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powderpuff |
02/02/05 |
Could you improve on the wacky methods of the Transportation Security Administration?
Being a frequent flyer I recently found that it is no longer a coincidence or random happening, I am always flagged for 'additional screening' procedures when I go through security check points at our airports. The first few times, I thought it could be just a random thing. So this last time I asked, why is it always me? One of the guards gave me a nice little form letter with the greeting "Dear Traveler" and the explanation that my name is on their 'list'. So far it has not matched any name on the 'no fly' list, but it does match up with the 'selectee' list of names to be selected for additional screening procedures. My name matches a name on the 'watch list' "for persons who are known to pose, or are suspected of posing, a threat to civil aviation or national security." The result is that at every airport and every airline company, I am flagged for the complete work up with security screening. Each time I go through this procedure it is basically the same, though recent changes have made it a little less embarrassing for women. (they still check the breast area with their hands, but don't put their hands down between the breasts)
I have noticed that there seems to be way less people being screened with this 'additional screening' procedure than what is possible. At each security check point I've had to go through, there are at least six chairs and many many more security officers/guards. There are so many officers/guards in fact, that when they get me, they use at least 3 guards at the same time to screen me while most of the other available chairs in the 'additional screening' area sit empty and other security guards stand around looking like they don't have anything to do. While going through the intimidating military style process of 'additional screening', I watch as the other passengers sail through security without even getting a second look. Yes, even the ones who look scary don't seem to draw any attention what so ever.
I think someone should suggest a better way to find suspicious persons to screen. I'm not sure how or why my name matches up with a name that is, in fact, on any such list..... and I am working on trying to find out and clear up any confusion, but even so... The 'additional screening' procedure is not being used to the best of its ability, IMO. Because of the amount of unused chairs and unused security guards, I am led to believe that how they get people into the additional screening area is not by using a thought process. I think it must be some unintelligent coding technique that cannot use reason in its processing. This leaves me with a feeling of insecurity where the presence of security should give me the opposite feeling. It also causes me to believe that our airports are not nearly as secure as they should be or could be.
I have no criminal history of any kind including never even having had a speeding ticket. I'm not in the typical age group of terrorists, never learned how to fly a plane, and I am not in the typical gender class of a terrorist, (though I like to tell myself that I am very strong, in reality, I am not a physically strong person either). Yet because of a secret technique, my name matches a name that is on a 'watch list', so no matter how ridiculous it might seem, I am automatically flagged for the 'works'.
If you were in charge of finding ways to profile passengers for additional screening, what techniques would you use? |
Clarification/Follow-up by darkstar on 02/03/05 7:49 am:
i even flew with a mini skirt on one time and was still carted off for the full search and had to deal with the embarassment of hands going up my skirt in front of a group of men and women. moral of that story, never fly with a skirt on. :) Clarification/Follow-up by powderpuff on 02/03/05 8:45 am:
by the way darkstar... with a name like that I can see how you might end up on the hit list, but 'powderpuff'???? give me a break :D
Clarification/Follow-up by darkstar on 02/03/05 8:54 am:
LOL :D
Clarification/Follow-up by tomder55 on 02/03/05 10:40 am:
The ACLU says that it doesn't believe that sacrificing civil liberties for national security is worth it.They think that it will expand to the point that if you are not a part of the bimetricscreening system then you will be excluded from getting through the security process. They say it creates 2 classes of traveler;one trust-worthy ;one not . This is not a valid argument. Already frequent flyers get privilages that most of us infrequent flyers don't . Already foreign visitors to the US excluding Canadian and Mexican are biometrically id'ed at their point of entry .
They also think that terrorist will be able to ultimately defeat the system by just becoming one of the trusted .They may have a point about that .Certainly Timmy McVeigh being a vet,and Ted Kaczynski in his college professor days would have had no trouble getting on a plane.
This is not the only thing where biometric id. has raised red flags . Proposals for biometric bank cards;drivers licenses ;passports ;even gun licenses have been floated . There is also the means now to broadcast child images in 3-D when Amber-alerts are initiated .
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