(Of course the contingent of authoritarian FR JBT-lovers will show up to state this was just fine and dandy....)
Posted on 03/09/2011 12:05:35 PM PST by CedarDave
A Chicago-bound businessman traveling in an Amtrak sleeping car didn't expect to wake up in Omaha. That's where plain clothes Nebraska State Patrol Investigators boarded and knocked on the doors of four first-class passengers.
Greg Travis of Bloomington, Indiana said, "It was a loud knock followed by questions. 'Where are you going! Who did you visit!' They shined a flashlight and I was in my pajamas."
Travis said he saw two other groggy passengers in his sleeping car also talking to the investigators. "If I had my wits about me, I might have said, 'No I don't want you looking through my dirty underwear.'"
Travis consented to a baggage search.
Nebraska State Troopers have often entered Amtrak trains to check out certain passengers.
Lt Scott Kracl said, "It's very professional. They don't bang on doors. They identify themselves and they tell the passenger they're not under arrest they just want to talk to them."
The Patrol won't reveal what triggers a red flag to check out a passenger. Typically they are looking for drugs, weapons or a wanted person.
(Excerpt) Read more at wowt.com ...
Ah, Val Kilmer’s first movie, “Top Secret” Hilarious.
After all, you are in a public place with no expectation of privacy.
Unless you wanted an abortion, of course.
That amount of time is a grey area in the courts, but making you have to wait a day/days for another train would definitely exceed that.
I don't think the courts would dig that for a random sweep of a train. I don't know how the courts will look at a random sweep of a train.
Aaahhhhhh Skeet Surfin...
I like this as long as they are respectful. Why not see if anybody has a bomb or explosives on board. 5 am is a perfect time due to the surprise element.
I’m in Florida where I’m still trying to find out what happen to the woman thrown of the AmTrak train outside Jesup, Ga., a few months back. Maybe that’s what they are investigating.
http://www.news-journalonline.com/news/local/southeast-volusia/2010/09/14/report-nsb-woman-suffered-broken-neck.html
This is a common tactic among law enforcement in the local crack motel. My stepson and his live-in were part of a drug sting. The entire motel was rousted, all contraband and of course valuables, including cars and motorcycles were hauled away. Everyone was arrested, booked then released. The courts ruled the raid was illegal, charges were dropped, but guess what happened next? All of the valuables remained in the hands of the system. The prices were too high to redeem cars that had high fees placed on them for impound and storage. The money was called drug money, and if anyone showed an interest in getting it back, they would be subject to arrest for something. Just enough to scare these low lifes out of asserting their rights. The DRUG WAR, is a lot more about making money, than it is about saving people from criminals or themselves.
Yes, there were no warrants and no dogs; they were on a fishing expedition, hoping to catch someone off guard by waking them up before dawn.
And no badges? Something stinks in this story.
An example of too many government employees, or incorrect priorities for government employees.
It would be reasonable to have more armed border parols, for the drugs are at that location.
But for the pay, benefits and retirements, these departments will justify what they do in congressional hearings, if asked.
I don’t believe that a warrant is required on a train. I know it is not required on a boat. Not required on a car if probable cause exists to believe a crime has been committed.
That is the situation -- no probable cause. No dogs, cart before the horse. If the dogs sniffed something, that's probable cause. Here they stated they were looking for "contraband" and commenced searching "with consent" after waking you up.
“In a police state, the police are always busy.”
-George Orwell, “1984”
I'll bet it was worth it though. Prague is a beautiful city.
"Badges? We don't need no steenking badges!"
On the subscription forum, they show a picture of several shady looking characters, uniformed police and a search dog at the Reno trench Amtrak station in December 2009. The caption says they recovered 20 lbs of MJ and a ward of cash after the dog sniffed it out. That’s the way to do it, not 4 a.m., a knock on the door, no dogs, no uniforms.
I hope I’m missing the sarcasm here.
How is rousting someone out of bed at 5 AM for questioning. - without producing ID or a warrant - “respectful?”
Of course it was sarcasm.
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