Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by janrinok on Tuesday March 31 2015, @08:37PM   Printer-friendly
from the don't-be-late dept.

The US airport security agency is facing ridicule after leaked documents revealed its checklist of tell-tale signs that a passenger might be a potential terrorist.

The US government has spent almost $1 billion on a programme deploying Behaviour Detection Officers to airport security. "Stress factors" that could see passengers stopped at security include arriving late for your flight, sweating and "excessive yawning".

Autistics beware: failing to make eye contact is suspicious, but so is a faster eye blink rate or staring (either "cold penetrating" or "widely open"). So brush up on that submissive glance before you fly. Also, don't visually scan the area, and whatever you do, don't express contempt for the screening process. Because once you're accused of being a terrorist, you lose all your rights. No presumption of innocence, no trial. Just bye sucker.

This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 31 2015, @08:51PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 31 2015, @08:51PM (#165039)

    Slouching indicates you are preparing to pounce on someone. Remember, the idiots-in-charge operate on a purely instinctual animal level, and they are not capable of rational thought.

    • (Score: 4, Funny) by kaszz on Tuesday March 31 2015, @08:59PM

      by kaszz (4211) on Tuesday March 31 2015, @08:59PM (#165045) Journal

      Instinctual animal level? Oh I just got to have a TSA agent animal at home in a cage. "Don't feed the TSA agent".
      Not found any terrorist spiders on the floor today? No banana for you! or donuts!

      :D

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 31 2015, @09:03PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 31 2015, @09:03PM (#165049)

        I hear they're beasts in the sack, if you're into that sort of thing. Picking them up after work is easy. To increase their visibility, TSA agents wear their uniforms on the bus ride home.

        • (Score: 2) by kaszz on Tuesday March 31 2015, @09:31PM

          by kaszz (4211) on Tuesday March 31 2015, @09:31PM (#165071) Journal

          Do lollipops work to lure them into a black bag? ;)
          I have some ideas for an internet show, German Fraulein virgin vs beast in the sack .. :D

    • (Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 31 2015, @09:39PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 31 2015, @09:39PM (#165077)

      #StandTallForAllah

  • (Score: 2) by ikanreed on Tuesday March 31 2015, @08:52PM

    by ikanreed (3164) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday March 31 2015, @08:52PM (#165041) Journal

    Yeah, they're the "Behaviour Detection Officer."

    But I'm glad they have a pseudo-scientific process to follow, as opposed to subjectively incorrectly assessing risk.

    • (Score: 2) by mhajicek on Wednesday April 01 2015, @01:05AM

      by mhajicek (51) on Wednesday April 01 2015, @01:05AM (#165170)

      If I ever go into an airport again (I haven't ever since TSA) I should make it easier for them by bringing the form already filled out. There would be a big mark next to "contempt for the screening process".

      --
      The spacelike surfaces of time foliations can have a cusp at the surface of discontinuity. - P. Hajicek
  • (Score: 5, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 31 2015, @08:58PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 31 2015, @08:58PM (#165043)

    Just don't travel, except to your neighborhood polling place to vote out the terrorists.

    • (Score: 4, Insightful) by mhajicek on Wednesday April 01 2015, @01:07AM

      by mhajicek (51) on Wednesday April 01 2015, @01:07AM (#165172)

      We only get to choose between the red terrorists and the blue terrorists.

      --
      The spacelike surfaces of time foliations can have a cusp at the surface of discontinuity. - P. Hajicek
    • (Score: 2, Interesting) by anubi on Wednesday April 01 2015, @02:14AM

      by anubi (2828) on Wednesday April 01 2015, @02:14AM (#165213) Journal

      There are some times air travel is damned near impossible to avoid... simply because its there - and others expect you to use it.

      Prime example: funerals...

      I had to use it for that reason. I had no idea of what would be expected of me and was unable to provide fixed itinerary.

      What I went through would make anybody swear off air travel.

      At least one TSA agent was kind enough to tell me why I was singled out for special treatment: single and erratic travel plans.

      I knew dad was sick - I did not know how long my visit would last.

      Since then, I avoid air travel like the plague. I no longer travel by air for fun, rather its something I do only if someone else is forcing me into it.

