NFL fan sues over searches at Florida stadium

[maddogkf]

I don't know if I support his stance or not...

NFL fan sues over searches at Florida stadium


By Jim Loney
MIAMI (Reuters) - A Tampa Bay Buccaneers season ticket holder sued on Thursday to halt pat-down searches of fans entering the football team's stadium, saying such a search without any suspicion of wrongdoing violated his constitutional rights.

The suit, filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida on behalf of high school teacher Gordon Johnston, challenges a policy approved by the Tampa Sports Authority in September requiring physical searches of every fan entering Raymond James Stadium for National Football League games.

"Football fans should not be forced to surrender our constitutional rights as the price of admission to the stadium," Johnston said in a release. "I am challenging these pat-down searches because I don't like the idea of myself, my wife and my friends being touched without our consent.

The suit, filed in Hillsborough County Circuit Court in Tampa, asks for a ruling that "suspicionless" searches of fans violate the constitutional right to freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures.

The authority, which is a government body, approved a policy imposed by the NFL requiring security personnel to pat down every fan entering an NFL stadium.

Barbara Casey, a spokeswoman for the Tampa Sports Authority, said she could not comment specifically on the lawsuit because authority officials had not seen it.

"We need to do what the NFL has mandated," she said. "We're going on what the NFL lawyers have said, that it is constitutional."

ACLU officials said the NFL policy required a pat-down search only from the waist up, leaving open the possibility that someone could smuggle contraband or weapons into the stadium in pant legs.

"That's just one of the absurdities of the policy. We're not any safer, just a lot less free," said Howard Simon, executive director of the ACLU of Florida.



© Reuters 2005. All Rights Reserved.

 

[HeavyB3]

My buddy keeps a liter bottle of water in his back pocket during these pat downs. Never once has the pat down found this bottle of water. While having water is allowed in the games, he contends that he could just as easily have a gun in his back pocket or a stick of dynomite and not get caught. They are ineffective anyway.

 

[Pariah]

It's not like he's not being permitted to go into the public library without a pat-down. By going into the stadium he understands he needs to be searched; if he doesn't want to be searched, he doesn't need to go into the stadium. The NFL is not the US Government and is not forcing a search on him--he's volunteering for it.

 

[maddogkf]

It's not like he's not being permitted to go into the public library without a pat-down. By going into the stadium he understands he needs to be searched; if he doesn't want to be searched, he doesn't need to go into the stadium. The NFL is not the US Government and is not forcing a search on him--he's volunteering for it.

I was thinking along the same lines.

 

[Derm]

What a dope!

 

[maddogkf]

I think attending an NFL game is not a consitutional right. The NFL could look at you and say "no" because they're no different than the diner at the end of the street that hangs a sign saying "we reserve the right to refuse service."

 

[Pariah]

I think attending an NFL game is not a consitutional right. The NFL could look at you and say "no" because they're no different than the diner at the end of the street that hangs a sign saying "we reserve the right to refuse service."

You don't know what you're talking about.

 

[jw7]

It's not like he's not being permitted to go into the public library without a pat-down. By going into the stadium he understands he needs to be searched; if he doesn't want to be searched, he doesn't need to go into the stadium. The NFL is not the US Government and is not forcing a search on him--he's volunteering for it.

Yup. The NFL is a private business and they could require you to wear a clown suit for entrance if they wanted.

Last year I was in line for one of the Cards games and security patted down this guy, and started pulling out those Coors light mini-cans. The guy wore baggy jeans and it was like the magician pulling the never-ending handkerchief out of the hat. Beer...beer...beer...beer...beer.... must have been at least 14-20 of them. The folks in line were laughing their butts off.

Then they let him in.

 

[SuperSpck]

I just think that all these illusions of security are a waste of time. Time and time again it can be said, if someone is willing to trade their life for yours than there isn't anything you can do about it.
There are holes in every plan, no matter how well intended or well executed. Check out books like Black Sunday (Thomas Harris) or The Sum of All Fears (Tom Clancy). Both deal with the sporting event scenario in intresting (albeit admittedly similar) ways.

I think that the whole search thing is a waste of time. If a guy wants to get plowed at a game, he'll find a way. If another guy wants to bring in a bomb, he could jam it someplace the guards wont pat, and it'll get in (think suppository, or better yet, don't).

So ditch the whole damn thing. Let the people in a little quicker so they can watch some football and to security guards: quit cupping those! That's not a pat down buddy and you didn't buy me a drink first!

 

[LoyaltyisaCurse]

Get over it dude, its just a pat down...

 

[MigratingOsprey]

it's a waste and inconvenient, but it doesn't make it illegal

 

[40yearfan]

If another guy wants to bring in a bomb, he could jam it someplace the guards wont pat, and it'll get in (think suppository, or better yet, don't).

So ditch the whole damn thing. Let the people in a little quicker so they can watch some football and to security guards: quit cupping those! That's not a pat down buddy and you didn't buy me a drink first!

