[El Gato]

Fines based on "attitude" - oughta be a field day for an enterprising lawyer. Equal justice under the law and all that.

Why? Judges fine or throw people in jail for contempt all the time, they even fine he lawyers at times. they'll not have any problem with fining people for disrepsecting "The LAw".

[HiTech RedNeck]

Since when did the entire airport become a court?

[savedbygrace]

There's are significant differences. First, the fine for Contempt is a fine for contempt, not for something else but assessed because of contempt. Second, Contempt is being fined by a judge and usually only after a warning, not a jerk with a gold badge and a hair trigger on his/her emotions. Third, this fine is assessed for the weapons-carrying, but isn't assessed equally for all who carry, only for those who "dis" the gold-badged guard.

It is therefore a violation of the Equal Protection clause. Clear and simple, oughta be a slam dunk.