Harrassed & Detained For Carrying Cash @ Airport

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by coadie

Same if I go to Vegas or hire 20 illegals and pay them cash. Paying cash is not illegal. Failure to withhold taxes is or is hiring undocumented workers.

I will digress a bit. If cocain is illegal, it is not about amouint. If a gram, you are probably not a dealer. If it is a gram and a suitcase full of money. Probably a dealer. If you have 100 dollars, 500, 5,000 at what point is it illegal? If like by bank buddy at church goes to buy a car on e-bay, they don't want a hot check. He will take 20,000 dollars. Fly out and drive home if the car runs as pictured.

Druggies want to launder money and take hundreds of thousands into a bank and wire transfer. so reporting 10,000 or more makes sense to HSA but it doesn't keep you off a plane. Taking cash out of the bank for 9,000 5 days in a row may get one reported. It is not a crime. It is merely a reporting requirement. 40,000 is a good number to fly to Puerto rico and gamble at dorado beech and fill a boat with gas for deep sea fishing for several days.
Thing is Puerto rico is usually thru Miami. Many others have direct flights and there are of course boats where a person could pay cash for drugs. all the agents needed to do was bring out the laws showing detention for possession of legal currency. They were angry because they got caught and couldn't.

TSA is Not US customs.

http://www.aa.com/aa/i18nForward.do?...horEvent=false

TSA says nothing about money other than coins.

If you are carrying valuable items such as large amounts of currency, coins or jewelry, we recommend that you ask Security Officers to screen you and your carry-on luggage in private. This will maintain your security and avoid public scrutiny.

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtrav...rial_1847.shtm

Looks like his money needed to be checked.

[Digging4Truth]

Originally Posted by Pressing-On

If you are carrying valuable items such as large amounts of currency, coins or jewelry, we recommend that you ask Security Officers to screen you and your carry-on luggage in private. This will maintain your security and avoid public scrutiny.

Looks like his money needed to be checked.

I don't think so.

What does it say?

If you are carrying valuable items such as large amounts of currency etc...

They recommend... not demand... that you ask Security officers to screen you and your carry on... which is what every single person goes through at the checkpoint....in private.

Why?

It will maintain your security and prevent public scrutiny... in other words... so nobody else will see a big bundle of cash being pulled out and then target you for theft.

This is not stating that large amounts of cash are suspicious.

This is stating that... if you have a large amount of cash... let the Security Officer know... an implied notion here is that this will not bring you under suspicion since they are offering to screen you in private so others won't target you for theft etc.

This is a courtesy and suggestion they are making FOR those with huge amounts of cash.

This, in no way, makes a statement that carrying large amounts of cash puts you under suspicion.

To the contrary, this is stating that, if you have large amounts of cash, let us know and we will help you get through covertly.

The article in it's entirety reads as follows... notice the bolded portions.

Traveling with Special Items

Currency, Coins, Precious Metals, or Valuable Jewelry

If you are carrying valuable items such as large amounts of currency, coins or jewelry, we recommend that you ask Security Officers to screen you and your carry-on luggage in private. This will maintain your security and avoid public scrutiny.

We suggest that you ask to speak with a TSA screening supervisor before you are screened. Tell the supervisor discretely that you would be screened in a private location.

TSA operating procedures require a witness to be present during private screening. The witness may be another TSA Security Officer or someone that is traveling with you.

If cleared, you and your valuables will be allowed to enter the sterile side of the airport.

Private screening is also available to individuals randomly selected for screening at the airline gate.

We recommend that you carry these items with you at all times.


Currency Reporting: For international flights, you must report the transport of $10,000.00 USD or more to the U.S. Customs Service.

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by Digging4Truth

I don't think so.

What does it say?

If you are carrying valuable items such as large amounts of currency etc...

They recommend... not demand... that you ask Security officers to screen you and your carry on... which is what every single person goes through at the checkpoint....in private.

Why?

It will maintain your security and prevent public scrutiny... in other words... so nobody else will see a big bundle of cash being pulled out and then target you for theft.

This is not stating that large amounts of cash are suspicious.

This is stating that... if you have a large amount of cash... let the Security Officer know... an implied notion here is that this will not bring you under suspicion since they are offering to screen you in private so others won't target you for theft etc.

This is a courtesy and suggestion they are making FOR those with huge amounts of cash.

This, in no way, makes a statement that carrying large amounts of cash puts you under suspicion.

To the contrary, this is stating that, if you have large amounts of cash, let us know and we will help you get through covertly.

The article in it's entirety reads as follows... notice the bolded portions.

