[IP] more on FBI Issues Alert Against Almanac Carriers
Delivered-To: dfarber+@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Tue, 30 Dec 2003 11:28:43 -0500
From: Gene Spafford <spaf@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [IP] more on FBI Issues Alert Against Almanac Carriers
X-Sender: spaf@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Unverified)
To: dave@xxxxxxxxxx
Gee, I wonder what would happen if someone with swarthy features and
carrying an almanac were to try to go through a TSA checkpoint at an
airport and refuse to remove his shoes? Probably be taken to Guantanamo
without a second thought! This generation needs an Arlo
Guthrie...."Alice's TSA."
Two stories:
1) On a recent trip, I was standing in line to go through the
magnetometer. The TSA guy on the other side said, pointedly, "We recommend
you take your shoes off." I replied "These have no metal in them -- they
don't set off the alarm." He glared at me, waved me through, and even
though the alarm didn't sound, he sent me to the line for the manual
check. The line had several people in it, all with shoes, and all from
the same guy's line. When it was my turn, the check found nothing, and
the guy watched me struggle to get my shoes back on (I have arthritis in my
hips, and shoes can be a challenge on occasion, which I explained to
him). He apologized, sheepishly. As I was getting my bags off the
conveyor, I noticed him talking to the person who I assumed was the shift
supervisor. He and the guy at the magnetometer then changed places. I
sort of hope that mostly the people who look like they had suspect hygiene
were being sent over for the pat-down search thereafter, rather than people
who have chosen to fly with shoes that don't set off the alarm. :-)
If nothing else, there seem to be some reasonable people inside who are
applying a little pressure within the system to moderate extreme behavior.
2) I recently was speaking to someone associated with the TSA. I asked
why they didn't understand the differences amongst identification,
authentication, and authorization, with the repeated showing of an ID at
the airport a classic example of lack of clue. I was told that some of the
TSA procedures were not decided by security experts, but by others. No
further information was forthcoming. I assume that some political
appointees were involved, which is not terribly reassuring if true.
I have noted that at most airports, the people who are checking the IDs
before you even get in line are the same people who use to screen your
carry-on baggage with X-ray before TSA. I wonder if one of the reasons to
force showing IDs at the airport was to keep jobs for some of these
contractors, and thus soften the potential economic and political fall-out
when TSA took over?
-------------------------------------
You are subscribed as roessler@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To manage your subscription, go to
http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip
Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/