Live data from Hacker News

TSA’s “See cash, seize cash” policy

twitter.com

41–50 of 200 posts

Re: TSA’s “See cash, seize cash” policy

#41

It's surreal to me how little political or public support there is for ending these kinds of egregious government overreaches.

The polls I've seen put support for civil asset forfeiture to around 16%. So there's plenty of public support to end it.

The police are powerful though, and proceeds from this don't seem to terribly well accounted for in every PD. We know the feds and the local prosecutors get their cut, but after that... They are going to throw everything they can at keeping this gravy train alive.

Re: TSA’s “See cash, seize cash” policy

#42
Let's step back and pretend like the TSA/police never engage in civil asset forfeiture in the first place. That issue aside, this is still a colossally stupid way to make a transaction.

A thousand bad outcomes that are possibly more likely than this scenario could have happened. The bag could have been lost in the taxi, lost by the airline, stolen by a passerby, left at home, and the list goes on.

Has this guy ever heard of Western Union? Bitcoin? A cashier's check? Anything else besides a suitcase full of cash?

This method of making a large transaction is so stupid that it's hard for me to even blame the government for considering it automatically suspicious. Of course, having no due process surrounding civil asset forfeiture is not right, but that doesn't mean that this transaction isn't suspicious.

I'd go ahead and play devil's advocate here: the only reason to carry this much cash is to do one of the following:

1. Evade sales and income tax (You can say this isn't your problem, or that the government should take less of our money anyway, but countries that have high tax avoidance rates have poor infrastructure and public services – tax avoidance hurts honest people the most)

2. Make a transaction to exchange illegal goods or people

It's entirely possible that this guy's story is just a lie. I think it's naive to pretend that this guy isn't likely to be connected to organized crime. That's the whole "organized" part of it: they're going to be armed with a good story and disciplined behavior, not like the people you see on Cops admitting guilt the second a beat cop starts asking questions.

Re: TSA’s “See cash, seize cash” policy

#43

No one has explained to me how this is still legal. This "law" has persisted until Bush, Obama, Trump and now Biden. Why does no one on both sides of the aisle have the courage to stop this? Can no one mount a legal challenge against this?

The elderly men and women who run the country want it that way. After a few decades of the same people in office year after year, what other explanation holds water?

Re: TSA’s “See cash, seize cash” policy

#44

It's surreal to me how little political or public support there is for ending these kinds of egregious government overreaches.

The unchallenged near-deification of law enforcement and hardline "tough on crime" propaganda in the USA leads too many people to think a certain way:

1. If there was some civil asset forfeiture, the victim must've done something wrong because cops certainly can't be wrong.

2. If you've committed even a minor, non violent, crime, it doesn't matter how harsh the penalty is, you deserve it.

3. A majority of voters don't see themselves as criminals and aren't hassled by cops like some segments of the population are. They think this will never affect them, so they pay it little mind - until the day it does affect them.

Re: TSA’s “See cash, seize cash” policy

#45
post #2

All governments want cashless economies. They make it easier to track money, collect taxes, keep an eyes on the populace, etc. India did it by invalidating all large-denomination bills. China did it by limiting ATM withdrawals. United States is doing it in the most American way possible. Literal highway robbery!

People, generally, want to be able to pay electronically too. It is very convenient.

I don't think so. Spending control is much easier when you withdraw a fixed amount at the beginning of the month.

Checking bank statements is easier (they are very short).

You don't have to worry who will abuse your credit card or bank details.

Re: TSA’s “See cash, seize cash” policy

#46
There's a joke in Cuba: Two women argue about who has the better boyfriend. The one says proudly: "Mine works as a luggage-handler at the airport!" To which the other replies ashamed: "Mine's just a doctor..."

With that in mind I wonder whether it is TSA policy to always have these officers cross-sworn in with the FBI, or if it's a legal loophole which officers can exploit?

From the tweet-thread it looks like local police departments have similar "double-agents"...

So if it is a loophole the guy in the video just figured how to maximize his reward for his moraly derelict actions. Like the luggage handler at Havanna-Airport.

Re: TSA’s “See cash, seize cash” policy

#47
post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree, although I do not think civil asset forfeiture is specifically used to discourage the use of cash and incentivize people to go electronic, or at least it was not designed with that motive. Civil asset forfeiture is a power trip by the government that neither political party wants to touch, and it does a great job at reducing trust in the US's governing bodies. When I was a kid, I thought that kind of low lev…

Why does nobody want to touch it? That is what is a mystery to me.

The police unions in this country are powerful. A lot of seized cash is treated as tax-free "bonuses" paid out to officers. Either directly, or indirectly by financing "team building exercises" at a Build Your Own AK Ranch or some shit.

The prosecutors offices get their cut too, so they have an incentive to keep their mouths shut. Everyone else can be bullied into submission.

Re: TSA’s “See cash, seize cash” policy

#48

It's surreal to me how little political or public support there is for ending these kinds of egregious government overreaches.

If you make it a BLM issue, there is a small chance of something happening. That is the only chance.

Though the Democrats would probably come up with some sophisticated explanation why this particular case does not fall under BLM.

Remember that Biden is the guy who pushed the Clipper Chip.

Re: TSA’s “See cash, seize cash” policy

#49
post #29
post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why would paying with a credit card take a minute? It's 3s with contactless, and since covid it doesn't require a pin code.

Beats me. When did credit cards ever require a PIN, though?

Chip-and-PIN has been prevalent outside the US since its inception, and is still the norm for large credit card purchases.

Re: TSA’s “See cash, seize cash” policy

#50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Especially when one party seemingly champions “civil rights” or “the little guy”, and the other party champions “small government”. And yet a government employee stealing someone’s cash with no justification does not fall under any of those categories.

As mentioned in the tweets, the bipartisan FAIR act is supposed to reform civil asset forfeiture.

[deleted]
Post reply on HN