      --
      "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
  • (Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 31 2015, @08:58PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 31 2015, @08:58PM (#165044)

    We're just carving out our own little Fox News-like corner of the Internet, now aren't we?

    • (Score: 3, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 31 2015, @09:00PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 31 2015, @09:00PM (#165046)

      Terrorist detected. You lose your free speech rights.

    • (Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 31 2015, @09:12PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 31 2015, @09:12PM (#165055)

      All viewpoints are equal and deserve equal consideration, obviously.

      • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 31 2015, @09:24PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 31 2015, @09:24PM (#165063)

        Yup. Soylent News. Fair and Balanced. Don't like our groupthink, then GTFO. We can't have good circle jerks with dissenting opinions

        All viewpoints are equal and deserve equal consideration, obviously.

        Then we're in agreement here. Don't question the sacred cows and we'll all get along.

        • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 01 2015, @07:37AM

          by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 01 2015, @07:37AM (#165300)

          You want them to cheer on mass violations of the constitution and people's fundamental liberties, or pretend that it's an equal viewpoint to wanting the government to stop doing so? Authoritarian detected. The media already gives too much weight to the government's opinion.

          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 01 2015, @04:18PM

            by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 01 2015, @04:18PM (#165448)

            I tried to post a comment that addresses issues of nuance positions and does not contain breathless hyperbole, but it won't post. It gets by the lameness filters ok, but not the groupthink filter. Clearly you've figured this process out. I'm still trying to figure how to inject common sense and reality into my posts, but I might have to give up and go your route.

            (I'm adding this just so this gets posted): ILLUMINATI CONTROLS NSA. ALL SPYING IS EVIL. ALL CORPORATIONS ARE EVIL. SNOWDEN IS GOD'S DIETY. (I hope you get to read this. I don't know if that last statement was quite strong enough).

            • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 02 2015, @08:52PM

              by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 02 2015, @08:52PM (#165937)

              Wanting the government to follow the constitution and stop mass surveillance does not make someone a conspiracy theorist. Fact: The NSA's mass surveillance is both unconstitutional and unethical. Fact: The TSA is both unconstitutional and unethical. Fact: Many corporations are, in fact, unethical. Fact: Snowden is an actual patriot, as opposed to a bootlicking authoritarian. This has nothing to do with grand conspiracy theories or the illuminati, but simple human nature; those with power will abuse it.

              If coincidentally agreeing with other people indicates that I'm just a drone going along with groupthink, then your authoritarian drivel also indicates groupthink (but not here maybe). The government, which has repeatedly been shown to lie and violate people's fundamental liberties, does not deserve the benefit of the doubt. They have far, far too much pull in the media in the first place. Why would you want them to have even *more* power?

        • (Score: 2) by DeathMonkey on Wednesday April 01 2015, @06:16PM

          by DeathMonkey (1380) on Wednesday April 01 2015, @06:16PM (#165503) Journal

          +1 Insightful != GTFO. Check your persecution complex.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 01 2015, @06:40PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 01 2015, @06:40PM (#165519)

        I suggest next we discuss the viewpoint that niggers, webacks, slopes, and sandniggers aren't human. All veiwpoints are equal and deserve equal consideration, right?

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 01 2015, @08:08PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 01 2015, @08:08PM (#165552)

          Comment so nice, you sez it twice.

          You are either being intentionally disingenuous or just stupid. You know those aren't the sacred cows. You can say that stuff here and just be ignored. I'm talking about those subjects that are inherently obvious to those who are enlightened where the righteous and moral lines are drawn: all police are EVIL. Everyone who has ever worked at the NSA is EVIL. All corporations are EVIL. People (not us denizens, of course, because we're the smart ones) aren't necessarily EVIL, but they are stupid. The Government is EVIL. Just . . . so much EVIL. It is like some kind of evangelical revival. I can't help but picture NCommander with white, slicked-back hair, in a white linen suit, sporting a creepy grin and holding the Soylent Manifesto aloft.

          For if you broach a sacred cow topic from the wrong side (suggest not that Snowden breaks wind, for he has transcended mere corporal existence and exists on a higher astral plane), however, be prepared to be run out on a digital rail, for they are UNBELIEVERS and TOOLS and SHILLS, for they don't follow the true path of the righteous here.

