Comes a Knock on the Door in the Wee Hours
Ten days ago, at just after 5:00 in the morning, the California Zephyr was stopped at Omaha, Nebraska, on its daily run from the Bay Area to Chicago. Businessman Greg Travis, sound asleep in his roomette, was suddenly awakened by a knock on his compartment door. Groggy and still half asleep, Travis opened the door to be confronted by a Nebraska State trooper demanding to know who he was, where he was going and where he had been. Then, with Travis’ permission, his luggage was searched. Two or three other passengers on the same corridor were being similarly questioned.
After the fact, once the Zephyr was underway again, Travis had second thoughts about the experience. In fact, he was quite thoroughly pissed. “If I had my wits about me,” he later told a reporter for an Omaha TV station, “I might have said, ‘No, I don’t want you looking through my dirty underwear.’”
I confess I don’t know what I would have said or done under those circumstances. But since the police offered no explanation and had no search warrant, I hope I would have had the presence of mind to tell that cop to f— off! Of course, I have no idea what might have happened next.
There have been similar stories from passengers traveling on the Lake Shore Limited which runs close to, but does not cross, the Canadian border … immigration officials boarding the train in the middle of the night and demanding to see IDs from some of the passengers.
Am I completely off base in thinking these incidents are outrageous? What the hell is going on here?
I hope someone has an answer to this question. I’ve sent it to a couple of lawyer friends.
I know that John O’Connor has kicked the TSA and its odious VIPR teams off Amtrak, but if the police can still perform unwarranted searches, then I’m not sure what’s going on.
I’ve been very outspoken about TSA/DHS abuse for the past couple of years. My name is all over the blabbosphere. Hubby and I are planning a train trip to Montreal (because I refuse to fly anymore) at Christmas. Is this the kind of crap we’re going to face?
I really don’t know. And you’re right: If you refuse to cooperate, can they remove you from the train? They wouldn’t have to take you off to the slammer to ruin your day … just into the station to question you until 30 seconds after the train departs. There you are in your PJs with all your luggage on the way to Chicago! I’d like to pursue this and will ask a pal of mine who’s a judge. More to come.
So what would your legal status be in your train compartment? Obviously it’s not your home but it is your private area. Would the police need a search warrant to enter your room? What if you just had a seat?
In that situation I would like to tell the officer to take a hike but resistance and removal from the train would not be a great outcome. Any thoughts on this Jim?