FBI visits Doc Bottom

[Doc Bottom]

Wow. So, an hour or so ago, the FBI knocked on my door and asked me if I wanted to harm America.

They were really nice about it.

You see, I've got this picture of Osama Bin Laden on my fridge, a joke, all mixed in with the family photos. It was cut out of a magazine. Appearantly an extra-vigilant American saw it and called the Feds. And also told them that we had weapons here, though the closest thing to that is a big machete. I let them play with it. They said they wanted to look around, I said I didn't want them to search my house, they said they didn't want to, but wanted a little tour like I'd give any visitor, so I showed them the mess. I offered to let them have the picture, but they didn't want it. I said I supposed I ought to throw it away, they said naw.

This visit wasn't unpleasant or long, and it appears I am cleared of suspicion of keeping a terrorist training-ground here on the ranch where I rent my cabin.

But now I wonder if I'm on a no-fly list. I suppose I'll call the guy and ask how likely that is. He was out of cards, but the sherriff's guy who was with the FBI agent had one.

What a life.

[Kutjara]

1. I'd be more concerned about the person who called them.

That's someone you need to excise from your list of friends, tout suite. America can do without snitches and fifth columnists.

You can be fairly sure you're on some list somewhere now. If it were me, I'd like to thank the person that got me noticed by the Stasi. Thank them up close and personal, if you get my drift.

[Doc Bottom]

2. Who called?

I don't think it was any of my friends. A couple of months ago we got a new furnace and I think it was one of the several people who came to give estimates.

[Kutjara]

3. Ahh, I see.

I hope it wasn't the person who won the contract.

[salin]

4. wow.

Did they tell you *why* they were coming to your house? You mention the picture - did they mention the picture on the fridge? I only ask this because after the Patriot Act - there is so little offered per *why* (rational/cause) actions may be taken. Do they tell you what was the cause for the visit - or are you left having to speculate?

What a discomforting situation.

[Doc Bottom]

6. Re: wow.

Honestly, about the first thing they said after, "<my name>? I'm so and so from the FBI, we want to talk to you," was "Do you want to harm America?" I was kinda stunned and said, "No," in a 'what an insane question, this is really weird' sort of tone.

Basically, I gathered from the conversation that it was the picture. They said somebody'd seen some things here that made them call in saying we were likely terrorist sympathizers, and that we had a lot of weapons. I showed them the picture, saying I wondered if it must be that, and got nods and affirmative expressions, and a comment about the strangeness of this picture being mixed in with pictures of all the babies in my family. They asked me if I was sympathetic to Osama Bin Laden, I explained that it was there as an obnoxious joke.

As for the weapons, I told them I had no firearms, which is true, but that we do have this big machete that we use to cut down the willow-reeds at the end of the lane so I can see clearly to pull out onto the street. I let them play with the machete. Well, I'm sure the guy would say he was just looking at it, he took it out of its sheath and fingered its edge and commented about its possible origins, I got the impression that he was a knife-collector himself. The only other peice of the 'military equipment' that whoever called in said we had was my boots, and that made the FBI guy laugh a bit, and remark that you need good boots out here.

Really they were very pleasant and polite and tried to be reassuring. I'm sure I was blushing wildly, it was kind of exciting, but I'm left with the impression that they decided I'm quite harmless and that the whole thing was stupid. When they went to leave, my neighbors dog was out by their truck and they came back to ask me to help them get it to go away, which I did.

[Boo Boo]

5. Had any service people (plumbers, delivery, etc.) over lately? /nt

[Doc Bottom]

7. service people

Just the furnace guys, and that was back in September.

[Boo Boo]

9. Probably the furnace guys then. Back during the Ashcroft's tenure, they came

up with a program where truckers, delivery drivers, maintenance people (furnace guys), etc. would report supsicious stuff to the authorities. I can't remember the name of the program, but there was a big outcry over it---a Gestapo tactic, you know---and the idea was abandoned.

Of course, just like Total Information Awareness, the Bush Admin doesn't actually abandon these programs, they just say they are, and then they go right about doing what they planned on doing in the first place.

[BlueStorm]

8. Wow... talk about taking things out of context

I'm glad no service people are ever in my room as they would be surely alarmed by my Santeria ancestor altar and my books on religion. Good things all my books on Islam are packed away.

It's sad that we have come to this... snitching on each other, really, over a magazine picture of Osama bin Laden. I mean it's not like he gave you a REAL picture of him.

Blue

[Divernan]

10. The FBI guy was out of cards?!?! Not likely.

On the one hand that sounds like he just didn't want to give you any ID information for the record - so if someone decides to disappear you, no pesky friend or relative can pass along info to some pro bono lawyer trying to locate you, or demand records of their visit under the Freedom of Information Act. Did he tell you his name? If so make a note of it and pass it along to someone you trust.

On the other hand, I know an FBI agent whose field was cyber crime - and the FBI was so cash-strapped that she had to share a computer with another agent. So it's remotely possible he was out of cards because of budget constraints. But that would be very unprofessional and is unlikely.

When you were showing them around, were both of them in plain view to you the entire time? Did either ask to use your bathroom? It would be typical for one to distract you while the other snooped, or even took something, or planted a bug. This IS Bush's America, still. I suggest you contact the ACLU to report/discuss this "visit" - but not from your home or cell phones.