          However, this is our grand circle jerk. Similar to places like fox.com, let all the stories be about EVIL things and deeds and we can all kumbaya and slap ourselves on the back and congratulate ourselves for all being in such grand moral agreement. Remember, this site isn't about the stories, it is about the comments, as long as they are the right comments. For this is Soylent News, where all the women are strong, all the men are good looking, and all the children are above average.

          • (Score: 2) by Anal Pumpernickel on Thursday April 02 2015, @09:05PM

            by Anal Pumpernickel (776) on Thursday April 02 2015, @09:05PM (#165942)

            If you need to spew forth straw men, chances are your arguments are weak to begin with.

            all police are EVIL.

            Police who reject thuggish behavior, respect people's rights, and do not defend thugs in the police who do either of those are more than worthy of being called police officers. But sadly, there aren't many who are willing to take a stand, and because of that, police are looked down upon by people who care about liberty. And rightly so.

            But not all police are evil. That's just a straw man.

            Everyone who has ever worked at the NSA is EVIL.

            Snowden is quite a good guy from what I've seen, actually. I'm sure there were a few others who tried what he did or went through the 'proper channels' and got destroyed for it, too. Not everyone at the NSA is evil. Just the ones who do evil or go along with it, which may very well be most of them.

            So, straw man.

            All corporations are EVIL.

            There is a good reason to distrust corporations. They have shown that they care about money above all else and are not above bribing the government to get what they want, even unconstitutional laws. The copyright thugs are but one example of this.

            Not all corporations are evil, but many act in horribly unethical ways. Straw man.

            People (not us denizens, of course, because we're the smart ones) aren't necessarily EVIL, but they are stupid.

            People who bother to question authority, fight for liberty, and speak out against things such as mass surveillance tend not to be stupid. People who blindly trust authority while putting zero thought into anything do tend to be stupid, yes. That's what happens when you combine ignorance of history with an inability to think critically.

            The Government is EVIL.

            Not all government is evil, but everything it does should be scrutinized. Why does it want the power to do X? Is X easily abused? Is X ethical? Is X constitutional? These questions should always be asked. History shows that no government is immune to corruption, and it certainly does not cast a favorable light upon the US government. So people have every reason to be wary of the government; there is no issue here.

    • (Score: 2) by dyingtolive on Wednesday April 01 2015, @12:24AM

      by dyingtolive (952) on Wednesday April 01 2015, @12:24AM (#165157)

      Are we? How?

      --
      Don't blame me, I voted for moose wang!
  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by c0lo on Tuesday March 31 2015, @09:05PM

    by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday March 31 2015, @09:05PM (#165051) Journal

    How to Tell if You're a Terrorist

    You're breathing.

    --
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
  • (Score: 5, Insightful) by JNCF on Tuesday March 31 2015, @09:08PM

    by JNCF (4317) on Tuesday March 31 2015, @09:08PM (#165053) Journal

    Because once you're accused of being a terrorist, you lose all your rights. No presumption of innocence, no trial. Just bye sucker.

    I hate the charade that is airport security rigmarole, but this statement is just totally false. Can they hold you long enough to prevent you from boarding our flight without a trail? Sure. But they won't just take you off to Guantanamo. You definitely still have a right to legal council and all that jazz. Stupid summary is stupid. Please don't give anybody this terrible legal advice ("You have no rights once they pull you out of the airport line! OOGA-BOOGA!") unless it's actually true for a given place and time. You might actually do serious harm to somebody if they're dumb enough to believe you.

    "I have no rights? I guess I shouldn't even bother to seek legal council..."

    • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 31 2015, @09:15PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 31 2015, @09:15PM (#165056)

      You ever sought legal counsel?

      "Just cooperate with the authorities and everything will be fine. It'll all be over soon. Trust me, I'm a lawyer. Expert advice is what you're paying me for."

      Lawyering must be the easiest overpaid job in the world.

      • (Score: 2) by JNCF on Tuesday March 31 2015, @10:27PM

        by JNCF (4317) on Tuesday March 31 2015, @10:27PM (#165100) Journal

        Luckily I've never had to. There are certainly times when it makes since to talk to authorities without seeking legal council. There are other times when that isn't the case, even if you've done nothing wrong. It's all a matter of circumstances. I've known people who almost certainly avoided charges by shutting up until they spoke with lawyer. I'm not arguing that you should never speak to airport security without lawyering up first, only that you should be aware of your options.

