A United Airlines pilot faces indecent exposure charges for standing naked in front of his hotel window at the Denver International Airport. I’m rather sympathetic to his case.
Andrew Collins was at the Westin Denver Airport. Apparently, he was about to step into the shower but received a phone call and took it. While on the call, he walked around his hotel room naked while on the phone. A couple TSA agents noticed him from the hotel courtyard below and phoned the police, stating that he was waving to them and “touching himself”.
Police were called, stormed his room with guns drawn, and escorted him out in handcuffs. Only in America…
Collins firmly denies he was being an exhibitionist, calling such charges absurd.
Here’s the idiotic thing. Apparently the windows at this Westin hotel are one-way…in the opposite direction. You cannot see out, but those outside can look in and see you. Thus, is it any wonder that this pilot was seen naked? A local CBS affiliate confirmed it could easily look into Collins’ 10th floor window from the ground.
Collins’ lawyer stressed the importance of expectations, a key point in adjudicating this matter:
My client had a reasonable expectation that no one could see into his window. He was unaware of any people looking at him as he focused on his important phone call while walking around his room. There is zero evidence of any sexual activity demonstrating an intent to arouse or to satisfy the sexual desire of any person.
Collins has been removed from duty pending investigation. While that is a reasonable reaction, the facts seem clear to me: Collins did nothing wrong.
And I’ll go one step further. Shame on the busybody TSA agents. Maybe they should be charged for violating Collin’s privacy. Don’t you have better things to do like “protect our freedom” as our “front line of defense” at airport security checkpoints? Who stares into other people’s hotel rooms?
CONCLUSION
I could be wrong. But in this case, I doubt it. In order to be found guilty, Collins must have “knowingly” exposed himself to others. That will be very difficult to prove, even with the alleged waving (he was likely having an animated phone call). Thankfully, being naked in your hotel room is not a crime.
H/T: View from the Wing // image: Westin
If he was on an important phone call the waving could simply be him getting animated as he talks too..
Exactly.
At least the pilot can take solace in the fact his manhood can be seen from ten floors down. The TSA agents identifying the pilot in court and describing the genitalia must make a sketch on Saturday Night Live memorable.
It makes sense that the windows would be one-way the opposite direction. According to many the Denver airport is a gateway to hell and everyone knows you can see out but not in 🙂
I also wonder how many people walk around naked in a 10th floor hotel room. Can’t be all that uncommon. It’s not like there are high rise buildings next door like in a downtown area.
In addition I wonder what discounted rate the airline has negotiated there. I’d say at this hotel if I could afford it. It almost always seems fairly expensive due to the location of course.
I hope he wins, and I hope he sues the pants off the TSA.
Doesn’t the TSA have terrosits to catch ?
Lunacy in spades ,and clear evidence that this organisation is both pathetic and a law unto itself.
Whats the other side of this story? Unfortunately, we’ll likely never know. But unless I hear the other side, this man could not possibly have hurt anybody.
Seems to fall WELL outside the TSA jurisdiction like so many things those bumbling idiots come anywhere near.
And why the drawn guys (per the version of the story related herein)? How is a naked guy in his hotel room (even if he WAS being sexually provocative) a threat serious enough to warrant deadly force?
Where is this rigid law and order, swat team wannabee mentality leading us?
As we can all confirm, the law and its enforcers are an a**.
Creepy pervert TSA agents, looking 10 storeys up, well over 100ft (don’t you need binoculars to actually tell what someone is doing at that distance), into a hotel room – which is constitutionally protected as domicile, and where there is a total expectation of privacy. What in the heck did they think they were doing?
Well, at least the lizard people have good eyesight.
I’m learning so many new rules about travel. Just recently I found out that my wife and I better not hold hands while at Dubai International Airport under threat of being arrested (and I keep teasing her that we should do it anyway), and now I discover that I had better not walk around naked in my hotel room if I can be seen through the window. What great new rules will I learn next?
How can the windows be one-way only? Is it like a mirror for someone inside the room?
What on earth were TSA agents doing looking up at a 10th floor window? It’s they who should have been arrested for wasting police time. After all when you get ready to take a shower be it at home, at the gym or even in a hotel room you tend to strip naked first – that’s normal, peering into 10th floor windows is not.
Perhaps the TSA agents had to run to their emotional support animals after this episode.
I also have no proof, but given the known competence of the TSA, and the tint of the glass, their report probably identified a black male conducting perverse activities. Well that explains the police with guns drawn. Obviously this incident was a use of lethal force authorized arrest. Fortunately the police, being highly experienced and trained as airport cops are you know, upon breeching the door observed the pervert was white and overcame the instinct to each empty a full hi-cap mag of 9mm jacketed hollow-points into the naked center of mass before them. Good job Denver Police, eh?
This case has other things going for it. The TSA professionals I am sure are aware of the importance of preserving evidence and used their pay-as-you-go, off the 7-11 store rack, Android phones to record video of the event? This video will reveal the naked truth. Okay, a thousand pardons.
You did capture the incident Alvin? Alvin? AAALLLVVVIIINNN!!!
Well, no matter, Denver has cameras everywhere. Future customers of the hotel will now find out if their rooms are under close surveillancence or not. Who wouldn’t want a room with a camera focused on it 24/7? Especially with a guarantee of a rapid, guns drawn, no knock entry? Sign me up.
My prediction: This case will bring new levels of embarrassment to the TSA. Increase the reputation for thuggery and trigger happiness of the police. At least the police could have had some fun torturing the pilot with tasers, but no, they wanted the kill. Of course droves of travelers will consider other less observable accommodations. Since this case has not been keep out of the press, the charges will be dropped, with the United pilot’s career remaining in a death spiral. Alvin and Theodore will be back on duty crotch grabbing octogenerians, bragging about drugs found, Swiss Army knives stopped, snow globes prevented, cash and small electronics stolen, nude men sneak peeked. Everything but terrorists stopped.
What an injustice! I am sorry that Captain Collins was abused like this. Injustice out of control…