Stupid shit in Medellin

[Mr Enternational]

https://www.americanbar.org/groups/b...rder-searches/

As requested, nipped in the bus. This is about searches at the US border, which are allowed if the officer

Brother J, sometimes you write the longest unnecessary stuff. Me and my girl went to Exito yesterday where I bought a set of 2 9-cube silicone ice trays to keep in my luggage so I can make ice when I am staying in these airbnbs from now on. The price was 20,000 pesos, but when I checked out at the register it said 10,000 pesos and on the receipt it said 50% discount for "bolita verde."

Walking out of the store me and my girl started to debate what bolita verde was. Then I said fuck that. Let's just go back in here and do the simple thing: ASK!

Went to the customer service desk and there sat your cousin. I handed him the receipt and asked what bolita verde was. Well he wanted to see the item so I took it out of my gymsac and handed it to him. He went to punching all kind of stuff into the computer and giving us the history of Exito, how many employees were at that particular store, about how the security guard's cousin is in the army and so forth. Then, literally after 5 minutes, he finally told me the simple answer to what I had asked. It was a marked down item, but he had no idea why the tag did not specify that.

Once again I remind you that this discussion originally had NOTHING to do with the United States. This started because PolloNegro said that WHEN LEAVING MEDELLIN there is "a big increase in the airlines waiting until you enter into the tunnels headed to the plane and then snatching you aside for a strip search, computer search and a phone search, looking for inappropriate photos."

To which VasyaPetya responded asking "What if you refuse to unlock your phone for them or your laptop? They can't get into either of mine because mine are encrypted so good luck to them. "

So this was NOT about searches in the US. You hijacked it and made it that way, and went all around the world in 1 week in the process.

And finally, how does asking one person at the airport a question about the legality of a search provide a definitive answer? I can spend the next 3 weeks giving examples showing how completely useless that is. That's almost as definitive as asking someone driving a car what's the proper valve lash on a Gen 1 413 hemi with solid rockers.

Do you honestly believe that I was an officer in the United States Navy and worked to obtain a masters degree and would not obtain information from a reputable source? You act like I am just going to waltz into the airport and ask the first swinging richard that I pass about searches in the airport. I have enough sense to go directly ask people that would be charged with such searches or to the office that they come from. I have heard of a dumb question P. O. , but you must have been the first dumb response P. O.

[Huacho]

So the vaxd and the unvaxd are equally as likely to pass the virus on to any vulnerable / imuno-compromised person.

No, the study did not look at or compare the rates of transmission by vaxxed vs unvaxxed. If you really think it did, then pull out a quote from it. I read the whole thing. But then, I'm unbiased.

[Villainy]

Peru locked down harder than anywhere and had the highest death rate in the world. With Villany's comment about genetic makeup, I guess the reason was when the virus had a chance to infect a Swede or Peruvian, it went for the Peruvian. Clearly, the Covid virus is racist and I think we need to intentionally infect more white people with Covid to offset this.

Villany, why are you attacking me instead of the WHO? Oh right, because you are a douche!

How many times can it be said. Statistics are far more persuasive than random speculation out of the Elvis school of random hunches. https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/.

Sweden 11.5% CoVid cases as a percent of the population.

Peru. 6. 6%. CoVid cases as a percent of the population.

The fact that Peru has more deaths as a percentage of population than Sweden despite having a much lower rate of infection can be attributed to Sweden having a better health care system.

[MarquisdeSade1]

JJBee is smarter than me? The guy who spread Covid across 2 continents and was so stupid that he did not know what he had? He got it, and I did not after being exposed hundreds of times, and he is smarter than me? Uh, okay..

Except for this part, that turd knew very well what they had (as did everyone else hopefully including the authorities) because the hospital told her after they tested her after the ambulance brought her there.

But they wanted to go visit some 3rd world putas and knew they wouldn't need proof of a neg test upon arrival.

