The fliers were apparently mailed to some vets with appointment letters. The VA also posted similar signs at some medical facilities depicting those prohibited items.<\/p>\n
Here are some pictures of the flier and signs:<\/p>\n
\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.disabledveterans.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/150928-Banned-iPhone.jpg\")
<\/center>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.disabledveterans.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/150928-Prohibited-Items-At-VA.jpg\")
<\/p>\nNo, you\u2019re eyes aren\u2019t playing tricks on you.\u00a0 For a while, in part of the US the VA actually was telling people that if they brought a smartphone or backpack to an appointment, they would not be seen<\/em>.\u00a0 (The flier and signs actually depicted an iPhone, but presumably any smartphone \u2013 and probably, any cell phone \u2013 would have been similarly banned.)<\/p>\n The VA has since backpedaled, and has announced the policy was \u201cill advised\u201d .\u00a0 The VA has also apparently cancelled the policy – though they did not explain why the policy was ever instituted in the first place.<\/p>\n Now, why might the VA do something like this?\u00a0 Well, it seems that at least one vet has used a recording device at a VA appointment<\/a><\/em> – likely a cell or smart phone – to obtain a personal record of what was actually said at that appointment.\u00a0 They did so in Minnesota, which is a \u201cone party\u201d consent state regarding the recording of conversations (Federal law and 38 states<\/em><\/a> require one-party-consent regarding the recording of conversations).<\/p>\n One plausible explanation is that the VA doesn\u2019t want anyone else to have a separate record of what\u2019s actually said in their appointments, so they tried to prevent that by banning cell phones. If so, that was indeed “ill advised”.<\/p>\n Now, I\u2019m sure there are other plausible explanations.\u00a0 I just wish I could think of what one of those other plausible explanations might be.<\/p>\n The really sad part about all this?\u00a0 This whole idea was obviously utter and complete idiocy. \u00a0Any one with enough common sense to p!ss in the toilet vice the bathroom\u2019s wastebasket would have seen that immediately.<\/p>\n But coming from VA administrators? This doesn\u2019t surprise me one bit.<\/p>\n I\u2019m seriously beginning to wonder if the VA is salvageable.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n AUTHOR’S NOTES (IMPORTANT)<\/span>:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n 1. \u00a0If you’re thinking about taking a smartphone\/MP3 player\/other recording device to your next VA appointment and recording it, please CHECK YOUR LOCAL LAWS FIRST. \u00a0A number of states (11) appear to require the consent of ALL parties to a conversation before it may be legally recorded. \u00a0If you live in one of those states, you cannot legally record your appointment\u00a0unless you get the permission of all present to record.<\/em><\/p>\n 2. \u00a0While I believe the last link to the\u00a0PDF document listing state recording laws (last link above) to be accurate, the document appears to be from 2013 – and laws change from time to time. \u00a0I strongly recommend that you double check it against Lexis or another up-to-date source of state and local laws<\/span> if you’re thinking about recording an appointment based on assumed one-party consent law in your state. \u00a0It’s possible your state’s law has changed since that document was prepared in 2013.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"