Can anyone direct me to this new federal law?

[Babsbrain]

Today, I went to the local Social Security Office and the guard on duty at the door asked if I had a cell phone. When I said yes, he told me cell phones were no longer allowed in any federal buildings. I had to go back to the parking lot and leave my phone in my car. No big deal, but it would have been helpful to have signs at the parking lot. I am sure most people entering the building had cell phones and had to go through the same routine I did.

When I went back in the building, I asked hims what would have happened if I said no. He said I would have been searched if I looked 'suspicious'.

So has anyone heard of this new law...I asked the guard when this went into effect and he said '2007'. I can't find any reference to it on the internets.

[Suich]

1. Try here:

http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1082923340599

[Babsbrain]

3. Yeah I saw that one...but

it is about banning cell phones in federal court houses. I couldn't find anything on ALL federal buildings. But thanks...I am betting there is a new law but just can't find any reference to it.

[AlCzervik]

4. the post office is a federal building right? i've never left my cell phone in my car

when i go into the post office.

[MonkeyFunk]

8. No

Post Offices aren't "real" federal buildings. The USPS is, legally, an "independent establishment of the executive branch of the Government of the United States."

[Suich]

5. OK, now I'm really curious!

Is it maybe because you can take pics with phones and they're afraid bad guys are "casing the joint" using cell phones?

[pitohui]

2. why didn't you just say no?

you wouldn't have been searched and if you were, you could just say, oh crap, i forgot

:shrug:


sounds like a great law to encourage car break-ins tho

yeah it goes without saying, have the thing turned off or on vibrate when you're in a public building, i would hope you do the same when it isn't a federal bldg such as the movie theater

[soothsayer]

6. Sometimes it's because of the cameras in 'em.

[napi21]

7. I would agree with the camera thing in a court room.

Especially Fed. Court! But the SS Office??? Geesh, we were just at our SS office 2 weeks ago for my hubby to sign up for medicare (the big 65 is in mid Sept!). There is NOthinG THERE that anyone could possible want to take a picture of! I'm thinking the op encountered an overzealous rent a cop who interpreted the "Fed. court" to mean any Fed. building. Or maybe he was TOLD to interpret it that way.

[soothsayer]

9. well, in the post 911 terra world there's constant fear of taking pics of fed buildings

because maybe you are planning to blow them up or something (sigh). Plus mebbe in a SS office you worry about identity theft or something?

[Quantess]

10. I got barked at by a security guard for admiring the landscaping at the new SS building in town.

This was a couple of years ago when we got a brand new SS building in town. I'm very interested in plants and trees, and they had some beautiful ones. It's just something I do, I inspect plants as though I'm in a botanical garden. The security guard came barreling out after about 30 seconds of my plant inspection. I can't remember what he said, but he was pretty stern.

Maybe I should have known better, but, for jeebus' sake I was just admiring their plants.