[JustTK]

You seem to be using that word wrong. There are still people arguing that the earth is flat, so a recently released study doesn't mean something is indisputable. In this case, if I'm seeing the same study there seem to be a few salient points you glossed over.
1. The study covers the risk of infected people infecting others with the Delta variant within their own households. That's hardly earthshaking news. Within your own household you're around those people throughout your total infectious period, so if you're infected, vaccinated or not, shouldn't make much difference in your own household.
2.
3.
Studies also indicate that significant loss of brain tissue is a common occurrence for people who have had COVID. Since unvaccinated people are more likely to contract the disease and are more likely to have serious symptoms. Well perhaps you should reconsider your remarks.

Hi JB, which "that word" do you refer to?

They are not "salient points". They are irrelevanat points to the point that I was making. There is a study that demonstrates vaxd are just as tansmissable as unvaxxed. Your first reaction is to dispute its veracity. Ok, then show a study that refutes this conclusion.

You seem to think that the population of the study (households) is in some way not representative of the wide rpopulation. Yet most people live in households. And if it was obvious that everyone on the household would get COVID regardless. Then both sample sizes would show 100% - which they were far from!

Your points 2 and 3 I think are irrelevant to my comment. I said vaxd and unvaxd are equally transmissable. I didn't comment on how long they were infectious of how likely they were to become infected.

As for "loss of brain tissue" - I have not read anything on that at all. Do you have any studies on that? But regardless, that w / be a danger to someone that contractfs COVID. So if the nonvaxd are more at danger to that, then that is a danger yo oneself, as I mentioned in my final comment - "the unvaxd are only an increased danger to themselves" - surely that's their decision. Like drinking alcohol, smoking, taking drugs, crossing the road.

[Elvis 2008]

I see your a proud graduate of the Elvis school of illogic.

I'm sorry I guess I'm tilting at windmills trying to demonstrate simple statistical correlations to a graduate of the Elvis school of logical nonsense.

Yawn. Funny how the WHO came over to my position. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-...dvice/12753688.

The latest discussion about strict lockdowns started after the WHO's special envoy on COVID-19 said they should not be used as the primary method of control.

Dr Nabarro made the statements in an interview with The Spectator.

"The only time we believe a lockdown in justified is to buy you time to reorganise, regroup, rebalance your resources; protect your health workers who are exhausted," Dr Nabarro said.

"But by and large, we'd rather not do it."

Between this, the Stanford study, and mountains of data, the debate on lockdowns is over, but the douches still want to argue about their being right.

You do not destroy economies because you think a measure, lockdowns, might work to save lives. Again, do no harm.

Peru locked down harder than anywhere and had the highest death rate in the world. With Villany's comment about genetic makeup, I guess the reason was when the virus had a chance to infect a Swede or Peruvian, it went for the Peruvian. Clearly, the Covid virus is racist and I think we need to intentionally infect more white people with Covid to offset this.

Villany, why are you attacking me instead of the WHO? Oh right, because you are a douche!

[JjBee62]

The type of rationale during this thing has been inconceivable to me. If you are vaxed then it is okay for you to come in and spead the disease around. If you are unvaxed, don't you dare come in here and spread the disease that you don't have around. So it is better for a vaxed person that is infected to come in than an unvaxed person that is not infected? If you are vaxed with the disease then we are happy to continue being your employer. If you are unvaxed without the disease then turn in your ID. What logically should matter is if the person is infected, regardless of their vaccination status.

The world has gone crazy. Nobody ever came and made sure I was wearing a condom so I would not get AIDS, never came to make sure I was wrapped up so I did not catch pneumonia, never came to make sure my seat belt was on so I did not die in an accident, never made sure my shoes were tied so I did not trip and fall. But now everyone is dead set on making sure I am vaxed so I don't get Covid to the point that I can not work or enter certain establishments without being so. This type of thinking must be well beyond my paygrade or from another world.

Let's start with the beginning. I can't speak for your employer, but I can relate the rules established by my employer April 2020. These rules have not changed since the availability of the vaccines.

If you are experiencing any symptoms of Covid you are not allowed to come to work. You are required to either get a negative Covid test or remain away from work for 14 days before returning to work. If you choose to not get tested and take the 14 day quarantine option, you can use available PTO days and you will not be terminated for your absence. If you get tested and test positive the company will pay you for your 14 day quarantine.

If you report to work with symptoms, you will be sent home without pay and require a Covid test. Failure to get tested will result in termination of employment.

