Passenger Trains > TSA Viper Team Sets Up at Emeryville

Tactical TSA Viper Team Sets Up at California Train Station
Intelihub.com
by J.G. Vibes
January 18, 2013

> ...ABC broke this story, but as usual they portrayed it as something
> good, to keep people “safe”.
>
> Their report stated that:
>
>> People are used to seeing TSA inspectors at airports but on
>> Wednesday, a specialized team made their presence known at the Amtrak
>> station in Emeryville. Train stations are difficult to secure because
>> they’re so wide open but on Wednesday, the TSA showed up unannounced
>> to let the public, especially potential troublemakers, know that they
>> are keeping an eye on the rails.
>>
>> Amtrak passenger Vera Molina said she noticed all the black-clad TSA
>> inspectors right away and it’s a presence she appreciates. Asked if
>> she would like to see them more often she said, “I would, can’t hurt,
>> just in case you never know.” As part of their nationwide “Viper
>> Team” effort, the Transportation Safety Administration put about a
>> dozen agents at the station to see and be seen, although some of the
>> inspectors also work undercover.
>>
>> “The visible deterrent is making a presence known at the station,
>> getting on the train, talking to passengers, lettings the bad guys
>> know that we’re here, and letting the passengers know that we’re
>> here, and working with law enforcement to really tailor our Viper
>> teams to their needs,” TSA spokesman Nico Melendez said.

> Unfortunately, it is the TSA and the people who give them their
> orders who are the “bad guys”. The reporter writing this story goes
> on to apparently interview people who witnessed the Viper team, and
> (no) surprise, all of them (who were quoted) were grateful for the
> boot on their throat.
>
> In this particular situation, a checkpoint was not set up, the
> tactical teams showed up to monitor the area and bother people at
> random. However, as mentioned earlier, this is just the beginning
> of a slippery slope, before you know it they will have checkpoints
> set up where you will be searched and asked for your government
> issued ID.

http://theintelhub.com/2013/01/18/tactical-tsa-viper-team-sets-up-at-california-train-station/

This crap is totally out of control.

richs Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> This crap is totally out of control.


this isn't "change you can believe in"?

America's rail passenger/commuter services need more proctection BEFORE something happens........

66

richs Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> This crap is totally out of control.


The very first time terrorists hit Amtrak, and I'm certain at some point they will, the public will be howling that TSA didn't do enough, had no presence, and thosehowls will be felt nationwide.

Sure there are occasional abuses and over-the-top actions. But, as is so often quoted in other circumstances, vigilance is the price of maintaining our freedoms.

I also would like to remind folks that the people who provided transportation security before TSA were minimum wage types--a friend whose firm employed pre-TSA airport screeners, reported to me that many were "the dregs of society."

I frankly don't want minimum wage, bottom of the barrel rent-a-cops providing transportation security in these dangerous days. Does any sane person?

Art House
Gettysburg, Pa.

Yet these folks can't even do background checks on the passenger list to make sure no one has warrants or those abusing their unemployment benefits by traveling and not looking for a job. They need a agent on the train since it's getting worse onboard with people bringing their own alcohol, drugs being moved, and sometimes goofballs that act up when the train is late or don't want to follow simple rules onboard the train like no smoking or sex in the bathrooms.

aehouse Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> richs Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > This crap is totally out of control.
>
>
> The very first time terrorists hit Amtrak, and I'm
> certain at some point they will, the public will
> be howling that TSA didn't do enough, had no
> presence, and thosehowls will be felt nationwide.
>
> Sure there are occasional abuses and over-the-top
> actions. But, as is so often quoted in other
> circumstances, vigilance is the price of
> maintaining our freedoms.
>
> I also would like to remind folks that the people
> who provided transportation security before TSA
> were minimum wage types--a friend whose firm
> employed pre-TSA airport screeners, reported to me
> that many were "the dregs of society."
>
> I frankly don't want minimum wage, bottom of the
> barrel rent-a-cops providing transportation
> security in these dangerous days. Does any sane
> person?
>
> Art House
> Gettysburg, Pa.

