www.CostaRicaTicas.com

There is no reason to be carrying thousands in cash down there. For chris' sake use a bank.

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The sexiest part of the human body? The brain.

I always carry straight cash when I travel down. Get to SL throw it in the safe...done.

Cujo

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"Pain is the fuel that fans the flames of my pyre. A battle plan is only as good as the general carrying it out on the field. This is my war son, and I have the biggest bombs and the smallest conscience"...

I had a biiiiig ape like bitch (a Major none the less) scream at me for not having the customs form right side up even though both my arms pre-occupied. I complied but made a note of her name in case she did it again and was going to complain. I saw her one time more then no more. She must have received enough complaints to get removed ar retired.

I carried 3M COP ($1300 US) back in Feb. for the sole reason I got a great exchange rate. But then again Govt. is against profit unless in their interest.

I tell ya folks if this chit continues there will be another Civil War in US!!!!!!

I will say this thought last times thru MIA in Feb. and May they were friendly and nice. I bet somebodys way high up made some complaints somewhere.

They train security that it's ok to carry $10,000 cash but it's not a priority for suspisious items. Some of them might get a big head and make an issue but just ask for a supervisor and they can resolve the situation. I've seen alot of cash and jewelers go through the airport and it wasn't going to harm anyone on the plane. They have some problems with screeners but look who hired them! Just watch out for the pasengers that throw their shoes at you!!

I just love our "freedoms" in Amuricuh..

Cash only for me, I have said before I lost 1200 at atms in front of the INS building. I only got it back after six months of letter writing and complaining. I even started a thread about it. Phuck the cards crooked bastards.

When you enter an airport you leave your rights at the door!

It may not be what right but it is just the way it is.

As far as the TSA: Give them time and they will be as helpful as the police at night in downtown SJO.

Until enough people make enough noise to Congress about the loss of rights, don't expect a change.

This issue has caused me to think a lot about what I would do if I were stopped at the airport and asked how much money I was carrying.
Brother River has a very good point that we leave many of our rights at the front entrance to the airport but those rights regard flight safety. None of us want to be on an airplane with an armed passenger who is slightly deranged. But do we leave our human and constitutional rights at the door?

While it may be good to stop drug smuggling and other related crimes, that is NOT why we pay an extra tax for TSA and why we passively stand in long lines at the airport while the blue gloved attendants plow through our dirty shorts and sox. SIDE NOTE: That must be a disgusting occupation or one that appeals to a special type of fetish.

If an arrest is made incidental to the TSA search for the items TSA is supposed to search for such as weapons, then I think the search would be legal and permissible. But as attorney Ben Wizner said in the WSJ article posted by Jazzbo, that which TSA is doing is mission creep and in fact maybe more like mission leap.

In the matter involving the passports, the WSJ article states: “The [TSA] agent found envelopes with cash, which she considered suspicious.”
I am not sure if a convincing argument could be made on that point (suspicion) in any court of law as to why an envelope containing cash would be cause for suspicion that a crime had been committed. There would have to be a lot more additional evidence pointing to a possibility of criminal activity to make it a valid and legal search.

According to the article, “Three other envelopes had something more rigid than dollar bills. She [the TSA agent] testified she didn’t believe there were weapons inside, but opened them looking for ‘contraband’ and found three fake passports.” If the envelopes were more rigid than dollar bills AND they did not contain money AND they did not contain a weapon, then the search should have stopped. She had no probable cause to continue. Those are fundamentals taught in Search and Seizure 101 in any police academy. But TSA like most other security guards are all wannabe cops.

Finally, the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution provides, among other things, that you cannot be coerced into giving testimony against yourself in a court of law. If you are asked by agents at plane side if you are carrying more than $10,000 cash, is that accusatory questioning? If it is, then the officials would be required to read you your rights. If you answered that you wanted a lawyer, they could pull you out of the line and really cause you some consternation. But what if the 120 or so passengers all requested a lawyer?

Now I am just rambling. Hopefully I made some sense.