"You were randomly selected!"
Nov 14, 2014, 11:23 am
#31
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Arizona, USA
Posts: 2,403
I think it was in 1986, I was with my family at Heathrow Terminal 4. There was a group of gentlemen in front of us checking in. I don't remember where they were from. The BA agent turned to the woman at the next desk, she asked, "Do you have any more red stars?" She then stuck a red star on each boarding card.
My father, having no boundaries, asked, "What are the red stars for?"
"Random security search, sir."
I think that the notion of random screening really helps as a buffer if someone claims to have been unfairly targeted. There was litigation against US Customs about unfair targeting ("Flying While Black.") See the GAO's March 2000 report: "Better Targeting of Airline Passengers for Personal Searches Could Produce Better Results."
The bottom line is that the TSA and other agencies should really focus their attention on those who present with more obvious threats. But this requires a level of thought processing, analysis, and protection of civil liberties that the TSA is unable to achieve.
Since the TSA can't really figure out those passengers who might warrant further inspection, and because they are "needles in a haystack," they resorted to random screening. This long predated the TSA.
I've seen many permutations of randomness
- The button one presses for a green or red light at customs in Mexico
- "Continuous Secondary" in which a TSA agent must stop and frisk a passenger as soon as he or she is done with one. This was in place at SFO for quite a while. This is still the case for secondary screening at the gate for US-bound international flights operated by US carriers.
- Machine-controlled random. Modern metal detectors can be set to go off at genuine random intervals. One can just set the total number of random "long beeps," but they can occur consecutively or at long intervals. It is genuinely random. The operator can just set the percentage of passengers subject to long beeps.
- Screener discretion
- Computer assisted profiling that includes random screening ("SSSS") for no apparent reason
- Some metal detectors are equipped with silent alarms. This can give the screener the ability to say that a passenger was "randomly selected" even though there was no indication to the passenger. This can also give the screener the ability to call "random!" when the machine itself had not alarmed.
The nature of the random inspection varies widely. In the UK, it might mean a profoundly thorough frisking, baggage inspection, and trace detection swabs. In Germany it might mean a 5 to 10 second wanding. Until this month, it meant hand swabbing for explosives in the US, but that has sadly given way to body scanning and/or frisking.
I oppose random screening in just about every context. Random locker searches have not been shown to reduce school violence. Random drug testing of teenagers has not been shown to reduce substance abuse. And the incidence of substance abuse in teenagers is far greater than the incidence of weapons on commercial flights.
My father, having no boundaries, asked, "What are the red stars for?"
"Random security search, sir."
I think that the notion of random screening really helps as a buffer if someone claims to have been unfairly targeted. There was litigation against US Customs about unfair targeting ("Flying While Black.") See the GAO's March 2000 report: "Better Targeting of Airline Passengers for Personal Searches Could Produce Better Results."
The bottom line is that the TSA and other agencies should really focus their attention on those who present with more obvious threats. But this requires a level of thought processing, analysis, and protection of civil liberties that the TSA is unable to achieve.
Since the TSA can't really figure out those passengers who might warrant further inspection, and because they are "needles in a haystack," they resorted to random screening. This long predated the TSA.
I've seen many permutations of randomness
- The button one presses for a green or red light at customs in Mexico
- "Continuous Secondary" in which a TSA agent must stop and frisk a passenger as soon as he or she is done with one. This was in place at SFO for quite a while. This is still the case for secondary screening at the gate for US-bound international flights operated by US carriers.
- Machine-controlled random. Modern metal detectors can be set to go off at genuine random intervals. One can just set the total number of random "long beeps," but they can occur consecutively or at long intervals. It is genuinely random. The operator can just set the percentage of passengers subject to long beeps.
- Screener discretion
- Computer assisted profiling that includes random screening ("SSSS") for no apparent reason
- Some metal detectors are equipped with silent alarms. This can give the screener the ability to say that a passenger was "randomly selected" even though there was no indication to the passenger. This can also give the screener the ability to call "random!" when the machine itself had not alarmed.
