Searched under the Terrorism Act..

Last Saturday, at White Hart Lane for the Spurs v Man Utd game.

I was walking up the Paxton road, where I sit with my Dad and my brother and this copper walks over to me and says “Can you come over to these two officers over here, we would like to search you”.

Now let me explain a little bit about myself to paint the full picture. I am Jewish, I look Jewish, I am there with my 60 year old Dad and my brother, it is quite obvious we are related, my brother and I both look like my Dad. It would be quite obvious to anyone who saw us that I was going to a football match with my family and could therefore think of no conceivable reason why a police officer would want to search me.

Needless to say I felt quite pissed off about this and thought it was a little bit intrusive. I was handed some leaflet about the Terrorism Act, which basically gives the Old Bill the right to search ANYONE they bloody well like!!! And then to add insult to injury the officer who was searching me then asked to take my details. This was the icing on the cake…why the hell would I want my details to go onto a police database? I’ve not committed a crime, I’ve not been suspected of a crime. So I asked “What if I don’t want to give you my details?” to which I was told I didn’t have to if I didn’t want and so I walked off.

Now I understand that the threat of terrorism is real, however why should the police be given the right to search whomever they like for absolutely no reason at all. Anyone with half a brain looking at me and who I was with wouldn’t for one second suspect me of being a potential terrorist and the only reason I think I was stopped and searched is so that the police aren’t seen to be just picking on particular ethnic groups. I still find this inexcusable though, when the law allows coppers to rifle through your pockets just because they can.

On a lighter side when I was being searched I thought to myself…“I hope I have a really snotty tissue in one of my pockets” :smiley:

Perhaps they were just checking people randomly going into the match for weapons? I’m no football fan but I see the trouble caused around Chelsea during match days so can imagine them doing this?

I don’t think it’s appropriate though to use another act as a justification for something. What does terrorism have to do with a football match? Poor show there.

Jay,

Even if they were searching people for weapons, you’ve met me, and I cannot see how for one minute how an experienced police officer would look at me with my family and think “He might be tooled up”.

I find that very hard to believe…

Although it can look a little embarrasing, and be a little inconvenient, it is done for the very reason you stated and also because of the “never know” factor.

Obviously it would have been extremely silly if they had searched your 60 year old father, but by searching you they have already made it plainly clear to anybody watching that they are doing random searches. This is where the “never know” factor comes in. You never know who is watching these guys doing their job, and they never know who is carrying a knife/ gun/ drugs/ explosives until they empty the pockets of the person they are searching.

Also, terrorists come from all different cultures and background! You might not be wearing muslim clothing, carrying a back-pack with wire hanging out of it etc… You may not even be muslim! It is not just the Jihadists who pose a threat, all sorts of people are out there, from right wing extremists to Hamas.

The long and short of it is that they are not singleing you out for your looks or even just because you might be an easy target. It’s not personal, and they don’t do it because they enjoy it! Trust me, one of the worst things you can be asked to do is stick your hand under somebodies armpit area to check for concealed items… Not everyone has the Lynx Efeect!:smiley:

Lastly, does it not make you feel that little bit safer knowing that these random checks are being done?:wink:

RR

could it be that they where
A) Bored
B) meeting their quota for the day
and
C) Saw you as an easy target

What does a football hooligan or terrorist look like? I have watched documentaries on football hooligans and seen pics in the papers of terrorist and most of them look like your average people.

Once again, with terrorists it is not that they think football is evil/ westernised etc… It is just as effective to commit a terrorist act at a football match as it would be to do the same at a prayer meeting! It is about shock tactics, making headlines etc… It could happen at a bike meet for all anybody knows! Everybody and everything is a target to these people. It’s just a difference between whether it is a hard target or a soft target…

RR

I am fairly sure they don’t look like a white Jewish man from North West London walking with his Dad and his brother. It is just a hunch, but it is a fairly good one.

or d) Not fans of Spurs…or even Gooners in disguise…

Sorry mate - it’s a fact of life in London for some but I suppose it’s a surprise when it happens - Bear in mind that the powers the police use stem from the State so you should look to the government to complain about it.

RR…From your response I am guessing that you are a copper. Therefore I will reply with that assumption.Are you seriously telling me that as an experienced you would have looked at me and who I was with and thought…“He looks like he should be searched”??? Seriously?Surely searching people and who might be watching the Old Bill search people would be just as effective if they were just searching people who they had a suspicion about. I know a couple of police officers and I know that they are pretty adept at picking people out as those who are and those who are not trouble makers/with something to hide.