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 31 2015, @10:36PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 31 2015, @10:36PM (#165107)

          Lawyering up works in the movies. In reality, you have fewer options than you think. But if you really you want to pay a lawyer a lot of money to find out you have no rights, go ahead and waste your money.

        • (Score: 2) by Geezer on Wednesday April 01 2015, @09:57AM

          by Geezer (511) on Wednesday April 01 2015, @09:57AM (#165331)

          Your mileage may vary. Public Defender=1972 Cadillac Sedan DeVille, $500/hour criminal defense attorney= 2015 Tesla.

    • (Score: 1, Troll) by fnj on Tuesday March 31 2015, @09:28PM

      by fnj (1654) on Tuesday March 31 2015, @09:28PM (#165067)

      There's absolutely nothing to stop them from putting you on something called a no-fly list, which you have NO recourse to EVER get removed from.

      It certainly doesn't bother me in the slightest if this happens to a passive tool like you, but it bothers me a LOT when they do it to innocent people who value liberty.

  • (Score: 2) by kaszz on Tuesday March 31 2015, @09:27PM

    by kaszz (4211) on Tuesday March 31 2015, @09:27PM (#165066) Journal

    Firstlook: TSA’s Secret behavior checklist to spot terrorists [firstlook.org]
    Checklist form [amazonaws.com] [PDF]

    - Bulges in clothing

    No hard ons!

    - Wearing improper attire for location

    Bring your entire wardrobe. Because bagage weight is so cheap and convenient. And you will never forget or rush to catch your plane etc.

    This is a combined ROTFL and a sign of danger, of violence from the "apparatus".

    • (Score: 4, Informative) by sjames on Tuesday March 31 2015, @10:00PM

      by sjames (2882) on Tuesday March 31 2015, @10:00PM (#165085) Journal

      It looks like just being late to the airport is good for 5 points. Let's see, one just for being late, 1 for being out of breath (because you ran), 1 for checking your watch frequently (because you're late), 1 for being stressed about being selected (because now you'll be later), 1 for distended veins in your neck (because you're late, you ran, you're out of breath, and this ass clown thinks you have all the time in the world).

      If you're late because you overslept, throw in another point for a glassy stare or blinking too much and it's time to notify LEO.

      Oh, and what's with a point just for being selected?

      • (Score: 2) by mojo chan on Wednesday April 01 2015, @07:25AM

        by mojo chan (266) on Wednesday April 01 2015, @07:25AM (#165297)

        I suffer from chronic fatigue, so I yawn a lot and often find it hard to make eye contact (when I'm tired and speaking I don't need yet another thing for my brain to multitask). I also have an Islamic sounding name... I'm basically screwed.

        --
        const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 01 2015, @08:52AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 01 2015, @08:52AM (#165313)

        Good question.

    • (Score: 2) by looorg on Tuesday March 31 2015, @10:23PM

      by looorg (578) on Tuesday March 31 2015, @10:23PM (#165096)

      From reading the list I can only conclude that EVERYTHING anyone does is suspicious as hell. There is next to nothing you can do or do as part of normal movement or interaction that isn't suspicious, also doing nothing while at the airport is suspicious. Basically just being a human at the airport makes you a terrorist to make a really long list short.

      You can't touch, smell, look, talk or in any way interact with anyone unless you are doing it in a subservient manner as you answer the authoritative commands of the TSA-stormtroopers.

      Everything you do gives between 1-3 points, if you score 6 points they should notify their boss. So if they want to pat down some hot babe (or dude) there shouldn't be a problem finding cause.

      The only way to become low risk is apparently to be a male over the age of 65. I guess the death stare and your will to live is gone by then ...

      • (Score: 2) by kaszz on Tuesday March 31 2015, @10:46PM

        by kaszz (4211) on Tuesday March 31 2015, @10:46PM (#165115) Journal

        But you can probably assume that they won't detain everybody so as long as you behave like anyone else your probability for trouble goes down significantly.

      • (Score: 2) by wantkitteh on Wednesday April 01 2015, @01:46AM

        by wantkitteh (3362) on Wednesday April 01 2015, @01:46AM (#165190) Homepage Journal

        Basically just being a human at the airport makes you a terrorist to make a really long list short.

