US

Flashback: Magician Penn Jillette Calls Cops on TSA Agent at Las Vegas Airport

Penn Jillette is a versatile entertainer and provocative social and political commentator.  He’s been on Glenn Beck programs several times.

Today the Drudge Report posted an relevant flashback post by Jillete from 2002:

Last Thursday I was flying to LA on the Midnight flight. I went through security my usual sour stuff. I beeped, of course, and was shuttled to the “toss-em” line. A security guy came over. I assumed the position. I had a button up shirt on that was untucked. He reached around while he was behind me and grabbed around my front pocket. I guess he was going for my flashlight, but the area could have loosely been called “crotch.” I said, “You have to ask me before you touch me or it’s assault.”

He said, “Once you cross that line, I can do whatever I want.”

I said that wasn’t true. I say that I have the option of saying no and not flying. He said, “Are you going to let me search you, or do I just throw you out?”

I said, “Finish up, and then call the police please.”

When he was finished with my shoes, he said, “Okay, you can go.”

I said, “I‘d like to see your supervisor and I’d like LVPD to come here as well. I was assaulted by you.”

He said, “You’re free to go, there’s no problem.”

I said, “I have a problem, please send someone over.”

They sent a guy over and I said that I’d like to register a complaint. I insisted on his name and badge number. I filled it out with my name. The supervisor, I think trying to intimidate me, asked for my license, and I gave it to him happily as he wrote down information. I kept saying, “Please get the police,” and they kept saying, “You’re free to go, we don’t need the police.”

Read the rest of Jillette’s account here.

Comments (35)

  • mindbender46
    Posted on November 18, 2010 at 12:45am

    STOP FLYING.
    Take the bus, take a train, drive your 15 year old jalopy, but don’t fly.
    When the halls are empty and only four or five people show up for one plane the airlines will scream to the feds and the feds will have to back off.

    If you continue to fly with all this invasion crap, you are part of the problem. You deserve what you get.

    Report Post » mindbender46  
  • free2bme1961
    Posted on November 17, 2010 at 4:33pm

    Calling the police, would not help today,as we are already in a police state, and have been for quite some time now. Most of the decent cops have either retired, or found other employment. I have heard of some that left, due to the new police nation, that has been developed…for our safety…lol
    TSA isn’t the only federal agency to hire sheeple, who are willing to violate human rights!

    Report Post » free2bme1961  
  • eteme
    Posted on November 17, 2010 at 3:33pm

    Who is to protect civil rights? is the TSA civil servants or are they strictly enforcement? If they are just enforcers then guess what Penn has a right to file a civil complaint about being sexually assaulted by a federal employee. Plausible or not, time for perhaps a few juries to decide..

    Report Post »  
  • teddrunk
    Posted on November 17, 2010 at 1:48pm

    Ach du leiber, Gestapo does not listen to some local police. They are federal. Der Fuhrer say they can do anything to you. You have no rights in the Fatherland.

    Report Post »  
    • guitarspook
      Posted on June 1, 2012 at 1:00pm

      anyone else find it creepy and eerily similar when Bush created Dept. of HOMELAND Security? I guess fatherland, and mother Russia were already taken.

      Report Post »  
  • rbqueen
    Posted on November 17, 2010 at 12:30pm

    The thing of it is though is that no matter what they are told by their bosses. No one is above the law and if someone is given an order that will break the law then that order is not valid nor enforceable. If someone gropes someone in their private areas then that person by law should be charged and required to be registered as a sex offender. If they do it with a child then that person by law should have to be charged and then have to register for life as a child molester. The laws cannot be broken or changed just because some power hungry group wants to take away all of our freedoms while catering to the terrorists that have caused the problems in the first place. What is referred to as racial profiling is less of a crime that making up excuses and giving out orders for rent-a-cops to go out and molest adults and children both, especially when the very large majority of the people that they are molesting would not be taken as security threats except as an excuse to try and molest them.

    Report Post »  
  • DMcPher316
    Posted on November 17, 2010 at 12:23pm

    TSA is taught the same thing that a police officer is taught…speak in rude, assertive tones to make the subject comply. I’m sure they have been told NOT to take ANY complaints from those they are gropeing…er…patting down. Yes, they should be ore reseptive to the discomfort of the fliers, but we also have to realise they have to do it. If they didn’t, and a plane was destroyed, we would complain about that. It’s a catch 22 kind of thing. Unfortunately the whole proceedure was not very well thought out, it is based on what HAPPENed not what might. I for one think the Isrealis have it right, profile the ones that might be a problem and leave the rest of us alone. I mean, really, was it blur eyed, blonds from scandinavia that are blowing things up?

