July 11, 2018

Court strips fliers' legal protections against TSA abuse

Reuters - Fliers may have a tough time recovering damages for invasive screenings at U.S. airport security checkpoints, after a federal appeals court on Wednesday said screeners are immune from claims under a federal law governing assaults, false arrests and other abuses.

In a 2-1 vote, the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia said Transportation Security Administration screeners are shielded by government sovereign immunity from liability under the Federal Tort Claims Act because they do not function as “investigative or law enforcement officers.”

The majority said it was “sympathetic” to concerns that its decision would leave fliers with “very limited legal redress” for alleged mistreatment by aggressive or overzealous screeners, which add to the ordinary stresses of air travel.

“For most people, TSA screenings are an unavoidable feature of flying,” but it is “squarely in the realm” of Congress to expand liability for abuses, Circuit Judge Cheryl Ann Krause wrote.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

We the people have allowed it to come to this. Want to stop it? Easy. Pick the busiest travel days of the year and do not go thru the x Ray machines as is your right. Request a hand pat down. Yes it is inconvenient but paralyze air travel a few times and watch how the rules change. Otherwise, line up like sheep le and stop moaning as more and more of our rights are taken away.

Greg Gerritt said...

I try to NEVER fly. I view the TSA as a criminal organization, working for a bigger criminal organization the US Government, so I try to never go anywhere where I have no rights, such as airports.

I also think we should give up flying to keep our carbon footprints down. The airlines and aviation industry are the worst industry on the planet for reducing its carbon impact. if we all stopped flying it would do the world a world of good. And screw up the economic development planning of the billionaires.