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Congress just passed, and Trump signed, a law that makes all properties adjacent to the rail system operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, Constitution free zones.
From TFA on zerohedge.com:
"In performing its duties, the Commission, through its Board or designated employees or agents, may: Enter upon the WMATA Rail System and, upon reasonable notice and a finding by the chief executive officer that a need exists, upon any lands, waters, and premises adjacent to the WMATA Rail System, including, without limitation, property owned or occupied by the federal government, for the purpose of making inspections, investigations, examinations, and testing as the Commission may deem necessary to carry out the purposes of this MSC Compact, and such entry shall not be deemed a trespass."
As we all know, the standard in the 4th Amendment is a particularized warrant based on probable cause, "reasonable notice and need" as determined by the cops (i.e. agency chief), is not the same thing at all.
We already have constitution free zones within 100 100 miles of any border, and this provides a convenient framework to do a similar thing along any rail line (or road) so the Feds can liberate the center of the country from any form of Constitutional protection. Anyway ... the 4th Amendment is already dead at this point, but its piecemeal demise should provide a useful education for those clamoring for the demise of the 1st.
(Score: 2) by RamiK on Sunday August 27 2017, @10:05PM (12 children)
So, that's the whole USA, no?
compiling...
(Score: 5, Interesting) by hemocyanin on Sunday August 27 2017, @10:13PM (5 children)
Right now it is just one particular railway around DC, but the underlying framework could (and thus will) be applied to any railroad. It would be no great leap to then apply that to interstate freeways and then states could jump on board with highways and roads. The definition of "adjacent" would likely see much expansion as well.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 27 2017, @11:23PM (3 children)
that are being deployed with updated stoplights in my particular region, it is already happened, we just won't find out about it until the legislation is passed to make it legal.
Another scary though: Did anyone consider how many corporations/retail stores worth of security camera footage had to be run against facial recognition to identify that guy from North Carolina who took off with the 13 or 15 year old student earlier in the year? If you consider the likelihood all that data is being run 24/7 against 'criminal databases', just like the once scoffed at unconstitutional mass telephone recording, which we now know *IS* being done. Once they have all that data, when the time comes for a purge (and it will.) There will be nowhere left to hide.
More people should think about the full ramifications of our technology and its deployment, before it becomes too late, and they are the ones headed for the chopping block. The reckoning is coming, and when it does it will be far too late to rebel.
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Monday August 28 2017, @01:58AM
Wouldn't it all make it easy for a Fascist government to track and come up with a 'final solution' for 'deplorables'/undesirables....
"More people should think about the full ramifications of our technology and its deployment, before it becomes too late, and they are the ones headed for the chopping block. The reckoning is coming, and when it does it will be far too late to rebel."
Yup. Americans have to start taking this seriously: as do we in the rest of the world.
": Enter upon the WMATA Rail System and, upon reasonable notice and a finding by the chief executive officer that a need exists, upon any lands, waters, and premises adjacent to "
Can we get a legal definition of 'adjacent to'? Yes, as someone already pointed out, could this mean all of the U.S?
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 28 2017, @03:47AM (1 child)
How do you know that they didn't delay the results of running the facial recognition?
Failbook seems to do a decent job with it. I have trouble believing that the government doesn't have the same capabilities.
I don't have any trouble whatsoever believing that the people in control know that they can't let on what their full capabilities are yet, nor do I have any trouble believing that they don't care one whit about anybody's welfare, even a teenage student. It seems a simple matter that they would easily let people get hurt as long as people don't realize what they can really do.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 28 2017, @01:07PM
The government doesn't need those capabilities, FB does it for them.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Monday August 28 2017, @08:34AM
Tennessee set the example on that.
http://disinfo.com/2011/11/tennessee-becomes-first-state-with-tsa-checkpoints-on-highway/ [disinfo.com]
Tennessee Becomes First State With TSA Checkpoints On Highway
Posted By: JacobSloan Nov 3, 2011
Terrorists can’t afford airline tickets these days, so the TSA is adjusting to stay one step ahead. Tennessee News Press reports:
“People generally associate the TSA with airport security…but now we have moved on to other forms of transportation, such as highways, buses and railways,” said Kevin McCarthy, TSA federal security director for West Tennessee. They are randomly inspecting vehicles on highways in Tennessee.
(that page has a video, if you don't care to enable javascript for some random side, you can visit Youtube for similar videos)
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Tennessee+Becomes+First+State+With+TSA+Checkpoints+On+Highway [youtube.com]
(Score: 5, Interesting) by frojack on Monday August 28 2017, @02:50AM (5 children)
You don't have to reach this far to find existing right-of-inspection laws. The have existed forever.
Your property tax assessor.
Your building inspector.
Your fire Marshall.
Your meter reader.
You do not have an absolute right to privacy in this country, and you don't have a right to be free of all searches. Only unreasonable ones. And no, YOU don't get to determine what is unreasonable.
T
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 28 2017, @03:50AM
That doesn't strike you as unreasonable itself?
No of course not. You're an authoritarian. Take away the authorities telling you what to think, and you'd shut down like a robot that had just been unplugged.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Runaway1956 on Monday August 28 2017, @08:37AM (1 child)
With the possible exception of the fire marshall, each of those people you mention is forbidden to kick in your door in the middle of the night. There are protocols that each must follow, and each will answer to a judge for violating those protocols. In general, they send a letter, or possibly telephone you, asking for admittance to your home. The meter reader doesn't even have to come into your home - meters are mounted outside of the domicile so they have ready access to them.
(Score: 2) by Joe Desertrat on Monday August 28 2017, @09:45PM
With "smart" meters becoming the norm, they get continuous real time data of your usage. They don't have to come near your property. This goes for water and electricity. Probably gas too.
(Score: 2) by TheRaven on Monday August 28 2017, @09:25AM
sudo mod me up
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 28 2017, @07:42PM
the individual citizen and his understanding of the spirit of the constitution is the highest law. that doesn't mean that seditious authoritarians won't try and stop/control you, but t is your duty to fight them up to and including using force of arms.