more on Don't act "suspicious" -- TSA testing SPOT "observation" program

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Mary Shaw <mary.shaw () gmail com>
Date: October 4, 2004 7:24:20 PM EDT
To: dave () farber net
Subject: Re: [IP] more on Don't act "suspicious" -- TSA testing SPOT 
"observation" program
Reply-To: Mary Shaw <mary.shaw () gmail com>

Where is the line between reasonable expectations and ethnic profiling?

How do you prevent this from intimidating people who are doing unusual
but innocuous things?  For example, what if a bunch of rich fraternity
kids just decide to compete to see who can rack up the most frequent
flier miles to the most obscure places over spring break? What if
they're paying cash?  What if there's a premium for being the first of
the competitors to reach a city, so all the kids are changing their
plans dynamically?

How do you keep politics out of the mix?

etc?

I spend enough of my life doing legal but unusual things to have
learned that community standards and common expectations are often
much more restrictive than the law.  I spend enough of my life with
creative (and often eccentric) people to worry about the oppressive
effect of processes that drive people toward inconspicuous (read
"average") behavior.

Mary

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