        Cardinal Richelieu agrees.

    • (Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 31 2015, @10:26PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 31 2015, @10:26PM (#165099)

      Do tits count as bulges? Anything larger than an A cup means you're smuggling drugs in your implants.

      • (Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 01 2015, @12:04AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 01 2015, @12:04AM (#165143)

        More than a mouthful is a waste.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 31 2015, @10:01PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 31 2015, @10:01PM (#165086)

    You're either a vampire, or a terrorist.

  • (Score: 4, Informative) by snick on Tuesday March 31 2015, @10:07PM

    by snick (1408) on Tuesday March 31 2015, @10:07PM (#165088)

    Most of the list looks like it was authored by a third grader with no actual experience with the stresses of air travel, and little experience interacting with people. But a couple of the items stood out:

    Displays arrogance and verbally expresses contempt for the screening process

    and

    Does not respond to authoritative commands

    Pretty clear statement. "respect mah authoritah or else it gets the hose!"

    • (Score: 4, Funny) by Phoenix666 on Tuesday March 31 2015, @10:21PM

      by Phoenix666 (552) on Tuesday March 31 2015, @10:21PM (#165094) Journal

      Jesus Christ when the revolution comes the TSA will certainly be the first put against the wall. And that's saying something, with so many other very deserving classes of people like Wall Street bankers, CIA torturers, and NSA police state apparatchiks.

      --
      Washington DC delenda est.
      • (Score: 2, Interesting) by zugedneb on Tuesday March 31 2015, @10:49PM

        by zugedneb (4556) on Tuesday March 31 2015, @10:49PM (#165118)

        and, pray tell, who will do the fighting, and god forbid (not) the killing?
        you anti intj human being types?

        tell when the revolution is coming, have not seen a good fight since the kung fu movies in my childhood...

        btw, I was 13 in Romania, when the revolution happened, and the army and police did shoot some people...
        people can only make a revolution if the armed forces end up on their side rather sooner than later, cuz dead people need no aid =)

        so, first step in revolution: get allies, or gamble that you will have them when the shovel hits the shit...
        now, have you allies? who will come to your aid?

        --
        old saying: "a troll is a window into the soul of humanity" + also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Ajax
        • (Score: 2) by wantkitteh on Wednesday April 01 2015, @01:49AM

          by wantkitteh (3362) on Wednesday April 01 2015, @01:49AM (#165193) Homepage Journal

          How dare you insult hard-working soliders by suggesting they're crap enough to be in the TSA!

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 01 2015, @02:26AM

          by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 01 2015, @02:26AM (#165223)

          I'm reminded of the saying
          There are 3 kinds of people:
          The ones who make things happen, the ones who watch things happen, and the ones who say "What happened?".

          I'm also reminded of Gil Scott-Heron and the thing he wrote in 1970[1]
          called The Revolution Will Not Be Televised [metrolyrics.com]

          [1] Note the references to John Mitchell, Spiro Agnew, and Julia. [google.com]

          -- gewg_

        • (Score: 2) by tathra on Wednesday April 01 2015, @06:53PM

          by tathra (3367) on Wednesday April 01 2015, @06:53PM (#165524)

          and, pray tell, who will do the fighting, and god forbid (not) the killing?

          something like half of the US military is reservists (including the National Guard). that means half of the military is always out there suffering with everybody else, going through the same persecution as everyone else, being spied on the same as everyone else, etc. neither a military ID nor a uniform will get you any special treatment from the security theater players; maybe a cop every now and then will let you out of a ticket, but some are even bigger dicks because 'you should know better' or something.

          when the revolution happens, it won't be a bunch of good ol' boys with their weapons stockpiles against the army, at worst it'll be the army against the army (note that there's an armory in nearly every town in the US, and the national guard is a state-controlled militia, plus a lot of states have another militia besides the NG).

          • (Score: 2) by zugedneb on Wednesday April 01 2015, @07:56PM

            by zugedneb (4556) on Wednesday April 01 2015, @07:56PM (#165548)

            maybe yes, maybe no...
            who gives the orders
            how will the concept of property be redefined
            what will happen to my property in that case?
            who will lead?
            what will others do if the leadership in US fails?
            what do I actually want?
            and so forth...

            allies are not those who "are" satisfy definition, they are those who turn up...

            so, back to my original question: do you know who will turn up? willing to bet on it?

