Monday, October 17, 2005

ACLU Tackles Tampa Bay

Here is the ACLU going after another worth while cause.

A high school civics teacher who is also a Tampa Bay Buccaneers season ticket holder is challenging pat-down searches of fans entering the team's home games at Raymond James Stadium. The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida said it filed a lawsuit on Thursday in Hillsborough Circuit Court, hoping to stop officials from conducting "suspicionless" searches that began last month after the NFL implemented enhanced security at stadiums throughout the league.
This is important:
But the ACLU's suit argues that when Gordon Johnston renewed his season tickets he was not informed he would be subject to such searches.
Good point, but I'm going guess that there is fine print on his tickets that make an allowance for them to provide security that they deem as appropriate. Wouldn't the easiest solution be to refund his money? Probably not.

Sadly, this is probably where the buyer believes he has a "right" to enter the game without a pat down. Just like those that believe they have a "right" to fly on planes without a search. There is quite a difference, seeing that you can't hijack a stadium and crash it into a building.

The results will be interesting.


1 comment:

Tom said...

I agree that no one has the Right to do anything on private property, period. However, I think that the NFL patdown is different from mandatory screening to get onto a plane.

In the former case, it is a private entity (the NFL or the stadium owner) making a rule. Fine. In the latter case it is the federal government making a law that forces private entities (airline or airport owners) to conduct screening.

The NFL case is perfectly fine. IMHO, the issue of whether or not airport security is proper (Constitutionally speaking) is a different matter and open for debate.