Rapper Wiz Khalifa, who claims to have been arrested 21 times for marijuana possession, was taken down by officers at LAX customs because he was riding a hoverboard.
All because I didn't want to ditch the technogy everyone will be using in the next 6 months. Do what you want kids. pic.twitter.com/7F0KIQgFrA
— Cameron (@wizkhalifa) August 23, 2015
Someone else tweeted a video of what happened next.
the VHS filter got every clip ya'll upload looking like an america's funniest home video submission pic.twitter.com/g174TkGs89
— Desus Nice (@desusnice) August 23, 2015
Khalifa adds,
US Customers and Border Protection won’t comment on the specific incident, and CNN says there’s no arrest record.
What amazes me is that the people taking video weren’t themselves taken down. Videotaping security procedures, while generally allowed at TSA checkpoints, is usually not permitted at customs and immigration. While I see people checking their email at the baggage carousel waiting to walk luggage through the checkpoint, I’m generally loathe to do so myself. Taking out a cell phone to shoot video of an altercation would raise those stakes.
(HT: Tocqueville)
I have no idea what happened here but, in general, I am surprised at your complicit views of CBP vis-a-vis your obvious disdain of TSA. CBP, as federal law enforcement, wields much greater power, often to the detriment of travelers who must endure brusque attitudes, at best, and rampant intrusions of privacy, at worst. Actual misconduct within CBP is extremely rare because these manifestations of authority and disrespect of constitutional protections are, in fact, legal.
Put more simply, do you think it is right that we citizens of our own country should be afraid to check our email at the checkpoints?
@jason I don’t think I’m offering “complicit views” I’m merely describing status quo.
I want to hear more about this hoverboard. Model? Details? Price? etc. All my search results come up with the same stupid articles about this guy getting arrested.
can we make a deal where you never, ever, write anything else about rap “stars”, kardashians or “reality” TV – no matter what the context – and then I will continue reading the blog ? I think that’s a fair trade …
@Eugene- it’s an IO Hawk- http://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/aug/24/hoverboards-io-hawk-rappers-wiz-khalifa-arrested
http://iohawk.com/
@jason: “Actual misconduct within CBP is extremely rare because these manifestations of authority and disrespect of constitutional protections are, in fact, legal.”
I’m having trouble reconciling your use of the expression “disrespect of constitutional protections” and the term “legal.”
I agree that the “manifestations of authority” are legal, as determined by courts, but why then do you think that they are disrespectful of constitutional protections?
Whoops- sorry- guess Wiz is partial to the PhunkeeDuck, though supposedly all these devices are made by the same manufacturer in China-
@SE the deal with this blog has always been I write what I find interesting on any given day, and those who find the overall package sufficiently interesting read it. I appreciate everyone who does, but I am not writing for anyone else. 😉
“Taking down” someone for shooting a video would be excessive force by any stretch of the imagination.
Looks like this was shot on a 90’s camcorder, not a cell phone. It’s 4:3 and has a pixilated date stamp. What cell phone shoots video like that? Not that it matters, just weird.
“rap being a form of music [sic] created by one performer shouting obscenities in a singsong voice while other performers torture a cat and throw garbage cans down a flight of stairs”
I am quite amused by some of the comments on here, I am going to assume most of you here are American. You should also then be aware that your country tramples on your constitution daily, it is beyond any sort of debate. It is what it is, it does not change for the better, only seems to get worse, so I do not know why it should be the least bit shocking to you people. If you look at it objectively Canada is the closest thing to a democracy now in North America or why not the whole continent.
So if you are American and have not experienced such trampling of your rights on a personal level, it is only a matter of time when it happens. Not if.. but when..
I wouldn’t want to live in the US, law enforcement in your country it out of control, the judicial system seems to support that and on the other hand citizens get the harshest punishments for the silliest shit. It is often repeated that you incarcerate more people than CHINA… imagine that… how is that even possible…..
This smells fishy to me. Seems like something staged. What happened to the actual video of him being throw to the ground. Why does it look like it was shot on a camcorder from the early 90s. Where would you even get tapes for such a camcorder these days? Seems like they staged something, then ran it though a filter in final cut or something to make it look like it was shot with an old camcorder.
Gary, another rapper’s attempt at ‘pimping’ anarchy for popularity.
btw: Jay, it’s OK if you don’t wish to live in the US. Please visit whenever possible, spend as much money and enjoy whatever you wish and return to your paradise in Canada.
What amazes me is that riding a hoverboard in customs would promt a police show of force. This is in customs so it is not a flight security issue.
I’m sure it was only because he is black, of course. Its so obvious.
I would not talk on my cellphone while going through customs (of course, since Global Entry, it has not taken me more than a minute to go through customs, compared to up to 45 minutes in line in the olden days), but has anyone ever been talked to by the CBP about checking a quick email or text while standing waiting for luggage? Just wondering.
@Jay “If you look at it objectively Canada is the closest thing to a democracy now in North America or why not the whole continent.”
Don’t you think that’s going a little too far by expanding from North America to include the whole continent 🙂 ?
Sheesh, don’t they teach geography in school anymore…
@ron they do not teach you how to read? wherever you are from? it says: “or why not the whole continent” I repeat OR WHY NOT…..
@dave yes that is what all Canadians do, we don’t mind giving you our money, everything is cheaper in the US (not so much now that the currency has weakened – but I am not living in Canada atm so does not affect me much) so we go we buy, we shop and we come back to civilization… no really I did like the US.. I have relatives that live there in OC, I used to love it there BUT things have deteriorated and when things used to be fairly equal between the US and Canada when it comes to most things.. it is not anymore..
LOL daninMCI guess they thought he stole the hoverboard