    Report Post »  
  • NJONY
    Posted on November 17, 2010 at 11:35am

    All these precautions are ineffective and invasive. We need to let the Israelies teach us how to do security checks the way they do them. So what if people are profiled. I would rather be profiled than have a three year old patted down. Let the Muslims cry. If they let Muslims go through without following the proceedure, as a Christian I will say my religion does not allow this proceedure either. Then what are they going to do especially if lots of preople started saying that. The airlines will be livid when lots of their passengers will not be allowed to fly.

    Report Post » NJONY  
  • MikeinIdaho
    Posted on November 17, 2010 at 10:52am

    It’s time for peaceful civil disobedience against ALL forms of intrusion and assault by the marxist regime in DC. They can’t arrest everyone and the turmoil will screw up their plans of quietly herding the sheeple into serfdom.

    Report Post » MikeinIdaho  
  • Reagan/Demint.deciple
    Posted on November 17, 2010 at 10:39am

    I thing everyone that flys should opt out of the scaners to be groped and while it’s going on start moaning in pleasure. I swear if that happens they will be embarassed to the point that THEY will start complaining about the pat downs and not wanting to do them..Thats when they will change whats going on..

    Report Post » one years food ration like glenn says  
  • Geloh
    Posted on November 17, 2010 at 10:36am

    Penn and Glenn , you gotta love em!!!!

    Report Post »  
  • Reagan/Demint.deciple
    Posted on November 17, 2010 at 10:35am

    Just wait until the TSA is unionized, that way they can feel, pull, touch, grab ANYTHING they want on a person without ANY fear of being fired. Isn’t life in the U.S of A just grand since the liberal uprising in the 60′s.. Things have come a long way.. Amazing !!

    Report Post » one years food ration like glenn says  
  • powhatan
    Posted on November 17, 2010 at 10:16am

    I am going to start a website and sell plasatic turbans…then we can all sail through the pseudo security stations…..and I’ll get rich :D

    Report Post » powhatan  
  • Highland
    Posted on November 17, 2010 at 9:27am

    Just wear a burkha to the airport, you’ll be fine.

    Report Post » Highland  
  • BurntHills
    Posted on November 17, 2010 at 9:19am

    we need to start SUING the Feds everytime we AMERICANS are TOUCHED by the TSA goons. it is that simple.

    these TSA goons are nothing but thugs with a little tin badge and a LOT of scorn and hatred for Americans. they feel empowered by obama and HIS hatred for America, and this atrocity against US has to STOP.

    if any hijabbed muslim ‘woman’ TSA goon comes near my family and starts sexually molesting any of US AMERICANS and it will learn how to FLY across the room.

    BurntHills  
  • Star Spangled
    Posted on November 17, 2010 at 9:18am

    Airports have a choice between TSA and hiring their own people . Maybe if enough people complain and stop flying they’ll hire a private Co. , That has to be better then the gov. TSA .

    Report Post » Star Spangled  
    • Sheepdog911
      Posted on November 17, 2010 at 9:45am

      With any luck, the new Congress will defund these thugs.

      Report Post » Sheepdog911  
  • ConservativeBeauty
    Posted on November 17, 2010 at 8:59am

    The arrogance of the TSA agent is astounding. Just wait, so many people are doing to do the same thing and shut this crap sandwich situation down. Made me so sick, that screaming little girl saying “don’t touch me”. She’s probably scarred for life bc of this insane act on adults and children flying. I’ve seen the pat down from a female TSA to a female flyer…..full-on feel-up. I’d rather clean toilets all day than to do their jobs….they s**k!

    Report Post » ConservativeBeauty  
  • Peters
    Posted on November 17, 2010 at 8:57am

    We’ve seen this attitude before . . . It’s what happens when small minded people get power, or even the perception of it.

    Unfortunately, liberals have scrubbed the history books that show the depths and the origins of it all; but we remember. We’ll rewrite those books if need be . . . put them back in the classrooms and on the mantel, talk around the dinner table in the privacy of our homes, maybe in the basements and dark cellars, in closets, behind bars . . . .

    Report Post »  
  • HouseNegro
    Posted on November 17, 2010 at 8:52am

    Guys just ask for a woman to search you. Or do like I did last week, when the guy touches you act like your having an orgasm. Just yell “Oh Baby” a few times. You should have seen their faces priceless………………….

    Report Post » SpankDaMonkey  
  • TheLeftMadeMeRight
    Posted on November 17, 2010 at 8:49am

    Are they checking the CARGO???

    Report Post » TheLeftMadeMeRight  
    • HKS
      Posted on November 17, 2010 at 9:04am

      Now that’s the real problem. I was reading one of the magazines the airlines leave at the seats and it said if everyone packed one bag less we could save x amount of oil everyday.The old green approach you know. Truth is they make more money hauling freight so if you take one bag less they can sell the space to ups, fed-x or the post office. Truth is, when that plane leaves the ground it will always have all the pounds it can haul. So they will strip search you and then sit you on top of a mountain of mail. That’s why they started charging you for a bag, it’s really a cargo plane with people sitting on top.