Some of the TSA screeners I've met fall into that minimum wage, bottom of the barrel rent-a-cop description you mention. Maybe the same folks who regularly fail their own agency's tests to see what explosives, weapons, etc get through. When they're not busy stealing stuff out of luggage.

Other TSA people are pleasant, seem competent, and do a good job dealing with the public. Security people in places like Amsterdam, Paris, Brussels, Milan, Venice, etc do their jobs pleasantly and competently, and seem to do a good job catching dangerous stuff. And, they're well paid, like our TSA, and unionized, like our TSA.

zzzzz Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ..... or
> don't want to follow simple rules onboard the
> train like no smoking or sex in the bathrooms.

Sex in train bathrooms is against the rules? Oops! Who knew? Have never seen that posted anywhere. :-)

As for the original issue of reporting that the TSA is working Emeryville, why not link to the ABC news piece - http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/east_bay&id=8957075 - which appears to be a factual report? Instead we have a link to commentary on some crackpot website pedaling paranoid views on just about everything. There's nothing in the original news report suggesting that the TSA at Emeryville is behaving badly as the commentary on Gene's linked site suggests. Do we have to gin up paranoia about everything?

Dave

Oh Dave, there are somethings you don't want to see as a passenger on the train and opening a door on something like that (especially if isn't all that good looking) is one of them. I remember a kid unfortunately did on a trip about 4 years ago and all heck broke loose on the train since the kid was crying when the male in the incident yelled at him when he opened the door. So we do need at least one TSA agent on the train to take care of the dirty work on board.

DavidP Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> zzzzz Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > ..... or
> > don't want to follow simple rules onboard the
> > train like no smoking or sex in the bathrooms.
>
> Sex in train bathrooms is against the rules?
> Oops! Who knew? Have never seen that posted
> anywhere. :-)
>
> As for the original issue of reporting that the
> TSA is working Emeryville, why not link to the ABC
> news piece -
> http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/loca
> l/east_bay&id=8957075 - which appears to be a
> factual report? Instead we have a link to
> commentary on some crackpot website pedaling
> paranoid views on just about everything. There's
> nothing in the original news report suggesting
> that the TSA at Emeryville is behaving badly as
> the commentary on Gene's linked site suggests. Do
> we have to gin up paranoia about everything?
>
> Dave

Your ABC link is no more credible to many of us than the original link you label as "crackpot".
TSA, DHS, drones...it's all about control.

DavidP Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> As for the original issue of reporting that the
> TSA is working Emeryville, why not link to the ABC
> news piece -
> http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/loca
> l/east_bay&id=8957075 - which appears to be a
> factual report? Instead we have a link to
> commentary on some crackpot website pedaling
> paranoid views on just about everything. There's
> nothing in the original news report suggesting
> that the TSA at Emeryville is behaving badly as
> the commentary on Gene's linked site suggests. Do
> we have to gin up paranoia about everything?

=========================================

THANKS, DavidP.

For info: I was referenced to that page by....AMTRAK!

The government forces can't quite get a grip on enforcing our borders. So they trip on up to a crowd of people that don't otherwise have a reason to 'run & hide' & pester the crap out of them. I guess they're rated on actual 'contacts'.

RailNet802, owevaaaah

The funny thing is that this is not the first time the VIPR teams have been at Amtrak in Emeryville. They do this on a semi-regular basis. Guess this was the first time anyone noticed, probably because they are there mostly for a visible presence. The teams are usually made up of Air Marshals and explosive experts. No baggage screeners.