I wouldn't call the sheriff's deputy to ask about the no fly list. First of all, he wouldn't know or have any way to find out. Secondly, even if he could find out, he probably wouldn't tell you. Thirdly, the fact that you asked could be interpreted to mean you had some concerns - that would just add one more flag to your name on the list.

[Doc Bottom]

16. Out of cards

He did tell me his name, and I promptly forgot it. I did think it was strange that he didn't have a card. They had badges and I didn't write down the numbers or do anything else I should have to be properly careful. Though at that moment, it would have been impossible for them to dissapear me, because I was on the 'phone with my mom when they knocked. I answered the door, got shown the badges, said, "Hold on a sec, I'm on the phone," and went back and told my mom what was happening. Right after they left, I called my partner to tell him about it, and my mom was trying to call him at the same time, some fifteen or twenty minutes after the knock.

They stayed together and in the same room with me at all times, like good cops. Once in the past I had the cops in my house, my housemate/landlord had called them to 'evict' me in a fit of pique, and that time the cops insisted that they be allowed to glance into every room and closet to be sure somebody wasn't hiding there. These guys didn't even look in the bathroom. One of them did peer at length at all the weird stuff on my fridge while the other was talking to me.

They didn't ask about or look into the big barn, either. Unless they did it before they knocked. Perhaps I will see if their prints are in the snow around it tomorrow.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

11. Welcome to the United Soviet States of America

unfreakin' believable. So I guess we all now have to worry about visitors to our home or "watch what we say" to people.

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Doc Bottom]

18. Total way

Seriously. They were here and said they'd how Americans are being extra-vigilant since the administration asked them to, and somebody called up and said we were suspicious. I assume we were suspicious because we live on 600 acres of near-wilderness, have a machete hanging on a coathook by the kitchen door, and have a picture of Osama Bin Laden on our fridge. The FBI guys never actually said that was the case, but they certainly nodded and seemed satisfied when I showed them those things.

[951-Riverside]

13. Next time take group photos with them then post it here :D n/t

[Hekate]

14. Here's something else you can post on your fridge. At least you'll get a laugh out of it

"Posted this letter behind my front door, on my fridge and by the computer."
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x723357
The Pacifist Patriot
http://pacifistpatriot.blogspot.com/

"Dear Federal Agent:

I do not know if you are here because I have checked out subversive material from the library — books by known enemies of the state, such as Michael Moore, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Kurt Vonnegut, etc. — or because I participated in the peace rally on March 18. Or it could be because I’ve sent letters to Washington letting my representatives, and the pretender on the throne, know how much I disapprove of their actions. Or maybe it’s the letters to the editor ....

I realize you are here because of a shoddy piece of legislation ironically named The Patriot Act. I know you'd probably rather be inspecting cargo ship containers.... But here you are, violating my rights as outlined in the U.S. Constitution, so you might as well put yourself to good use while you’re trampling on American liberty.

Be sure to check the washing machine. That is where I hide my protest t-shirts. If the stuff in there is wet I encourage you to move it to the dryer and dry it. The words "No Blood for Oil" are clearer when clean and dry. Make sure you move all of it. You don't want to miss anything.

The boys' rooms are such a total mess you're going to have to wade pretty deep to find my old copies of Mother Jones and The Vegetarian Times. The legos go in the small green bins and the blocks go in the big red ones. Do what you can with the action figures, just be careful not to break any when you invariably step on one.....

There is a special treat for federal agents who search bathrooms. Hint: I keep a notebook by the scrub brush in case I have any inspiration for an editorial while I'm, well, you know. Since you're in there, the Windex for the mirrors is in the cabinet over the dryer. The one you just emptied. I write secret messages to other dangerous liberals that can only be read when the mirrors are freshly cleaned. ...."

It's a very funny take on a serious subject by DUer Pacifist Patriot. Highly recommended.

And -- good luck with your neighbor or repairman or whoever the lamebrain was who ratted you out. I'm glad the authorities were easily satisfied.

Hekate

[Hekate]

15. Hey! Welcome to DU, Doc Bottom! You are among friends here.

:hi:

[kath]

17. Everyone here should watch this video, by FlexYourRights :

There are clips here, but awhile back someone here posted a link to the whole video - HELP, anyone??
http://www.flexyourrights.org/busted

This page has info on what to do when the cops show up at your door:
http://www.flexyourrights.org/at_your_door

This is such a valuable website. Lots and lots of good info in the FAQs:
http://www.flexyourrights.org/frequently_asked_questions

Just found it -- the entire video is available at YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NmC5wHfCdM

It's VERY important to know your rights before faced with a police encounter.

[Doc Bottom]

19. I didn't flex mine

I can't watch videos on this computer. But sure, I didn't exercise all my rights. I didn't have to let them in, or show them around. They were quite polite about the showing around thing, when I said I didn't want them to search the place, it was cool. I gave them the nickel tour of my house mostly because I felt like it. They were okay.

The whole idea that somebody might get a visit from a law enforcement agent over a picture on the fridge, that's not okay, but eh. From the point of view of those two guys, it was a legitimate visit, and I tried to be legitimately helpful. It was more about the Buddhism than about waiving my rights to get them to go away quicker.

[Vidar]

20. Glad this was painless for you. Hope it continues to be so.