more on so much for TSA employees

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From:
PM EDT
To: dave () farber net
Subject: Re: [IP] more on so much for TSA employees


PLEASE REMOVE MY NAME/IDENTIFICATION

Dave,

If we're serious about security, we need to allow feedback and  
criticism.

I flew recently with my parents and grandfather, and my mother was  
"randomly" selected for special screening.  I asked if I could join  
her, given age/language issues, etc.  Between the 4 of us, we had 4  
carryon roll-aboards, and 3 laptop/backpack bags.  We semi-randomly  
chose whose luggage was whose (since our stuff was shared), and my  
father and grandfather went in the regular x-ray/metal detector, and  
my mom and I went to the special security line.  There, I walked  
through "normally" and she was subject to more scrutiny.  BUT, we  
still arbitrarily chose which bags were mine or hers (latter subject  
to opening up, and mine NOT).  They stated sternly, don't touch her  
stuff coming off the belt, get my stuff off and move to the side to  
wait, so she could be patted down and "her" bags opened.  I meanwhile  
without thinking was helping her pick up her stuff off the belt, and  
was castigated for that; "That's not your purse, is it?!"

Can someone PLEASE explain to me what the point is of doing SSSS  
special security on one person out of an obvious group of persons,  
and then arbitrarily letting them divvy up luggage?  Of course, the  
alternative is cumbersome, in that everyone in the group must be  
subject to the same level of extra security, but isn't the current  
system rather pointless?

Needless to say, I did not attempt to discuss this with TSA at the  
airport (who, at least at my airport, are reasonably polite and  
efficient-esp. in comparison to elsewhere).

--On Thursday, September 22, 2005 3:04 PM -0400 David Farber  
<dave () farber net> wrote:


>



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