      Report Post » HKS  
  • lildeb56
    Posted on November 17, 2010 at 8:48am

    I’ve never flown, but now I know I never will. I will not subject myself to Nazi-like practices. They HAVE to record these images to be used in court when they do catch someone. So where are the images going and how long are they kept? Also, what are the long-term effects of the scanning? It seems to me that good ol’ George Soros has rushed this technology so HE can make money without thinking about the long term health effects. More needs to be looked into.

    Report Post » lildeb56  
  • HKS
    Posted on November 17, 2010 at 8:47am

    This guy is great, met him at one of his shows, he is also kinda intimidating if he’s mad, I think he’s about ten feet tall, I had to look up at him. I’m sure he was just shaking the tree a little to make a point and since every time I go through an airport I have to go through that process (as I have metal implanted) I know how that feels.

    Report Post » HKS  
  • lildeb56
    Posted on November 17, 2010 at 8:46am

    Please get Penn back on Glenn’s show to tell of any recent experiences. This one leaves off back in ‘02 when it happened. Good story.

    Report Post » lildeb56  
  • LibertarianEven
    Posted on November 17, 2010 at 8:45am

    With so many Hollywood elite actors having their say, it’s nice to see a Libertarian entertainer make the news, even if it only shows up on the Blaze. For good or bad, people look up to and listen to these people. Too bad there aren’t more of them. I would take Penn over a Bill Maher ANY day!

    Stand up, Hollywood! Fight the GOOD fight!

    Report Post » LibertarianEven  
    • MrButcher
      Posted on November 17, 2010 at 9:14am

      Penn lives in Las Vegas not hollywood (he’s always very quick to point that out)

      but I agree.

      Penn kicks butt

      Report Post » MrButcher  
  • snowleopard3200 {mix art}
    Posted on November 17, 2010 at 8:42am

    These people are deliberately commiting assault upon each person going through this procedure. They need to be arrested, tried and convicted. This is just one more story of TSA intimidation being used against citizens and travelers who have not been charged with any crime or violated any of the laws. Civil rights are guaranteed in this country, and these people I hope do get arrested by the cops as Mr Jillette calls for.

    Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
  • Highland
    Posted on November 17, 2010 at 8:37am

    We all need to start filing police reports in such instances.

    Report Post » Highland  
    • snowleopard3200 {mix art}
      Posted on November 17, 2010 at 8:43am

      Agreed. Though the Fed‘s will simply ignore it and claim some kind of ’interferance with policing authorities’ to bring charges back against the complainer who filed the charges in the first place.

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • Thirteenth Paladin
      Posted on November 17, 2010 at 8:51am

      I agree, according to precedent court cases, under the Fourth Amendment, consent to search can be withdrawn at any point during such search. I may have entered the search area by choice, but to refuse to allow me to leave is an illegal detention, in other words, an arrest. I’m not driving down the road and stopped for speeding. In that case, I’m not free to leave. Airport security is a consensual encounter, and I can un-consent whenever I want.

      Report Post » Thirteenth Paladin  
    • Sheepdog911
      Posted on November 17, 2010 at 9:43am

      What policing authority? This is all manufactured. When I buy a ticket, I have the expectation of being cleared through security, but it is not an open ended OK to do whatever they want. Cops will tell you that when daling with the public, “when you touch them, you buy them.” In other words, you’d better have something on them. Opting out of the machine is not saying OK to being groped! You touch me, you buy me. I’m unaware of any law that says that I have to let you do whatever you want. When I say “no”, I mean “no.” If I pull away from TSA, I have not resisted arrest – I haven’t been arrested ….yet, and I haven’t assaulted TSA, I I’d initiate the touch to assault them. This is thuggery. This is tyrrany.

      Report Post » Sheepdog911  
    • Flagwaver
      Posted on November 17, 2010 at 10:06am

      “They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” –Benjamin Franklin (1759)

      Report Post » Flagwaver  
    • keaton
      Posted on November 17, 2010 at 8:10pm

      Can I just say ,as an aside, I’d like the TSA to get rid of “don’t ask, don’t tell”. As a hetero male, I would like to be able to choose a female groper, over a gay male groper , who might enjoy his job just a little too much!

      Report Post »  
    • sabrinacle
      Posted on November 18, 2010 at 1:08am

      there is strength in nu,mbers. If we ALL refuse the naked body scanner AND the sexual assault….they will have to listen to us

      Report Post » sabrinacle  

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