            --
            old saying: "a troll is a window into the soul of humanity" + also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Ajax
    • (Score: 2) by AnythingGoes on Wednesday April 01 2015, @02:16AM

      by AnythingGoes (3345) on Wednesday April 01 2015, @02:16AM (#165215)

      Actually, the list is there to also cover someone's ass, so every possible symptom must be there, regardless of whether it makes sense at all - after all, if you stare too much or if you don't look at them - both are possible indicators, which when added up with all other possible indicators adds up to "terrorist". Then when something goes wrong, the compiler of the list will look at the video surveillance and say - "See, this, this, this and this - all adds up to something", conveniently forgetting that almost everyone will add up to something, just due to the stress of travel. This is just like practicing "defensive medicine" - it protects them but does nothing actually to thwart terrorism.

  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by NotSanguine on Tuesday March 31 2015, @10:12PM

    But that would require actually hiring professionals and paying them a commensurate wage.

    From an article [huffingtonpost.com] published last year:

    Departing passengers are questioned by highly trained security agents before they reach the check-in counter. These interviews could last as little as one minute or as long as an hour, based on such factors as age, race, religion and destination. Unlike in many western airports, passengers are not required to remove their shoes while passing through physical screening processes. Furthermore, there are no sophisticated x-ray machines; rather, traditional metal detectors are still in operation.

    ...

    Ben Gurion airport does not sub-contract its security to private companies. Given their priority in ensuring safety and preventing terrorist attacks, the personnel on duty at Ben Gurion are highly trained army graduates who have specialist skills in detection and interrogation. They leave nothing to chance and are able to monitor the most minute details. Officials think of passenger security as a series of 'concentric' circles, with increasing scrutiny as individuals arrive closer to the plane.

    It's not going to happen, as that would reduce budgets for DHS and reduce the general fear associated with airport security theater.

    --
    No, no, you're not thinking; you're just being logical. --Niels Bohr
    • (Score: 2) by snick on Tuesday March 31 2015, @10:25PM

      by snick (1408) on Tuesday March 31 2015, @10:25PM (#165098)

      I flew to Israel a couple of years back, and I found the process a bit surreal.

      For the flight in to Israel, the only additional security was a metal detector right at the gate. When I got off the plane, I claimed my luggage, got my passport stamped, and was on my way. I've had much more hassle getting into Canada.

      For the flight out of Israel ... long lines ... several questioners ... Industrial strength luggage scanners... I kept saying (to myself) "they don't seem to realize that I'M LEAVING!"

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 01 2015, @02:48AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 01 2015, @02:48AM (#165243)

      CBS's 60 Minutes covered this in 2002 (before CBS began to completely suck).

      The Safest Airline [cbsnews.com]

      they've had sky marshals since the 1960s. And racial profiling.

      [...]"The security in Israel is not like the security in the United States. We have the secret service here"

      Merav Rosen is a supervisor. [...] Rosen was in the Israeli army, in intelligence.

      Yup. It's like night and day.

      -- gewg_

    • (Score: 4, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 01 2015, @03:41AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 01 2015, @03:41AM (#165263)

      Having been subjected to Israeli security, I really really hope not. Their screening process is based on 1) not a Jew, screw with person (really, read on). 2) stupid things like in this list, like trying to check your baggage early.

      So, my traveling partner and I tried to check our bags two hours early, so we would not have to carry them around. We were detained for 24 hours and repeatedly questioned, and had our property destroyed and stolen from us.

      Before the first interrogation began, they pulled out every item from our bags and ran a metal detection wand against it. Yes, each pair of underwear, etc. was metal detected. Contact lens solution dumped out, journal photocopied, etc. They were total and complete assholes, but the Palestinian business man next to us told us to ignore them, that the Israelis were trying to humiliate us, and that if they got any reaction, it would get much much worse. He was subjected to this on every exit of the country for the crime of actually being indigenous to the country-- and as a business man who traveled constantly, his encounters like this were too many to count.

