Let me preface this rambling by saying not only am I not an airline expert, I most certainly am not an airline security expert either. Rather, I am just a frequent flier who spends a lot of time in airports and these are my thoughts.
It seems that the ire of the flying public has once been raised by a new TSA imposition. This time it has to do with body scanners and pat downs. Now, I’m not exactly sure what they can see in the scans or who sees it or what they are hoping to find by doing a fairly cursory, if not invasive, pat down. What I am very certain of though is that these actions aren’t really doing anything to strengthen security efforts at airports.
After all, we’ve seen this before, haven’t we? First it was taking off our shoes, then limitations on liquids and printer cartridges (I still don’t understand that one) and now this. Pretty soon it’ll be easier just to show up naked with no luggage.
The truth is, this is all for show. Nothing is really being accomplished through many of these measures. Yes, terrorists once tried to use a shoe bomb and yes there was an underwear bomber, but I am pretty sure that after getting caught the bad guys won’t be trying these same techniques twice. Rather, they are unfortunately already thinking of new ways to circumvent current security precautions. And that’s the problem, our airport security measures look backwards and not forwards.
If you read my site then you know that I was recently in Israel. Israel is of course famous for its tough security measures, particularly when it comes to securing air travel in and out of Israel. Their track record would also indicate that what they do is incredibly effective as there has never been a successful terrorist event on any plane leaving the country.
My experience with Israeli airport security began as soon as I entered the airport. Rather than proceed right away to the ticket agent, I first had to stand in line to be questioned. During this first line of defense, the official examined my passport and asked me a lot of detailed questions about my travels. As a side note, they really didn’t seem to like the fact I was in Morocco earlier this year. After that, I proceeded to have my luggage sent through an x-ray machine after which I received a special tag indicating that I had been selected for more in depth screening. That’s what took some time.
First came the queue. I joined the other “flagged” individuals, all of us wondering what we had done to warrant the full examination by Israeli security. After about an hour or so, my turn had finally come. They went through my suitcase and carryon bags item by item, asked more questions, sent me through a metal detector and I was done. From start to finish it took almost two hours, and I still hadn’t made it to the ticket agent yet.
But you know what? I was never patted down. I never had to take off my shoes. They did take my Diet Coke, but that was my fault for forgetting about it. My experience though demonstrates why Israeli security is so successful.
One, the traveling public doesn’t really know the full width and breadth of their screening process. What I saw during my experience was the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the various checks the security personal run on the flying public. And that’s good. We shouldn’t know everything that they do, that’s what keeps the bad guys guessing. Second, their personnel were professional and competent and had obviously been well trained. Rather than learning how to sort bins for passengers’ shoes, the Israeli officials knew which key questions to ask in order to illicit the information they needed. Lastly, there were no theatrics. There was no rubber gloved pat downs or other ridiculous bits of security theater. Everything they did and everything they asked was well thought out and with reason.
Simply said, Israel is effective because they use behavioral screening and aggressive questioning.
Don’t get me wrong, I know that we need to have strong airport security and I want strong airport security. Israel is a perfect example of how effective having a strong and dynamic program can be. Even though the process in Tel Aviv took forever and really annoyed me, I understand the need for it and appreciate their commitment to my safety. I just don’t feel that many of the TSA policies are really for our security and while that was fine in the past, these theatrics are now becoming a hindrance to travel.
What do you think? Am I just cranky about being touched in personal ways by civil servants? Are scanners and pat downs effective tools?
Who am I? I am a typical Gen-Xer and recovering cubicle-dweller who has a passion for all things travel. My site brings a unique perspective that is hard to find online. I am not a backpacker, nor am I...
I tend to agree. Especially since flying back to the US from foreign airports is more lax than flying out of the country or within the country. I can keep my shoes and scarf on in the Dublin airport. Zurich only cared about my water bottle. Toronto was a bit pushy in questioning since I was leaving a day before my husband, and I had to do a pat down in Frankfurt because their x-ray was broken. But ORD acted like my iPad in a neoprene sleeve was the end of the world. Try asking shifty people some questions instead of making people take off flip flops, TSA.
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I agree with you. I feel like this is very invasive and that things are being taken too far, especially since we don’t seem to have THAT many security incidents. I just flew from Austin to New Orleans and back less than two weeks ago and fortunately didn’t encounter a scanner, but I’m going to be really unhappy when I do encounter one. I watched a clip on TV where it was demonstrated how people will get the new pat-downs if they refuse the scan, and it bordered on sexual. The woman’s breasts were practically caressed. The agents who watch people go through the scans will see some very personal things. How can we trust that they will all be professional and not abuse the privileges? A CNN reporter had one of the pat-downs and said her crotch was even touched and that she felt very violated. I wonder if there will be any sexual harassment lawsuits.
