HN Explorer

Everything that happens in a US airport is under duress

16 points by dfps ↗ HN
Americans interactions with authorities rely on their consciousness of Constitutional protections, and they have accepted that in airports there is no US Constitution.

Test feeling of high vulnerability and insecurity felt there, and the awareness of the means the authorities there have at their disposal to coerce 'cooperation'.

8 comments

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dnemmers
I believe this is correct, but at the airport you're really faced with the reality of the situation. Everywhere else, the same mechanisms exist 'under the sheets', but there's a thin veneer of society pasted over the machine.
tacostakohashi
I don't suppose you've actually, you know, read the constitution? If so, I'd be fascinated to hear about which parts pertain to, or don't apply at airports that should?

The main thing people seem to find difficult to comprehend is that planes owned by airlines are the private property of the airline. You're pretty much welcome to buy your own plane, and use it to carry anyone and anything you want, but if you want to get on someone else's airplane, no so much.

esbranson
One, not a US thing. Two, the US Constitution is, despite the hyperbole.

Ignorance is bliss. Americans know because we can access our US court decisions, unlike any other country in the world. (Thanks be to CourtListener and other predecessors.) The "North Koreans have more rights, look it's right there in black letter law" is laughable, despite being repeated nonstop by cough some sectors of society cough since Soviet times.

kypro
Can someone from the US explain why this is being upvoted, isn't this normal?

In the UK if you're in an Airport officers can question you without requiring reasonable suspicion and you must answer their questions and give them access to your devices or face charges...

al_borland
I was at an airport in India waiting for the person I was traveling with to get grilled by security, because he didn’t have a printed itinerary. I had some awareness that a security guard was standing next to me, but didn’t think much of it. When I looked over at him, there was an automatic weapon around his neck, hanging on his chest, with the barrel point right at me. I took a few steps back to get out of the line of fire.

The TSA does seem like security theater, and is annoying, but I’ve never had an automatic weapon carelessly pointed at my head in a US airport.

ManlyBread
Thank you for your blogpost, this is exactly the type of content I want to see on a website dedicated to tech news.