What would this portion mean?

If cleared, you and your valuables will be allowed to enter the sterile side of the airport.
http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtrav...rial_1847.shtm

[Digging4Truth]

Originally Posted by Pressing-On

What would this portion mean?

If cleared, you and your valuables will be allowed to enter the sterile side of the airport.
http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtrav...rial_1847.shtm

Exactly what it says... if cleared you can continue on.

If they check and you have $20k and you haven't cleared it with US Customs... not cleared.

If they check you and you have a AK-47 in your bag... not cleared.

This is not pointing any fingers of suspicion at the cash. It is just stating that.. just like everyone else... they will screen you privately... but you must pass the screening to be cleared...

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by Digging4Truth

Exactly what it says... if cleared you can continue on.

If they check and you have $20k and you haven't cleared it with US Customs... not cleared.

If they check you and you have a AK-47 in your bag... not cleared.

This is not pointing any fingers of suspicion at the cash. It is just stating that.. just like everyone else... they will screen you privately... but you must pass the screening to be cleared...

I'm trying not to let my caller hear me typing! lol

I think the "cleared" gives them some room to maneuver.

[Digging4Truth]

Originally Posted by Pressing-On

I'm trying not to let my caller hear me typing! lol

I think the "cleared" gives them some room to maneuver.

If one wanted to become a law unto themselves and press this issue beyond the guidelines then they could use this helpful article which is not part of the guidelines or the code and use that as "room to maneuver" and exceed the code & guidelines that clearly spell out their given and granted authority.

So... Yes ma'am.

It could be used in that way.

But it would be a misuse and abuse of power if it were done.

This is not a guideline you have quoted. This is a helpful hint from your friendly TSA.

Only someone with an occupational death wish would try to use this in any court to back up why they did what they did.

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by Digging4Truth

If one wanted to become a law unto themselves and press this issue beyond the guidelines then they could use this helpful article which is not part of the guidelines or the code and use that as "room to maneuver" and exceed the code & guidelines that clearly spell out their given and granted authority.

So... Yes ma'am.

It could be used in that way.

But it would be a misuse and abuse of power if it were done.

This is not a guideline you have quoted. This is a helpful hint from your friendly TSA.

Only someone with an occupational death wish would try to use this in any court to back up why they did what they did.

Okay, off the phone. lol

Let's see - yes, I think you could abuse this power. I have something else I need to take care of and then I will research a bit more. Something is still bothering me. I need to find out what that is.

[coadie]

Originally Posted by Pressing-On

I'm trying not to let my caller hear me typing! lol

I think the "cleared" gives them some room to maneuver.

You seem to still be confused. It means clearing customs. This topic seems to be going off track. Domestic travel is not international travel. TSA inspects domestic for weapons and "cleared" means none found. cleared means inspection has ended.


Cleared in customes means inspected, cleared for entry into the country. That includes "declaring no fruits, veges, unprocessed foods, weapons, artifacts over a certain value, Pharm drugs, paying duties, proof of citizenship in order,

[Digging4Truth]

Originally Posted by coadie

You seem to still be confused. It means clearing customs. This topic seems to be going off track. Domestic travel is not international travel. TSA inspects domestic for weapons and "cleared" means none found. cleared means inspection has ended.


Cleared in customes means inspected, cleared for entry into the country. That includes "declaring no fruits, veges, unprocessed foods, weapons, artifacts over a certain value, Pharm drugs, paying duties, proof of citizenship in order,

Indeed...

And... there were checks in the box written out to Ron Paul as well as Campaign For Liberty.

So the entire $4700, as I understand it, wasn't cash.

[coadie]

TSA operating procedures require a witness to be present during private screening. The witness may be another TSA Security Officer or someone that is traveling with you.

If cleared, you and your valuables will be allowed to enter the sterile side of the airport.

Private screening is also available to individuals randomly selected for screening at the airline gate.

We recommend that you carry these items with you at all times.


Currency Reporting: For international flights, you must report the transport of $10,000.00 USD or more to the U.S. Customs Service.


Quote:
The understood statement here is that amounts under 10k have no need to be reported.

Great thread. it is a lesson that we don't need to tolerate unprofessional and intrusive bad behavior by screeners. It says 10,000 must be reported. This again doesn't apply unless going thru international customs. it doesn't even hint 5 times that is illegal. I had an employee marry a lady in Venezuela. They of course had a limit on how much of their currency on their end could leave their country with her. it did not tell the man how much the US would allow him to bring in in the form of american dollars in his ownership.

They pick the left extreme of the bell curve folks that don't have formal education nor travel experience.