Thanks to two nice people who took pity on poor, neurotic, usually-at-the-airport-two-hours-before-the-flight me, I made it to my flight home from Chicago with two minutes, no more, to spare. I’d like to thank those nice folks. And I can come online and do so because we’re now held on the runway for God-knows-how-long. But at least I’m in my seat.
: For contrast, look at the numbskullian behavior of this privacy fetishist at the airport security line. Move on, buster.
The what behavior? Jarvis, you want my cooperation you will damn well explain yourself. If it is an emergency, that is one thing. Sans an immediate threat you will tell me what’s going on.
You want transparency in the media, then you will demand transparency in law enforcement and security. Unless you like smelling of hypocricy.
Jeff, I can’t believe what I just read.
What would you have said to Rosa Parks? Get to the back of the bus where you belong?
Did the terrorists scare you that much? Understandable if so, but you seem generally braver than that when tearing down media business models.
Numbskullian.
This is an emergency.
And someone checks your docs so higher paid government employee doesn’t have to. Makes perfect sense to me. Hardly a violation of privacy. This no surprise. The people who check the docs do not, in fact, wear TSA uniforms. This guy needs to get a life.
What the hell does Rosa Parks have to do with this?
Did the terrorists scare me? You bet your ass. Seeing a jetliner explode directly over your head tends to do that. It’s real.
You had an emergency because you were late. He had no emergency. He was following the good safety and security practice when dealing with strangers. When a strange person with an unknown (and apparently wrong) ID badge starts asking you to do things, why should you follow orders? He could be a terrorist. He could be anyone. He was not wearing a uniform. He had no police ID. He had no TSA ID. For all you know, he could have been a janitor with an airport access card or part of a pickpocket team distracting victims.
Proper behavior in a time of danger is to verify the ID of people claiming to be police. That’s why they have badges and wear uniforms. Only in an imminent emergency should you take chances that some random person in street clothes is a legitimate police authority.
>>What the hell does Rosa Parks have to do with this?
Questioning, and when appropriate, defying, authority. That’s all the guy was doing, and you’re essentially calling him an idiot for daring to question. I’m sure Ms. Parks caught even worse flak.
Fear is understandable Jeff. Allowing fear to prompt you to cave in to specious pseudo-governmental authority is the first step on the slippery slope down to an America we don’t want to live in. Unfortunately I think we’re well on our way down the slide.
Shalom Jeff,
I’m with you 99.9 percent of the time, but to read you call a citizen standing up for his rights to not be treated like a criminal and be bullied; and then turn around and read you correctly spank the FTC once again (FU, PTC) was jarring to say the least.
This guy was standing up for his rights as an American Citizen. He was polite, he was clear, he was appropriately cooperative. But we live in the United States of America where we have a little thing called the 4th Amendment, not the Soviet Union where internal passports were the norm. We should applaud such defense of our civil rights, not trivialize them with phrases like numbskullian behavior of this privacy fetishist.
And as regards Rosa Parks. I’m sure there were people, black and white, on that bus who were tired and just wanted to get home. I’m sure they weren’t happy about being inconvenienced by a woman who wouldn’t follow the rules and move to the back of the bus.
B’shalom,
Jeff Hess
“Move on, buster’!?!?!?!
Are you out of your *mind*?
Jeff, I realize you travel a lot more than I do, and are quite sensitive to delays in airports, but your ugly characterizations of this man’s actionis are beyond the pale. Oh, yes, let’s all give up our rights to ask simple questions of the uniformed authority figures randomly placed all over the country, just so Jeff Jarvis can get to his next airport on time!
I’m sure you’ll defend my right to use the correct word in this case: bullshit.
“This is an emergency.”
Really? And when does this emergency end? Or do we meekly submit to a constant state of emergency, where we meekly do as we’re told?
From your words here Jeff, i can just say that humanity still prevails. I m sure you meant the same?
I’ve gotten a response from the TSA, although it avoids the most important issues, and raises at least as as many new questions as it answers. See my follow-up articles, Privacy advice to the Department of Homeland Security and Dialogue with the TSA Privacy Officer.