Gary

Posted from iPhone

SN711 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The funny thing is that this is not the first time
> the VIPR teams have been at Amtrak in Emeryville.
> They do this on a semi-regular basis. Guess this
> was the first time anyone noticed, probably
> because they are there mostly for a visible
> presence. The teams are usually made up of Air
> Marshals and explosive experts. No baggage
> screeners.
>
> Gary
>
> Posted from iPhone

Was AmSniff there? The German Sheppard (I think) Although, he/she is with Amtrak and not TSA

SN711 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The funny thing is that this is not the first time
> the VIPR teams have been at Amtrak in Emeryville.
> They do this on a semi-regular basis. Guess this
> was the first time anyone noticed, probably
> because they are there mostly for a visible
> presence.

=========================================

Maybe this was the first time ABC "just happened" to set up there "in cahoots" with the TSA,
who wanted a friendly media presence to spin the story.

-GP

I think Border Patrol's intrusion every day on 48/49 at Syracuse, Rochester, and Buffalo is far more obnoxious, smacks of featherbedding, and intimidating to anyone, especially a foreign national traveling legitimately and domestically in the lower 48.

Last August, I played dead pretending to be fast asleep and they didn't bother me, but most people don't do that, and if they look Asian or Hispanic, they will be disturbed.

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I think Border Patrol's intrusion every day on
> 48/49 at Syracuse, Rochester, and Buffalo is far
> more obnoxious, smacks of featherbedding, and
> intimidating to anyone, especially a foreign
> national traveling legitimately and domestically
> in the lower 48.
>
> Last August, I played dead pretending to be fast
> asleep and they didn't bother me, but most people
> don't do that, and if they look Asian or Hispanic,
> they will be disturbed.

I agree with everything said above, bexcept we either will have secure borders or we will not. Insofar as "bothering" Asian or Hispanic people, it is not Europeans or people from Africa that are violating our borders, so if the Border Patrol "bothers" people of other racial profiles while perhaps offensive, is logical and proper.

In the TSA actions at airports, I find that to be totally without logic and appears nonsensical. I have seen a 60-ish Hawaiian lady examined from head to foot, including a close examination of her rubber slippers(flip flops)while a Japanese tourist is waved through. It was not Japanese or Hawaiian ladies that have attacked the US, but the TSA seems intent on equal harrasment.

I am taking the train to Emeryville from Tacoma on the 2nd and back on the 7th. If, while traveling with my wife and 90-year-old mother, I am questioned by VIPER, my first reaction will be to laugh.

I doubt that the TSA thinks the Hawaiian lady or grandmother are actual terrorists, but rather those folks may have a higher possibility of being duped into carrying some sort of terrorist device on board (plane or train or bus) for someone else who IS a terrorist. Recall that one of the earlier plane bombings (Lockerbie?) was triggered by a terrorist who convinced his girlfriend (fiancee?) to check a boom box in her luggage for him -- he had no intent himself of traveling on that plane.

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> Some of the TSA screeners I've met fall into that
> minimum wage, bottom of the barrel rent-a-cop
> description you mention. Maybe the same folks who
> regularly fail their own agency's tests to see
> what explosives, weapons, etc get through. When
> they're not busy stealing stuff out of luggage.
>
> Other TSA people are pleasant, seem competent, and
> do a good job dealing with the public. Security
> people in places like Amsterdam, Paris, Brussels,
> Milan, Venice, etc do their jobs pleasantly and
> competently, and seem to do a good job catching
> dangerous stuff. And, they're well paid, like our
> TSA, and unionized, like our TSA.

I agree. They are probably a mixed bag but the TSA people I've met at the local Amtrak station are as you described, pleasant and competent. Their interaction with the passengers is professional and frankly interested in what's going on. I think the checks at Amtrak are a welcome break from whatever else they do. Most seem fascinated with the whole thing, from talking to the passengers and having a look on board. Several have later taken the train so as far as the TSA staff, Sky Marshals ect they seem a pretty good bunch.

Who says the Federal Government doesn't support the arts? This is all theater.

Even the countries that have had very bad terrorism incidents on the rail system (think Spain, UK ) don't do this machismo crap.