed in the constitution.
(actually its already happening, but yeah)...

 

[DrGonzoESQ]

Random searches at airport checkpoints are constitutional, the rational being that you have a lessor expectation of privacy when going to the airport because you know you can be searched and or questioned. These searches are not unreasonable under the 4th amendment. It is possible for a checkpoint search to go beyond reasonble, for example a strip search. But, checking his shoes and questioning him about money doesn't qualify(I'm a little put off by the mention of "Million dollars", not sure what to make of that if it's true, could be he bore a resemblance to someone else).
You always have the right to refuse to consent to a search and to refuse to answer questions, but they don't have to and probably won't let you on the plane.

 

[themagicbean]

Another way of putting it:
In attempting to maintain balance between public safety and individual liberty, you have less of a right of privacy in public than in your own home, and even less when going on to a plane from which there is no escape (in the air) and you could potentially harm hundreds of others.
The million dollar thing is definitely wierd, they must have thought he was smuggling drugs or laundered money.

 

[SgtD82]

Originally posted by e_head:
From my understanding, this happens in domestic airports all around the states, under the excuse of "War on terror". But first of all, he was an american citizen, and second of all by no means was he an arab or looked even like a terrorist.
Do the authorities in the airports allowed to do this? i mean... isnt there a thing called "presumed innocence"? And finally, dont we have our constitutional rights to be protected against unreasonable searches or right to remain silent and etc.?
I mean, it may seem like an innocuous thing, but it could be a first step to the government evading our constitutional rights and into our privacy that are guranteed in the constitution.
(actually its already happening, but yeah)...
What's with everyone and racially profiling arabs. You said he didn't look like a terrorist...did Tim McVeigh???? Terrorism doesn't come from certain nationalities or cultures. Sure some have stronger beliefs than others, which might give them reason to justify extreme acts. And I realise that even racists and bigots (not saying that you are) have their right to believe what they want to believe...but is that what we want our world to turn into?
And as for the unreasonable search/invading privacy argument...look at it this way. Think of how many other people they are trying to protect (even you) by taking increased security measures. Taking something into an airport that you know will get you arrested is just plain stupid. If you don't have anything you're not supposed to...then what do you have to worry about. Sure it might take a little more time, but I would rather sacrifice some of my time than have a greater chance of another 9/11. It's not like they're coming into your house or something...where it is relatively safe to keep things that will get you arrested.

 

[Roachsucker]

Originally posted by SgtD82:

What's with everyone and racially profiling arabs. You said he didn't look like a terrorist...did Tim McVeigh????

well admittedly the arab world is the no.1 source of terrorism world wide, and has been ever since the US Embassy episode in teheran, over 20yrs ago... T. McVeigh represents a single episode, of untold magnitude true, but still quantitavely it is one and one alone.... so a bit of paranoia against the arabs isnt all too misplaced...

Originally posted by SgtD82:

And as for the unreasonable search/invading privacy argument...look at it this way. Think of how many other people they are trying to protect (even you) by taking increased security measures. Taking something into an airport that you know will get you arrested is just plain stupid. If you don't have anything you're not supposed to...then what do you have to worry about. Sure it might take a little more time, but I would rather sacrifice some of my time than have a greater chance of another 9/11. It's not like they're coming into your house or something...where it is relatively safe to keep things that will get you arrested.
Amen... agreed 110% on all the above statement...

 

[e_head]

What's with everyone and racially profiling arabs. You said he didn't look like a terrorist...did Tim McVeigh????
well yea... but he was an asian for god's sake... and not even south eastern (indonesian) looking but Far Eastern look (korean, chinese, japanese).
can you imagine chinese or japanses or korean terrorists?
I was just irritated cuz it seemed like a case of racial discrimination. Despite what people say and pretend, US clearly is still has reminiscents of its past segregated societies. I have had white cops that lied under oath in court because the defendant was an asian.
I hope i dont get flamed for this. but..
Septembe 11th, in my opinion, was somethign that the US government had deserved. IT was their foreign policies that aggregated and suppressed other nations and its people that had caused it.
However, what was wrong was that the innicent people had to pay the price for what the US govent had done (and still is).
Us govenrement for example, had intervened in places that should not have. Dominican republic intervention by Lyndon B Johnson, the intervention in Somalia actually aggrevated the situation, the Vietnam War, and now the so called "War on Terrorism", where Bush is attempting to invade Iraq. (Sounds similar to Bush in Gulf War).
damn this is messy. but u get my poinbt?

 

[DrGonzoESQ]

This is getting off track, this is not a current events forum, lets keep to legal issues. Thanks

 

[michael]

Originally posted by e_head:
can you imagine chinese or japanses or korean terrorists?
yes. remember the people that released nerve gas in the tokyo subway? they were assuredly japanese.