      The interrogations were pretty insane too. First apart, then together. They were hung up on a post-it note from a car rental in Paris, and a bank balance jotted into the margin of a guide book. Also, they couldn't understand why people traveling on US passports would have all their guidebooks in French, and were really really really upset about that.

      The following day, the Israelis finally let us escape that hell hole of a country, but refused to send our belongings on. They didn't tell us they were going to still be fucking with us, but the airliner said it was Israeli security that was holding our belongings, and we would just have to keep checking back. So, we lived in the Rome airport for a few days waiting. They finally sent on most of our things, but withheld all valuables. My camera was returned by mail almost a year later, and completely destroyed-- yeah, they sent me the pieces.

      I left out a lot here, but that has got to be the most fucked up country with the most fucked up racist population I have ever seen. "I hope you wash your own dishes," a Jewish banker said to me after asking where I was staying to cash a check, and seeing it an Arab hotel. "[Can't remember his name] was a great man, he killed lots of Arabs," a Jewish mother to her young daughter who had picked me up while hitchhiking. I can go on.

      So, when people say they want to adopt the Israeli model, they may not realize it, but they are saying they want racist profiling added to the stupidity we currently have.

      • (Score: 2) by GungnirSniper on Wednesday April 01 2015, @03:06PM

        by GungnirSniper (1671) on Wednesday April 01 2015, @03:06PM (#165413) Journal

        So, when people say they want to adopt the Israeli model, they may not realize it, but they are saying they want racist profiling added to the stupidity we currently have.

        The unfortunate truth in America is that some people do want Arabs and Muslims given extra scrutiny, especially if they see them in Islamic dress. Americans can be all too happy to sacrifice the rights of others for their own feeling of security.

        • (Score: 3, Interesting) by M. Baranczak on Wednesday April 01 2015, @08:03PM

          by M. Baranczak (1673) on Wednesday April 01 2015, @08:03PM (#165550)

          A few years ago, I was at a wedding and got to talking with an older gentleman of the redneck persuasion, who'd just flown in from the other side of the country. He was, predictably, complaining about the hassle that he got from TSA (although they didn't find the bag of weed hidden in his prosthetic leg, so the searching couldn't have been too invasive). But eventually it came out that the real reason he was upset was that the "motherfucker in a turban" next to him didn't get hassled enough.

    • (Score: 2) by Anal Pumpernickel on Wednesday April 01 2015, @07:43AM

      by Anal Pumpernickel (776) on Wednesday April 01 2015, @07:43AM (#165301)

      The Israeli process violates people's fundamental liberties too, and you'll be harassed based on the suspicions of so-called "professionals". What we really need is to get government thugs out of airports, not add a different type of thug.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 01 2015, @10:11PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 01 2015, @10:11PM (#165597)

        You are right. We need no security. I mean, you'd have to be a real dick to want to do something. If anyone tried anything on a plane, we can just say, "hey man, be cool. Don't be a dick." And they'd be all shameful and mutter "Sorry. I've been going through some stuff lately, man." and sit back down. And though we'd glare at them for a while on the flight, eventually we'd all laugh about it and get back to watching that hilarious Ben Stiller movie.

        • (Score: 2) by Anal Pumpernickel on Thursday April 02 2015, @12:32AM

          by Anal Pumpernickel (776) on Thursday April 02 2015, @12:32AM (#165632)

          You are right. We need no security.

          If your idea of security involves violating people's fundamental rights or the constitution, then yes, I'll have none of that. If you want that, move to North Korea. This is supposed to be "the land of the free and the home of the brave", and people who truly want to be free and brave would not sacrifice fundamental liberties for security.

          If you want to implement security measures that do not violate people's fundamental liberties or the constitution (i.e. something like reinforcing cockpit doors), and they actually work, be my guest.

  • (Score: 3, Touché) by snick on Tuesday March 31 2015, @10:16PM

    by snick (1408) on Tuesday March 31 2015, @10:16PM (#165093)

    Given the number of planes brought down by passengers in recent years, it would seem to be more productive to focus on screening the flight crews.

    • (Score: 2) by wantkitteh on Wednesday April 01 2015, @01:52AM

      by wantkitteh (3362) on Wednesday April 01 2015, @01:52AM (#165195) Homepage Journal

      Given the number of planes brought down by passengers or flight crews in recent years, it would seem to be more productive to focus on virtually anything but more airport screenings.

