pebbleworm
Lead Service Attendant
- Joined
- Apr 21, 2009
- Messages
- 257
I got to deal with Reno's finest today on the California Zephyr, and be being relatively civil (even though I would not let them search my bags. The poor cop looked so disappointed) I was able to get some information on these searches. They are baseless fishing trips of the worst, most groundless kind. In a nutshell, they have no legal grounds to even talk to you but will try to bully you into agreeing to an illegal search. Amtrak provides the Reno PD with passenger manifests and ticket purchase information for each train running through, and based on this the Reno 911 folks decide who looks "suspicious". If you have ever worked with cops, you know that their idea of suspicious is just about everything. Red flags the po-po told me about were:
Buying a ticket "too close" to your departure date.
Buying a ticket in person.
Buying a ticket with cash.
Buying a "one way" ticket (aren't they all?).
Buying a ticket with Amtrak Guest Rewards points (There's a lot of fraud, he said).
Because you have not run through the TSA circus, YOU are a potential threat. I let them look at my ticket, talked about my trip and let them run the cocaine sniffing dog past the luggage. Next time I won't be so accommodating. They have no grounds to detain you, and you have no reason to even talk to them. As a I said, a fishing trip of the worst kind.
An Amtrak cop showed up after they left and wanted to know if the Reno folks had been civil, and then came back a little later to get my contact information. What nefarious purpose that will be used for I do not know. Next trip my conversation with the Reno cops will be limited to "Am I free to go?" and "am I under arrest?". What they are doing is NOT police work, just trolling through and bullying a captive audience in the wan pathetic hope something turns up. It is my duty and obligation as an American Citizen to keep cops on the straight, narrow and legal path. Reno should be ashamed of itself, but what self respect can a city that runs on prostitution and rigged gambling really have?
Buying a ticket "too close" to your departure date.
Buying a ticket in person.
Buying a ticket with cash.
Buying a "one way" ticket (aren't they all?).
Buying a ticket with Amtrak Guest Rewards points (There's a lot of fraud, he said).
Because you have not run through the TSA circus, YOU are a potential threat. I let them look at my ticket, talked about my trip and let them run the cocaine sniffing dog past the luggage. Next time I won't be so accommodating. They have no grounds to detain you, and you have no reason to even talk to them. As a I said, a fishing trip of the worst kind.
An Amtrak cop showed up after they left and wanted to know if the Reno folks had been civil, and then came back a little later to get my contact information. What nefarious purpose that will be used for I do not know. Next trip my conversation with the Reno cops will be limited to "Am I free to go?" and "am I under arrest?". What they are doing is NOT police work, just trolling through and bullying a captive audience in the wan pathetic hope something turns up. It is my duty and obligation as an American Citizen to keep cops on the straight, narrow and legal path. Reno should be ashamed of itself, but what self respect can a city that runs on prostitution and rigged gambling really have?
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