Ferry rider defends 4th amendment right
This one comes care of my friend The Darker.
A commuter on the NJ to NY ferry relates how he had his bag searched, and the security guy tried to confiscate a book that he thought was “inappropriate” for the “safety” of the riders on the ferry. Luckily, the ferry rider was able to make his case and have the security officer stand down (it helped that he had the phone numbers for the NJ and NY ACLU in his mobile phone and was ready to call them during the encounter).
It seems to me that, with the passing of the USA PATRIOT ACT, all sorts of law enforcement, especially if they are employed under the order to search and confiscate in order to protect, seem to think that they can all make judgement calls on what’s appropriate, and what types of information they can obtain. Many an “example” (read: stories where names and other information was changed to protect all involved) was offered in the Censorship and Intellectual Freedom class I attended at Simmons. It’s quite disconcerting, really. I suppose since they can’t get librarians to do the work for them, they feel they should do it for themselves. Luckily people are starting to better inform themselves in order to protect themselves.
Commute often? Subject to bag searches on a regular basis? Want to avoid illegal seizures? You can print of the Constitutional Amendments and carry them with you, and/or look up the number to your state affiliate of the ACLU.
Addendum: The Darker has also posted information specific to baggage searches on the Boston MBTA system.
Tags: government