  • (Score: 4, Interesting) by Ryuugami on Tuesday March 31 2015, @10:33PM

    by Ryuugami (2925) on Tuesday March 31 2015, @10:33PM (#165106)

    My favorite "signs for reasonable suspicion" list [washingtonpost.com] (found it via Techdirt [techdirt.com]):

    The Supreme Court, for example, has given customs officials enormous leeway in identifying and detaining suspected drug couriers coming into the country, finding that the government need only “reasonable suspicion” before agents can stop you, detain you, interrogate you, seize and search your phone or laptop or even hold you in a room until you defecate. In his book “Lost Rights,” the journalist and libertarian activist James Bovard listed some of the signs the courts have approved as showing “reasonable suspicion.” Among them:

    • Being the first person off a plane
    • Being the last person off a plane
    • Someone authorities believe has tried to blend in to the middle of exiting passengers
    • Booking a nonstop flight
    • Booking a flight with a layover
    • Traveling alone
    • Traveling with a companion
    • People who appear nervous
    • People who appear “too calm”
    • Merely flying to or from a city known to be a major thoroughfare in the drug pipeline
    --
    If a shit storm's on the horizon, it's good to know far enough ahead you can at least bring along an umbrella. - D.Weber
    • (Score: 2) by wantkitteh on Wednesday April 01 2015, @01:55AM

      by wantkitteh (3362) on Wednesday April 01 2015, @01:55AM (#165200) Homepage Journal

      Ok... So what if I don't get off a plane that never takes off, sit next to my invisible friend and remain asleep the whole time next time? Where would be safe to go like that, apart from my sofa for a few hours with some hallucinogeni - s'cuse me, someone at the door...

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 01 2015, @07:48AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 01 2015, @07:48AM (#165302)

      The Supreme Court is often filled with authoritarians who disregard the constitution and modify it with invisible ink in order to give the government more power, and things like this just prove that.

  • (Score: 2) by kaszz on Tuesday March 31 2015, @10:52PM

    by kaszz (4211) on Tuesday March 31 2015, @10:52PM (#165120) Journal

    If you own your own plane. You most likely won't have to put up with this. So is there people that don't fly with their own plane. But still don't have to deal with these TSA harassments?

    On the principle that people in a position to influence these behaviors "won't shoot them selves in the foot (tm)".

  • (Score: 3, Informative) by TLA on Wednesday April 01 2015, @01:53AM

    by TLA (5128) on Wednesday April 01 2015, @01:53AM (#165196) Journal

    ...and they can keep you in that room until you grow old and die.

    --
    Excuse me, I think I need to reboot my horse. - NCommander
  • (Score: 2) by TLA on Wednesday April 01 2015, @02:02AM

    by TLA (5128) on Wednesday April 01 2015, @02:02AM (#165204) Journal

    Fuck flying.

    That's not down to the actual flying bit, I love flying, I love jumping out the back of a perfectly good airplane with a sheet and a pair of goggles, but this scanner and interrogation bullshit to fly from city A to city B? Fuck that. I would rather WALK.

    --
    Excuse me, I think I need to reboot my horse. - NCommander
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 01 2015, @02:34AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 01 2015, @02:34AM (#165232)

      Two Words -- April Fool
      I think the original article is a spoof.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 01 2015, @02:02PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 01 2015, @02:02PM (#165386)

        Every day in the TSA is fool's.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 01 2015, @04:04PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 01 2015, @04:04PM (#165442)

        Unfortunately, it is not an April fools article. It's true and the story has been going around for awhile. I saw it at least a week ago. I can't say I find it a particularly shocking. The TSA has gone so far beyond ridiculous that this CYA policy seems boring by comparision. The TSA decides to stop someone, either because they truly think the person is a terrorist threat, heh, or just for 'respect my authority', or maybe they're just bored. In any case, they can then claim to be following policy by picking any number of options off the list that matches the person. Since the list of options describes everyone in an airport, the TSA is 'following policy' with anyone they stop.

        It is, of course, complete and utter BS, not to mention a massive personal violation of the Citizenry of the U.S. But apparently enough people want it, it isn't going to change any time soon.