Interesting to hear about the Israel experience. I bet it was frustrating to spend two hours waiting (I guess you have to get to the airport really early in case that happens), but it sounds like that was a lot more effective than taking off your shoes and letting someone feel you up. Sounds much more dignified. All I can say is that I hope this new system catches things that the other measures normally wouldn’t. If not, that’s a lot of wasted money and embarrassed travelers for nothing.
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Ugh.. I’m all a bit freaked out about this stuff. I’m already a nervous flyer and have just started flying again after 10 years hiatus. The only flights so far have been in Europe and fine. I look forward to seeing people in the US again, but dread this entire thing. Maybe the passengers will win. I doubt it for the US though. How ever many people complain, 10x as many just go along to prevent being singled out or hassled.
I did enjoy the comparison with Isreali security. As it does well seem that the entire TSA is about making people “feel” safe not necessarily making them “be” safer.
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Thanks for the comments guys. It just seems to me that we could be doing things better that will at the same time make flying safer.
Emily – The Israeli process is a good one although it can take a while. I didn’t get there early enough and almost missed my flight. LOL But they were great in helping me make it to the gate on time.
Andrew – Don’t worry, flying is safe! Just be prepared to strip down when flying in the US LOL
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Very nicely summarized. A couple of thing you don’t bring up, which I think are improtant. First, the Israeli security agents are extremely well trained, usually come from military/special ops/psychology background, and very likely don’t get paid $10 an hour. The TSA agents we deal with don’t strike me as very well trained and sometimes I wonder if they finished high school. Secondly, I have my doubts as to the level of background checks they undergo. On at least two occasions I’ve had stuff taken from my luggage when there was a TSA notice informing me of the inspection. It’s hard to file a complaint when there is no real information about the agent or the time such an occurrence happens. The third, key, thing that makes the Israeli model unenforceable in the USA is exactly what annoyed you – the time such profiling requires and the dramatically larger number of passengers that fly every day on this continent.
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If you makes you feel any better (or worse) I am a 13year flight attendant with a knee replacement and am treated just as bad! I had to go through serious background checks and carry a government ID and yet I still have to go through the machine or the pat down because of the replacement. One would think that the whole “I’m a flight attendant in uniform that has worked here forever and just came through this same security line yesterday” would warrant some type of authority. Nope!
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I recently had a trip through Southeast Asia on my way from Korea to Canada. I had been teaching for a year in Korea and sent home most of my belongings by mail before I took my trip. I had a stopover in Bangkok that was 12 hours long and lasted through the night. Of all of the airports I’ve been in, Bangkok had the best policy for layovers I’ve ever seen: if your ticket can’t be issued because of the length of time for your layover, they give you a pass for security to get into the lounge. The security staff watch the faces of the people who come through the line and are thus more aware of the passengers than some of the staff I’ve seen in North America, who are more focussed on luggage. To get my ticket for my flight, I had to go back through security to speak to the staff. Overall, they had the chance to screen me three times before I got on the flight. I appreciated this much more than the guards in Canada, who searched my plastic bag of liquids in carry on, interrogating me about my toothpaste. Common sense will go a long way in making people feel safer on flights!
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Christina Reply:
November 22nd, 2010 at 9:00 am
@Marion: It’s amazing how much different countries are more on the ball than others. As it was quoted, The US is more on the past than the future.
The last time that I went through Canada from the US and then back to the US, the Canadian customs were so nice and friendly to me. Not so much to my husband because he had our son and I had already gone to the hotel. Didn’t think about the whole “are you sure you’re not kidnapping this child” thing. Oops. Still very courteous and professional about it and it worked out fine.
On the way back into the “US” (still in the Toronto airport), I saw my husband and son in line (I am flight crew and have to go a different way) and asked the US customs guy if I could wait explaining what happened coming in. He very rudely and quite nasty said that he had nothing to do with that and I had to wait back behind the line because he was “Not Canadian customs, HE was US customs!” I just replied, :”Yeah, I can tell.”, implying that I know you’re US customs because they’re always an asshole even to their own people! To think that I’m just “some “white girl” from Florida in a flight attendant uniform” and he’s talking to me like that. I feel sorry for anyone with a clear ethnicity that comes across this guy!
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