I think that this is exactly the point, but not in the way you mean. Ignoring the issue of human rights (which is what the Govt are allowing/encouraging the police to do imho)

  1. If you can’t tell who’s a terrorist, then WHY NOT search the 60 yr old man?

  2. They are probably NOT doing random searches, otherwise why not search the father?

It was a total surprise when it happened, I have been a season ticket holder at Spurs for many years and have NEVER been searched there in all the years I have been attending games.You are right that my grievance is with the Government, but I still did not see the reason the first officer picked me out.

My only point here is that not all terrorist look the same, some of the neighbours of the lads who carried out the 7/7 attacks were shocked that they were involved because they were such pleasant, normal looking young men, just proves that you just never can tell. Yes it’s embarrassing but I certainly feel safer in the knowledge that these random searches are carried out :slight_smile:

if the old bill stopped who they liked when they liked this country would be in a better state, but no being PC always comes into it. if you have nothing to hide you have no worries.

mate stop whinging.

I can understand how you felt, well not exactly, as it hasnt happened to me outside, its happened at my workplace, with our security, but not by police…but i wouldnt take it as a personal thing, and it is a sign of our times unfortunately. Im not saying that you look like a terrorist, or any of us do, but what DOES a person who would do something like plant a bomb or whatever, look like anyway? i wouldnt be able to tell thats for sure!

The police are doing a job and maybe they need to take lessons in the way the approach innocent people, but for all those that are innocent, you bet there are enough that arent?

Near where i work there is a stretch of road, that the police use frequently to stop and search cars…they have a van at the top of the road that detects no tax then at the bottom of the road they pull them in and give them a MOT there and then basically…and the amount of cars that are left there cos they wont let the driver back in it, is unreal !! They find stuff in the car that shouldnt be there, bald tyres, no tax or mot or insurance and stolen cars…just from that one bit of road… know its not the same as a football match …but they are doing a job, if you get what i mean…its not just you and its not picking on you for your appearance or what they think you may look like or represent?..

Again, i can understand your beef (sorry, wrong choice of word :smiley: no pun intended) but its like a neighbour where i live? Now shes a prostitute who has gays and straights parties in her home that are known for drugs, drink etc, anyone who goes there, always ends up in a fight with someone else that always spills out onto the street and we can all hear it and kept up all night…shes got 2 little ones that are farmed out for the night, thank god…but theres always something going on, whether its that or her ex turning up to see his kids…anyway, her immediate neighbours had enough and have sold up after about 4 years and moved out…there has been a few people coming to look at the house and some are asian, this woman has got the cheek to say, that if they move in SHE will move out cos she dont want them as neighbours!! My point is, some people see things way different to what actually is…she obviously cant see that the people who came to view the empty house, probably wouldnt want to be HER neighbour either…with the way of the world today, people stabbing and shooting and bombing each other, and some for no reason, i guess the police just cant make that difference on if we feel put out by being asked to step aside to be searched etc or not? (hope u get my point?)

Hope it didnt spoil your game though?..

Nope…conceding a goal in the fourth minute of injury time spoiled my game… :crying:

Who is whinging?

I am merely describing an experience that I had…one which has never happened to me before and appeared to me to have no justifiable basis.

Hardly whinging is it?

+1

in Vietnam the kids carried wired bombs, grannies carried grenades and it was hell knowing just who was and wasnt on your side…it is exactly the same today…the police have no idea who is or is not on their side…I am very much for law and order but I would hate to be searched and would be a real pain even though I know it is actually all for everyones good…

The bigger issue is that once people see people being searched the ones who are carrying start to do odd things…ie like suddenly leaving a line out, suddenly going down a side street, and so by searching a seemingly random person they can weed out those that are actually out to make trouble…doesnt always work though as we well know.

still not at all nice but I think an essential part of the UK today…

Bit torn by this thread - half of me agrees, they shouldnt just stop and search anyone without grounds of some sort. I aint done nothing wrong so dont treat me like a criminal!!

However, as they are doing this now, randomly, one cant say “I cant believe they searched me - I look nothing like a terrorist”. As has already been pointed out, there is no specific uniform or job description or hair style for a terrorist (although God knows that would make things a lot simpler if there was, no?) and so they do just have to randomly select people from a crowd.

A football match is a viable target, large numbers of people in an enclosed area. Big shock impact, lots of headlines and most importantly for these feckers, a big fear factor. Sad sign of the times…