Korean Job Discussion Forums

[stevenisi]

Found this article and I thought I'd share since there are occasional flyers here.

It's from http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=618629

Kind of a long read but it does involve a rubber band ball.



I was departing a small commuter airport in Southern California last week and I found myself in jail! Here's the story with the facts, and without any "emotional hype."

About two years ago I made a big, rubber band ball. It's bigger than a softball, but not as big as a basketball. It's made of 100% rubber bands, and the core is nothing but knotted rubber bands. It's been in the trunk of a car that I own and keep down there for most of that time.

I decided to bring it home to Anchorage to work on more, and that proved to be a bad decision. I threw it in my carry-on and headed off to the airport. When I got there, I "dinged" at the metal detector while wearing a belt that has never alarmed before. I removed the belt and went through a second time, and "passed." As I got through I noticed that my carry-on bag was open and being rummaged through. The TSA agent held up my rubber band ball and asked, "what's this?" I replied, "it's my rubber band ball. What are you doing looking through my bag?" The Sheriff that was standing there said, "you gave implied consent to search your bag by coming through the checkpoint." I retorted, "you need to ask me first though, and I object to your digging through it out here. If you want to look in there, we need to do it in private."

So the LEO grabbed my bag and he, myself, the TSA "boss," and a TSA agent went behind a curtain. They dug through my stuff and took the rubber band ball away for further screening. They came back with the rubber band ball and told the "TSA boss" that it was positive for flammable residue and that it had something metal at the core. He started up at me accusing me of wrongdoing and saying things about it being a "precursor" or a "trigger." I told him to "quit running at the mouth" and that it was "nothing of the sort." I explained that it had been in the trunk of my car for a long time and probably picked up a bit of oil or gas or something from that. I also told him that there was nothing at the core and that it was 100% rubber bands.

The cop started in on me, and I finally said, "look, I'll give you the ball. I just want to get on my flight." The TSA guy ignored me, and kept asking me what was in the center of the ball. I kept telling him it was nothing but rubber bands. The TSA took it away again and x-rayed it again and said there was something metallic in the center. I kept denying it and denying any wrong doing.

The cop then switched tactics and asked, "are you smuggling drugs?" I told him that was "outrageous" and produced my SIDA badge and my airline ID. I asked him if his question was serious. He started asking why I didn't have any checked luggage to which I replied, "Dude, I load bags all day. I know better than to check them." He again accused me of "smuggling something."

This had gone on for about 1/2 an hour and I knew the flight was leaving soon. I repeated, "you can have the rubber band ball. I just need to get home, so I need to get going." The LEO said, "you're not going anywhere." At that point, I knew I was in trouble.

He pulled out his pocket-sized flashlight and said, "take off your sunglasses, I think you're on drugs." I said, "what?!" He replied, "I am ordering you to take off your sunglasses." So I did. He shined the light in my eyes, and said, "Yep, you're on something. Anything you need to tell me?" I was incredulous. I said, "Look! I showed you my SIDA badge, I'm in the random drug test pool, I get tested regularly, I don't use drugs. Now or ever." He said, "I don't believe you. Turn around and put your right hand behind your back." He snapped on handcuffs and said I was under arrest for suspicion of being under the influence of a controlled substance.

The "TSA boss" practically wet his pants as he excitedly thanked the LEO for "taking care of me." I was led outside, put in the back seat and taken to jail. I've never been arrested before (in the US) so I didn't know what to expect.

We got to the station and I was put in a holding cell. I was there for a little less than an hour. The LEO came back and advised me that I would be held for a minimum of 12 hours for observation. He advised that I had to take a blood or urine test (my choice) and that when he got to the bottom of this that I'd be in jail for a long time. I just shrugged my shoulders. I wasn't afraid. I've been arrested in Indonesia on trumped up charges, and that's all that these were.

I picked blood test, so I was shackled at the ankles and cuffed at the wrists and lead out to the cop car again. We went to the hospital where they drew blood. They were nice to me. They got me a drink of water and didn't yell at me or cuss at me. (Unlike the cop.)

My blood tested clean...big surprise...then the cop got nice too. He said that he had to hold me for 12 hours but that I'd get out after that. When we got back to the jail they uncuffed me and unshackled me and were nicer. The cop asked if there was anything in the rubber band ball and I told him no. I told him to cut it open for all I cared. He took a big knife and cut it open and surprise...there was nothing but rubber bands.

