Just So You Don't Think the TSA Are the Only Officious Annoyances in Airports…
…be reminded of this story from last week of a prominent blogger/reporter on foreign policy issues, Michael Yon, getting some good ol' fashioned American police state love from Customs and Border Protection. Via BigGovernment.com:
Yon was returning to the United States from Hong Kong to visit family when CBP officials stopped him during a routine security checkpoint. "Officials asked me what was in my bag—nothing wrong with this question," Yon said in an interview with BigGovernment.com. "I told them it was normal stuff, clothes and toothbrushes."
At this point the Customs officials escorted Yon to a designated screening area where they examined the contents of his bag. "Then they asked me how much money I make," Yon said. Yon suggested to the Customs officials that the question was inappropriate and unrelated to transportation security. The award-winning blogger noted another CBP officer approached Yon: "he asked who do I work for." "I did not answer the question which clearly was upsetting to the [CBP] officers."
Yon was escorted to a room elsewhere in the airport where he said he remained silent during much of the questioning. According to Yon, "they handcuffed me for failing to cooperate. They said I was impeding their ability to do their job."
Yon described the CBP officials as noticeably frustrated by his refusal to answer their questions: "I always assume everything is being recorded. I was trying to be professional."
Yon continued, "They said I wasn't under arrest, but I'm handcuffed. In any other country, that qualifies as an arrest."
Ultimately Port Authority police released Yon…
Earlier air travel security aggravations via TSA blogged below.