If he stuck something in one of his orfices, the only thing he would blow up would be himself.

The pat down searches are not meant to discover alcohol. They are meant to find someone with baggy clothing who is wearing a suicide belt stacked with explosives and nails/ball bearings. Something like this would be very obvious in a pat down search and would be detected immediately as it would have to be large and bulky to do any damage.

These searches are meant for the safety of individuals attending the game and because of the times we live in are a necessary trouble. Be glad the NFL thinks enough of it's patrons to want to keep them safe.

 

[duckfallas]

Been to a game lately? It is a pat down that creates a huge line and major delay going in to the stadium. And for what? This policy is idiotic. Let's say someone did want to blow up a bunch of people. They are already in a huge crowd by the time they are getting searched so they could still do it.

This policy has been a major inconvenience and the NFL is stupid for putting it in place. While I don't agree with the premise of this guy's suit, I wish more fans like him stand up, band together, and tell the NFL to shove this policy sideways..

Stop letting stupid terrorist threats ruin our way of life!

 

[Pariah]

Been to a game lately? It is a pat down that creates a huge line and major delay going in to the stadium.

Pat-downs like this have been going on for a long time at Mile High and Coor Field.

You don't know what a long line is until you try to get into a sold-out Mile High Stadium on Sunday.

I'm all for it, though. A line to enter an NFL game is a small price to pay, IMO. "Way of life?" Is your way of life really defined by the length of lines? Mine isn't.

 

[ryanshaug]

Pat-downs like this have been going on for a long time at Mile High and Coor Field.

You don't know what a long line is until you try to get into a sold-out Mile High Stadium on Sunday.

I'm all for it, though. A line to enter an NFL game is a small price to pay, IMO. "Way of life?" Is your way of life really defined by the length of lines? Mine isn't.

Well, I would imagine a line that takes 45 minutes to get through in the blistering heat would be considered long in my mind.

And after that wait, you get to the front, and you get a couple of quick pats that could not possibly determine if you are carrying a weapon.

So whats the point? I think anyone defending this crap hasn't actually been through a line at SDS.

 

[Pariah]

I think anyone defending this crap hasn't actually been through a line at SDS.

You're right. I haven't. But I have been through plenty of other lines with pat-downs as a reason for the hold up.

Maybe they need to open more gates or have more security preforming the pat-downs. But a long line isn't a reason to not increase security.

PS--isn't is just as "blistering" hot once inside the stadium? It was the times I've been there.

 

[duckfallas]

With the current search process, a terrorist could wear baggy pants, strap explosives to his leg, get admitted and still blow people up. This policy does not even address the threat and that is what pisses me off more than anything. The search itself is totally half assed. If you are going to do something, do it right or don't do it at all!

 

[Rats]

The funny thing is that as we sat in our Suite at the last game( thanks to Duckjake and Mrs. Duckjake...your a gentleman, scholar, and a fine judge of poor Cardinal koolaid ) we could see the two main gates were jammed close to end of the 1st qt with people still trying to get in. The back gates had no one and people could have gotten in very easily and quickly. We walked in with barely any line at all. Guess we were just lucky.

 

[clif]

I large metal detector would do just fine.

 

[vince56]

I think attending an NFL game is not a consitutional right. The NFL could look at you and say "no" because they're no different than the diner at the end of the street that hangs a sign saying "we reserve the right to refuse service."

I agree 100%. I don't know what they're basing this suit on. Maybe it's because the building is publicly funded (tax dollars)?

That's the only thing I could think of because it's private property.

 

[vince56]

I large metal detector would do just fine.

{mad scientist} ooooooh, then I could sneak in my sulfuric acid!!

 

[duckfallas]

A metal detector or some other device is what they should have. But that would probably cost more. So let's just inconvenience millions of paying customers with a half assed search policy that accomplishes nothing so we can say we did something. Way to go NFL!

 

[D-Dogg]

The guy has no case whatsoever--the NFL is a private business.

Now, their "pat-downs" consist ONLY of a guy running his hand around my waist, and that's it. Nothing more. Ridiculous. It makes me angry that I'm standing in a line for that. I don't mind if you pat me down for real, or take me through a metal detector, but at least DO something if you are going to make me wait in a line. It makes me so angry because I don't like wasting my time. And until they either abandon these meaningless waist taps or decide to really pat us down I will remain disgusted at this process.

 

[Pariah]

A metal detector or some other device is what they should have.

I'd bet pat downs are quicker. Ever been in a line at the airport? Some people go through 2 or three times.

 

[earthsci]

The pat down searches are not meant to discover alcohol. They are meant to find someone with baggy clothing who is wearing a suicide belt stacked with explosives and nails/ball bearings. Something like this would be very obvious in a pat down search and would be detected immediately as it would have to be large and bulky to do any damage.

What's funny...or not, is that a terrorist could take out alot of people just standing among the mass of people waiting for the pat down.