Vaccinated or unvaccinated doesn't matter here. What matters is knowingly exposing others. We are a critical, core industry. If we have an outbreak and have to shut down, almost every industry will have to shut down.

Now for the rest of it. I don't know about your job, but I'm not allowed to fuck, with or without a condom, while I'm working. Since I'm not allowed to fuck at work, if I contract AIDS, I won't be spreading it to everyone at work. I don't recall any specific mention about performing anal sex without a condom at work, but I'm sure HR has a rule.

Some forms of pneumonia are contagious, some aren't. If you work where there is an inhalant risk which could cause pneumonia or other damage to the lungs someone is coming around to be certain you are using the proper PPE. There's even training so you know what's required and how to use it.

Every US state has seatbelt laws. The US requires every car to have 3 point seatbelts. Every new car is required to be equipped with airbags. Depending on which state you are in you can be stopped and ticketed for failure to wear your seatbelt. I'm guessing you weren't aware of this, but failure to wear a seatbelt is not a contagious disease, neither is failure to tie your shoes. If you're walking around with your shoes untied, it's not going to cause everyone else's shoes to suddenly become untied. If tying your shoes is too difficult, have you considered loafers?

About 2 years ago not far from where I live there was an outbreak of Hepatitis A. The restaurant was closed and only reopened after all employees had been vaccinated for Hepatitis A. This type of thing happens quite often. Why have I never seen you posting about restaurant workers being required to get the Hep A vaccine? Why have you never complained about not being able to eat at a restaurant where some employees have Hep A? When was the last time you posted complaining about all the vaccines nurses are required to get?

And if it's just that your employer is requiring Covid vaccination, why bring your complaints here? Do you want me to send a letter to HR explaining how you're special and shouldn't be required to get vaccinated?

[MarquisdeSade1]

What exactly is "my advice" on Covid? Last I checked, I was saying how little could be done about it. I advocated for the vaccine, have been vaccinated, but think it should should only be given by choice. It is time to admit how little the government has done worked.

You being the Democratic douche think if everyone is vaccinated Covid will miraculously go away and want to vaccinate everyone by force even 5 year olds. I guess you are in favor of banning unvaccinated people from restaurants and other public facilities even though the vaccine does not prevent transmission. Did I miss something?

The latest data from the UK shows that the vaccine once again does not prevent transmission and in households where Covid abounds the rate of getting Covid drops from 38 to 25% if you are vaccinated. I called the vaccine shitty and to me, this is more data showing how shitty the vaccine really is, and IMO it will continue to fade over time.

As for those who vote Democratic and can see when government is wrong (unlike you government dick sucking Democratic douches), we actually find common ground.

I did not find anything wrong with this Maher video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qp3gy_CLXho.

Or this one on Covid origins: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSfejgwbDQ8.

And now Maher and this Atlantic reporter are saying we need to say the pandemic is over: https://www.zerohedge.com/covid-19/j...ave-wear-masks..

https://www.newsmax.com/thewire/mado...02/id/1042966/

[JjBee62]

As I have said the chance of even being asked to unlock your electronics (the reason for this drawnout discusssion in the first place) is slim same as you say buying your way out of it would be. Again, anything COULD happen, but what are the chances of it actually happening. That is what the lightning example was about, probability, not a direct comparison to what happens inside of an airport as you are falsely making it out to have been.

Why does there have to be an argument? Even the original person that said he would not unlock his electronics said nothing about not being polite to people when everyone that responded assumed he would be responding in an impolite, boisterous, and conceited manner. Getting clarification does not mean there is an argument.

How do you know he is following orders? Moreover, if he was following orders, how do you know the orders he was given were legal? He could be acting on his own thinking he is doing something good and beneficial, or he could even have misunderstood orders. Have you ever done something in a different way than you were taught or were supposed to be doing it? I certainly have. .

https://www.americanbar.org/groups/b...rder-searches/

As requested, nipped in the bus. This is about searches at the US border, which are allowed if the officer has reasonable suspicion.

Regarding Colombia in particular, I've already given you the answer to that. You can use the sequence of events which led to the 4th and 9th Circuit Court rulings. I'll even help you.