The jailer told him that this was "stupid" and she told me that she was sorry but they did have to hold me for 12 hours but then she put me in my own cell (which I appreciated) and let me call my dad on the phone. She gave me some magazines to read in my cell, and also let me pick what to watch through the bars on the TV on the outside. She told me to call for her if I wanted the channels changed. It's stupid to say, but they didn't do that for anyone else. I asked for something to eat and was given a microwaved TV dinner that I gratefully devoured. I also got a styrofoam cup of Sunny Delight with my meal.

Other than that, jail sucked. There were bad people in there, and when I had to pee, I had to do it in front of a camera that I'm sure someone was watching. Sure enough, 12 hours later, I got a paper from them showing that the charges were dropped and I was let out the front door where my dad picked me up.

The next day, I flew out of LAX and didn't have any problems. I even wore the same belt through the metal detector and it didn't "ding." I did, however, leave my rubber band ball at home. It's not a ball anymore. It's just a big paper sack of cut up rubber bands.

Welcome to 2006 and your TSA. By the way, lest anyone question what I did to "bring this on myself"...note that I WAS NOT arrested for interfering with the TSA or with the LEO...because I DIDN'T. I was instead arrested on trumped up charges so that they could check out my rubber band ball that was a "trigger" or "precursor" and "contained something metallic" according to the TSA.

I have a SIDA badge so if it can happen to me...it could happen to ANY of you.

[hellofaniceguy]

It's a power trip with ALL LEO's. Face it; the majority are idiots and jerks.
You ain't going to win....
you have cops getting arrested everyday somewhere in the U.S......and when you get two LEO's together...it's a show off thing then with them.
I have heard worse stories with idiot U.S. cops/feds, etc.
Too bad you had to endure a bunch of BS.....over a rubber ball! And anytime one tries and exert their rights...LEO's get uppitty about it.
I have been stopped a few times for speeding...and each time the man asks..."can I search your vehicle?" I always say "sure, when you get a search warrant."
What part of "the right to remain silent don't cops understand?" Gee Mr. LEO...you read me my rights.....I want to remain silent...so why the hell you keep asking me questions?!

[Faron]

That's fucking funny!

[Tiberious aka Sparkles]

[JZer]

Reminds me of a time when I was in Kansas City and the woman at security asked me if I want to take my shoes off. She did not say please take you shoes off but "Do you want to take your shoes off?" I said no. Then she got mad and pulled me aside and gave me a full search. I have found that airport workers rarely want to hear the truth.

[OiGirl]

You can't question any "authority figure" for anything in American anymore. I'd rather give up some rights in Korea, knowing which ones I'm giving up.

[BigBuds]

I don't think America can truely call itself the "Land of the Free" anymore.

"Land of the, we'll violate your rights anytime we feel like it", is more appropriate these days.

[Paddycakes]

The person in the story gave the cops attitude based on the sounds of it.

You have nothing to win by giving cops attitude.

[poet13]

"The person in the story gave the cops attitude based on the sounds of it.

You have nothing to win by giving cops attitude."

I disagree. Well, I agree that you shouldn't give people attitude without reason. But I think it's every persons responsibility to protect their rights, even if that means telling an authority figure, "no". Authorities often go beyond what is strictly lawful for a few reasons. One, they count on people being ignorant of their rights and the limits to the authorities power. Two, people think that if they refuse some request, even one they are allowed to refuse (search your vehicle) then they will be seen as guilty. And three, there are some power trippers out there.
And yes, its a big boys and girls uniformed club with secret handshakes and extra-special super-duper decoder rings.
I know a little bit about this stuff. I worked for FEMA as a project officer pre and post 9/11. I accidentally left a pocket knife in my carry-on bag on one of the first flights after 9/11. It was caught at a random gate check. You would likely have been thrown in jail. I was not. They gate checked it for me and gave it back after the flight. I have been an army contractor and upon return from theater the national guard soldiers in the airport hustled me and my gear through even though I tested positive for accelerants and explosives (internal domestic flight )(fabric or paper circle swabbed over handles of luggage and put in a spectrometer) Why? I was a member of the club. You would still be in jail.

There are plenty of jackasses out there. There are also plenty of people out there who are genuinley trying to do their job in the interest of protecting their country. Sometimes you can't tell those people apart. The authorities who I really don't have the time of day for (and tell them so), are the ones who are only there to get maximum retirement with the least effort possible and really dont give a sh*$ what happens around them.