Police Stopping All Cars Entering BWI (Baltimore-Washington Int'l Airport)

ABC 7 News ^

[Sub-Driver]

Police Stopping All Cars Entering BWI Tuesday January 06, 2004 11:20am

Linthicum, Md. (AP) - Maryland Transportation Authority police are stopping all cars entering Baltimore-Washington International Airport for security checks.

Police officials say that the "100 percent security checks" began after 10 a.m. Police say the sweeps are not a response to a specific threat.

Police aren't saying how long they will continue checking every car that enters the airport.

Airport officials say that the sweeps are not expected to create major delays entering the airport. And they still recommend that passengers plan on arriving 90 minutes before their scheduled flights.

[oceanview]

The NYC police conduct "stop and frisk" operations all the time (not terror related), I know of no successful constitutional challenge to the practice, the subject is deemed suspicious simply by being on a particular street in a high crime area at a partiuclar time of day.

[MrConfettiMan]

Yeah, I hear 'ya. It would be even easier since we live about 2 miles from a MARC train, too. (We're only 15 minutes by car from BWI.) The wife'll never go for it, though. Besides, we have an 8-week old daughter and probably shouldn't take her on the train anyway...rush hour...flu season. I can't drive...medical reasons...so I could stay home with Emily. Let my wife suffer with the delays. :)

[RightWhale]

Great statement, but should be phrased in the normative since it is not true.

[BlackbirdSST]

I'm not a Constitutional scholar, so I may have missed it, but where does the Constitution guarantee a right to drive up to an airport without stopping?

Where does it prevent you from doing so? Blackbird.

[Naspino]

What would you say if the airport that blows up killed your family, would you feel the same way?

No. He'll be demanding to know why the airport screener missed the bomb and why the government didn't protect his family.

[palmer]

So which exception applies here? Emergency? I don't think so.

[T.Smith]

Thank you, that did answer my question. Although, I'm not very comfortable with the answer.

[Capt.YankeeMike]

do I think drunk driving checkpoints are unconstitutional?
Absolutely without a doubt, yes, they are.
The Capt.

[Viva Le Dissention]

Yes, and in all of these situations, there is a common thread: probable cause and/or reasonable suspicion. There are a couple administrative searches that don't require these, but I mentioned that before.

The only ones you could really even argue that on is open view or plain view, and open view isn't really a search, since it's out in the open, and plain view is necessarily the result of a warrant and, of course, probable cause.

[Naspino]

If done by Federal Employee's, YES. Do they have a warrant to search? Blackbird.

Ah I get it. Its the reverse argument we're making. Instead of "if you don't want to be searched don't fly" -- you are saying "if you don't want to get blown up -- don't fly"?

[oceanview]

well, at least you are admitting that you do indeed view the bill of rights as a suicide pact.

[sphinx]

The other solution is to call your father-in-law, explain the situation, suggest the train but volunteer to pay for a cab or the shuttle if he prefers. Of course, if he's too frail to navigate without assistance, that's another story.

[Viva Le Dissention]

That is a Supreme Court case, and that is the opinion of Chief Justice Earl Warren, and 7 other members of the Court.

If this was 1950, you would be right about the Fourth Amendment protecting places and not people.

It's not 1950, and the Fourth Amendment protects people, not places.

[palmer]

The Fourth Amendment refers to private property.

The 4th applies everywhere like all the other amendments.

[mindspy]

I apologize for being sarcastic. I suppose it's a bit of a sticky wicket we are in. However, I want cars and people searched at airports. I want passengers on the same plane as I to go through a body scan machine. I just don't see where searching at airports violates anything.

[oceanview]

you can see now why we do indeed need the Patriot Acts.

[RightWhale]

that is the opinion of Chief Justice Earl Warren, and 7 other members of the Court.

Okay, 8 attorneys.

[Viva Le Dissention]

So are you arguing then that the opinion of the Supreme Court on the constitution doesn't matter?

[oceanview]

don't you know that all the airline security problems can be solved just by arming every passenger? when that muslim woman goes into the bathroom to pull the C4 from her body cavity, a dozen or so passengers will just blast her through the lavatory door.

[oceanview]

the same court that finds abortion and gay marriage as "rights" in the constitution?