1. The government began searching devices at the border after DHS lawyers decided they had the right.

2. A legal challenge to the government right to search electronic devices at the border was filed.

3. The courts ruled determining when such searches are allowed.

Pretty fucking simple. If Colombia is at step 1 the search is legal. If Colombia is at Step 2 the search is legal, although at a later date it may be ruled to have been illegal. If Colombia is past Step 3, depending on the outcome of Step 2 the search is almost certainly legal. If it is illegal it is up to you to prove to the court it was illegal.

Now to deal with the rest of your delusions. Others have reported having their devices searched, so it obviously can happen. How likely it is to happen depends on a lot of variables. If you've been searching for certain things or visiting certain websites, the chance increases. If some official has decided to start a crusade the chance increases. If you're connected with a person being investigated the chance increases. The chance of someone pulling up beside me and shooting at me is tint. However it happened to a coworker.

Here's the important part. Try to pay attention. When something happens, the likelihood of it happening doesn't matter. At all. Not the teeniest, tiniest little bit. What matters is how you respond. If I've got a lottery ticket that matches all the numbers for a $400 million jackpot, should I throw it away because it's unlikely?

I'f someone starts shooting at me, I know what to do. If I get run of the road, I know what to do. And in the unlikely event I'm asked to unlock my phone, I know what to do. Arguing about the likelihood won't get me on the plane. Waiting in some little room for some official government response to my questions about the legality of the request doesn't get me on the plane. Sitting in jail with my phone in the evidence locker waiting for a court date doesn't get me on the plane. Know what does get me on the plane? Unlocking the phone.

How do I know the guy asking me to unlock the phone is following orders? Because he's in an area where he's almost certainly being observed. Because he's asking something which some people will object to. Because a certain amount of expertise is needed to do a thorough search. Because he almost certainly doesn't get paid enough to take initiative that could cost him his job. Need any more reasons?

And finally, how does asking one person at the airport a question about the legality of a search provide a definitive answer? I can spend the next 3 weeks giving examples showing how completely useless that is. That's almost as definitive as asking someone driving a car what's the proper valve lash on a Gen 1 413 hemi with solid rockers.

[Elvis 2008]

So yes, I'm a democratic douche because I think you don't understand anything about statistics or analysis. You mouth off whatever you think at some isolated moment in time and it bears no resemblance to reality.

You are a Democratic douche because you are bringing the same shit over here after boring the crap out of everyone on the American Politics board. You are a Democratic douche because you are attacking me and not the position everyone agrees with.

The WHO said the only reason for lockdowns was the temporary spread in the delay of cases. Got that douche? Lockdowns do not prevent the spread of Covid. Bill Maher spoke out against lockdowns, and the entire world save for a few places are coming out of it.

The reason cases in Colombia are lower is the vaccine? Uh, no, douche, the vaccine does not prevent the spread of Covid. That is a fact, deal with it.

Stanford analyzed all the interventions and showed that doing a little intervention like Sweden had the same results as extreme lockdowns. That is science, douche, not picking out a few countries and getting the results you want. You can pick 4 points on a graph and argue anything. Correlation does not equal causation.

JJBee is smarter than me? The guy who spread Covid across 2 continents and was so stupid that he did not know what he had? He got it, and I did not after being exposed hundreds of times, and he is smarter than me? Uh, okay.

Let me ask you something douche. As for my prediction being wrong, did YOU predict a 100 million Americans would get sick with Covid despite everything that was done? After all the debt we went into and businesses and supply lines destroyed, given that 1 in 3 Americans got Covid anyway, did we accomplish anything? Thing that I did predict is that the "scientists" would say no bad how things got that they would not admit to fucking up. They would say, "Can you imagine if we did nothing?

Yeah, I can and I do not think it would not have been a helluva lot different with Covid if we had done "nothing: and left the economy alone. I think would be in a helluva lot better shape. Again, do not harm. Only destroy the economy if you are sure it will save lives.

As for Democrats being so stupid that 75% of them think that there is a 25+% chance of being hospitalized with Covid, that sounds about right. The Democratic news channels scared the shit out of everyone and accused Trump of not caring about Covid. That worked great until Biden came in and nothing changed. Hell, you douches are blaming the vaccine's lack of effectiveness on Trump. LOL.

You have not seen the last of this. $30 billion in goods off the California coast that cannot be unloaded, oil and gas prices through the roof. The whole notion that you can just print money, inflate the stock market, and not deal with inflation? Ha! Paying people to not work? Firing needed workers who refuse to get a shitty vaccine that does not prevent transmission? Fucking Brilliant!

The supply chains are fucked for years. Johnny may not get the toy he wants for Christmas, and the country I grew up that was shell shocked in the 70's with gas lines is running out of everything. AGAIN! Airlines are cancelling thousands of flight every week likely screwing things up for the holidays. Outside of gasoline, I do not recall seeing a shortage in my fucking life.

Jobs return but lives never do? Actually, what what happened is the economy has been decimated and a 100 million people got Covid anyway. Woo hoo!

Get your popcorn ready douches because the stupid path we took and that you are defending has not come to an end. Oh no, the bill has just come due for this 18 month holiday, and you douches are going to see that you reap what you sow. Enjoy the decline and just remember this is what you wanted, economic destruction.

[Villainy]

I see that you're cherry-picking, how about the lockdowns in France, Italy, Belgium, Spain and Portugal? You have no idea what would have happened if Denmark, Norway and Finland had refrained from the lockdowns. You're just guessing and cherry-picking.

The only thing we actually do know for certain is that a lockdown isn't a guarantee for anything.

And you're obviously a rabid racist assuming neighboring countries to be the same and unable to have anything in common with other countries. You're embarrassing yourself.

I see your a proud graduate of the Elvis school of illogic. I said that Sweden has strong genetic similarities with its neighbors Norway, Finland and Denmark.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...rse-countries/

If you are capable of reading a map you will see that Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark are among the most genetically homogenous. In addition they have very similar climatic characteristics and with the exception of Denmark very strong population density similarities as well. This makes them a perfect group to compare and contrast.

Obviously you think that is cherrypicking. I question whether you have ever seen the inside of a math or statistics textbook.

As to your first silly comment that lockdowns aren't a guarantee for anything. So why is it that countries that insituted strong lockdowns and were able to sustain them for considerable periods of time have such low rates of CoVid?

Singapore, South Korea, Japan, New Zealand, Vietnam, Taiwan, Indonesia and Australia.

I'm sorry I guess I'm tilting at windmills trying to demonstrate simple statistical correlations to a graduate of the Elvis school of logical nonsense.

[Mr Enternational]

I would say the likelihood of being offered a chance to buy your way out of the inspection is pretty slim.

As I have said the chance of even being asked to unlock your electronics (the reason for this drawnout discusssion in the first place) is slim same as you say buying your way out of it would be. Again, anything COULD happen, but what are the chances of it actually happening. That is what the lightning example was about, probability, not a direct comparison to what happens inside of an airport as you are falsely making it out to have been.

Given a choice of any of the above and arguing with some Colombian Customs, Immigration or Police Officer, guess what I'm not wasting time on. Arguing with him makes as much sense as screaming at a waitress because your food wasn't cooked properly.

Why does there have to be an argument? Even the original person that said he would not unlock his electronics said nothing about not being polite to people when everyone that responded assumed he would be responding in an impolite, boisterous, and conceited manner. Getting clarification does not mean there is an argument.

Whoever is asking to inspect anything at all isn't the one making the rules. He's just following orders.

How do you know he is following orders? Moreover, if he was following orders, how do you know the orders he was given were legal? He could be acting on his own thinking he is doing something good and beneficial, or he could even have misunderstood orders. Have you ever done something in a different way than you were taught or were supposed to be doing it? I certainly have.

To nip this in the bud, please show where it is legal for the people at the airport in Colombia to ask passengers to unlock their electronic devices. And if you can not do that then I will gladly go to them and ask when I leave Colombia 2 days from now.

[JjBee62]

I saw a few days ago reports of a study published in Bloomberg, Fortune, BBC, Guardian (look them up on search "vaccinated just as likely to spread virus as unvaccinated" that verify that the vaxd are just as transmissable WRT the virus as the unvaxd. So the vaxd and the unvaxd are equally as likely to pass the virus on to any vulnerable / imuno-compromised person.

So now it is really indisputable that the unvaxd are only an increased danger to themselves. So there is no more excuse for the persecution of the unvaxd to continue.

You seem to be using that word wrong. There are still people arguing that the earth is flat, so a recently released study doesn't mean something is indisputable. In this case, if I'm seeing the same study there seem to be a few salient points you glossed over. Let's toss them in so nobody thinks you're being intentionally dishonest.

1. The study covers the risk of infected people infecting others with the Delta variant within their own households. That's hardly earthshaking news. Within your own household you're around those people throughout your total infectious period, so if you're infected, vaccinated or not, shouldn't make much difference in your own household.

2. Vaccinated are less likely to get infected. Uninfected people, vaccinated or not can't infect others. Since a vaccinated person is less likely to be infected, they are less likely to infect others.

3. On average, vaccinated people clear the infectious period quicker than unvaccinated people. Although this is not significant within your household, it's a factor if you leave your household. Shorter infectious period means less opportunity to infect people who you are only occasionally or briefly around.

And to address your addendum post:

Studies also indicate that significant loss of brain tissue is a common occurrence for people who have had COVID. Since unvaccinated people are more likely to contract the disease and are more likely to have serious symptoms. Well perhaps you should reconsider your remarks.

When reading a study it's usually beneficial to read beyond the title.

[MarquisdeSade1]

What exactly is "my advice" on Covid? Last I checked, I was saying how little could be done about it. I advocated for the vaccine, have been vaccinated, but think it should should only be given by choice. It is time to admit how little the government has done worked.

You being the Democratic douche think if everyone is vaccinated Covid will miraculously go away and want to vaccinate everyone by force even 5 year olds. I guess you are in favor of banning unvaccinated people from restaurants and other public facilities even though the vaccine does not prevent transmission. Did I miss something?

The latest data from the UK shows that the vaccine once again does not prevent transmission and in households where Covid abounds the rate of getting Covid drops from 38 to 25% if you are vaccinated. I called the vaccine shitty and to me, this is more data showing how shitty the vaccine really is, and IMO it will continue to fade over time.

As for those who vote Democratic and can see when government is wrong (unlike you government dick sucking Democratic douches), we actually find common ground.

I did not find anything wrong with this Maher video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qp3gy_CLXho..

https://news.yahoo.com/fully-vaccina...l?guccounter=1

[JjBee62]

Again, could be and will be are different things. You could be struck by lightning today so you better stay inside. The chances of you being detained for not opening a stupid phone, I would say are close to zero, same as the chances of you getting struck by lightning today. Are you really going to walk outside and challenge that lightning?

I understand that you will just do whatever you are told in order to get out of it the quickest and easiest way. If everybody was about that life then unjust laws would never get changed. Somebody has to fight for what they believe in sometimes although it may inconvenience them or cost them money. If I was about that life then there is no telling how much money I would have given to Dominican police up until today.

But there is a saying that goes, "I got time today!" If you believe you are being told some bullshit then ask to see where it is written. Or even ask to see a supervisor.

I remember going through security at the airport in Honduras and those mfs took my small packets of mustard and incense. I was furious. I asked to see it in writing or talk to a supervisor. They went and got the supervisor and he told me it was not allowed. In other cases people have gone to get the supervisor and they said things were actually allowed. In the Dominican Republic bih tried to tell me I could not bring my hot sauce because I could throw it into someone's eyes. She went and got a supervisor. I took my mechanical pencil and did a quick motion to her eyes with it. They got my point (going to take the hot sauce, but not take this pencil for the same reason) and let me bring the hot sauce that I had brought many times before and still many times after. So don't be afraid to ask for a higher authority.

In Santo Domingo I was coming back from a motel with a street walker. I saw the police hot on my tail and I know their game so I was trying to outrun them. I turned the corner and told the chick to get out, but they were able to catch up to me because of that little stop. They blocked the car in the middle of the street, but I tried to go around them. One dude hopped off the back of the bike and pulled his gun out and pointed it at my front left tire. Then I stopped.

They told me that what I did was illegal (never really saying what it was that I did). I told them to show me the law that says that. They told me they did not have to show me. I said yes you do. I said well get a supervisor out here to show me. They pretended to call someone and said they would arrive soon. We sat there in a south of the border standoff for about 10 minutes,. Sometimes quietly and sometimes with them trying to convince me that I had fucked up. They finally let me go after realizing I was not about to offer any money. Then I said no, no let's wait for the supervisor because I really wanted to see the law. They said man get the hell out of here. See, I had time that day!

To answer your question, yes I would recommend someone comply with a lawful order, but if they are not sure whether it is lawful or not, then do not be afraid ask to be shown the code giving them the authority to ask for what they are asking for or ask for a higher authority that can verify they are allowed to be asking for that. Don't just roll over and do whatever is being asked because it "could" cost you time or money.

Will you ever get away from the false comparisons? Or is that just how you operate?

I could get struck by lightning, but all I have to do is look out the window and make a really good assessment of the risk. And if it's storming with lots of lightning, what is there for me to do outside, other than get wet? It's not like it's a good time to mow the yard, or go golfing. It's not a good time to clean the gutters. It's not even a good time to walk the streets and look for hookers because, and this is the tricky part, it's in the middle of a storm.

However, if I am in an airport, remember that this all started in the airport, there are 2 important facts to consider. First, I have a need to be at the airport. I'm not just there to pay more for the same lunch I can get outside the airport. Second, I have entered an area where the risk of being searched increases significantly. For example, I've never had a K9 unit sniffing my luggage in Walmart, but it's happened to me at the Medellin and Bogota airports. I've never had my luggage opened and checked while walking in the park, but my last 3 trips I found a note from TSA inside my checked bag stating it had been searched.

Are you with me, or are you still trying to figure out how to get a car, a Dominican hooker and some hot sauce inside of the Medellin airport? Doesn't just about every airport sell hot sauce in a store by the departure gates? Seems like an unnecessary hassle to me.

If I'm at an airport, I don't have an unlimited amount of time I'm willing to waste over something that has zero benefit to me. Maybe you're different and spending half a day or more arguing over something that doesn't matter is more fun than being in a nice hotel with a hot girl. Myself, I just want to get the tedium of the airport behind me. So, if I'm at the airport and I get pulled for an extra inspection, I'm not wasting my day arguing over whether or not they have the legal right to check whatever they want to check, including my phone.

Do you notice what's different between the scenario being discussed and the scenario you keep bringing up? For one, I don't believe it's possible to drive a car through an airport metal detector or body scanner. For another, even if they decide to do a body cavity search, no hot sauce is required or desired. There's also no hooker, because, even though I like the bajitas, they won't fit into my pockets.

Finally, there's been no attempt to collect a bribe. On the street, driving a car in Santo Domingo, sure. On the street in Tijuana, or in many places throughout Medellin, also a possibility. Inside the airport, inside the security perimeter? I would say the likelihood of being offered a chance to buy your way out of the inspection is pretty slim. I would also say that offering a bribe, in that situation is a bad idea.

So either tell me that you always drive a car, with a hooker inside, through airport security, or stop with the false comparisons.

I can completely understand in the situation you keep bringing up, which has no relationship whatsoever with the situation being discussed, you're usually better off standing on your rights.

Fight for what you believe in? Other than hot sauce, what exactly is it you believe in? And how is insisting on your right to carry hot sauce changing any unjust laws? MLK Jr probably wouldn't have accomplished anything if all he talked about was hot sauce and hookers. And arguing with some underpaid cop in the airport probably isn't going to ignite social reform.

"I have time today." It's funny you mentioned that. I have time today to write this and I probably won't get struck by lightning. However, the most valuable thing anyone has is time. Most people don't understand that until they are all out of time. Much of my time is spent around my work. Although I can multitask, my options for my time are limited. Because of that, when my time is completely my own I don't throw it away like some kid with his allowance in a candy store. I try to spend my time with things I want to do. That could be sightseeing, meeting old and new friends, enjoying a good meal, learning something or getting laid. If those options aren't available, there's always resting and reading.

Given a choice of any of the above and arguing with some Colombian Customs, Immigration or Police Officer, guess what I'm not wasting time on. Whoever is asking to inspect anything at all isn't the one making the rules. He's just following orders. Arguing with him makes as much sense as screaming at a waitress because your food wasn't cooked properly.