The nature of the random inspection varies widely. In the UK, it might mean a profoundly thorough frisking, baggage inspection, and trace detection swabs. In Germany it might mean a 5 to 10 second wanding. Until this month, it meant hand swabbing for explosives in the US, but that has sadly given way to body scanning and/or frisking.
I oppose random screening in just about every context. Random locker searches have not been shown to reduce school violence. Random drug testing of teenagers has not been shown to reduce substance abuse. And the incidence of substance abuse in teenagers is far greater than the incidence of weapons on commercial flights.
Nov 15, 2014, 10:36 am
#32
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Laguna Niguel, CA
Programs: AA PLT, 1.8mm
Posts: 6,988
going through the PreCheck line at DSM on a recent saturday morning at 5 am, I cleared the WTMD (no metal alarm) and 2 seconds later it beeped, TSA told me I was randomly selected for secondary screening, and directed me to the scanner. Informed them that I was opting out. As I waited for my "male assist", the next 2 people through the PreCheck WTMD also got the "random secondary alert". Random indeed.
Nov 15, 2014, 11:21 am
#33
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 3,657
going through the PreCheck line at DSM on a recent saturday morning at 5 am, I cleared the WTMD (no metal alarm) and 2 seconds later it beeped, TSA told me I was randomly selected for secondary screening, and directed me to the scanner. Informed them that I was opting out. As I waited for my "male assist", the next 2 people through the PreCheck WTMD also got the "random secondary alert". Random indeed.
Nov 15, 2014, 4:50 pm
#34
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Arizona, USA
Posts: 2,403
Aside from the pointlessness, I feel like the TSA should have a very low percentage of randoms.
If I put myself in the shoes of a TSA staff member, I would dread having to tell people who went through background checks, paid $100, etc. that the machine was set at 30 percent random long beeps.
It also seems particularly pointless to let someone into a full-body scanner with shoes, outerwear, etc. The machine can see through those. So it either results in a total waste of time or a frisking. I see no value in this method, and I dare the TSA to explain it.
If I put myself in the shoes of a TSA staff member, I would dread having to tell people who went through background checks, paid $100, etc. that the machine was set at 30 percent random long beeps.
It also seems particularly pointless to let someone into a full-body scanner with shoes, outerwear, etc. The machine can see through those. So it either results in a total waste of time or a frisking. I see no value in this method, and I dare the TSA to explain it.
Nov 15, 2014, 8:54 pm
#35
Moderator: Manufactured Spending
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 6,578
In principle, I have no problem with random searches. Many government agencies use random searches, for example the IRS randomly audits people and customs randomly inspects cargo containers. However, I would impose two conditions.
1. It needs to be truly random, with no human input. The output of the machine that selects people should be plainly visible, so that there is no room for staff to manipulate it.
2. The additional search given to selectees should be constitutionally permissible for the general public. Being randomly selected does not constitute an elevated level of suspicion that justifies a more intensive search than what the doctrine of administrative search normally permits.
1. It needs to be truly random, with no human input. The output of the machine that selects people should be plainly visible, so that there is no room for staff to manipulate it.
2. The additional search given to selectees should be constitutionally permissible for the general public. Being randomly selected does not constitute an elevated level of suspicion that justifies a more intensive search than what the doctrine of administrative search normally permits.
Nov 15, 2014, 11:18 pm
#37
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 579
Does anyone have a guess for what the "random" selection percentage is for pre-check metal detectors? I am curious about whether they have a higher selection rate at airports with body scanners in the precheck lanes than in airports that only use the hand swab for this. Also, I have seen TSOs press buttons at the top and have wondered about whether they are adjusting the rate when they do this.
Nov 23, 2014, 4:17 pm
#38
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Somewhere between here and there...
Programs: WWF, Appalachian Mountain Club
Posts: 11,595
I've grown to fear the beep. I had it three or maybe four times in a row. It's a cruel master, that beep. Sometimes it makes you think all is okay, even to the point of letting you start to grab your bags and walk off, then - BEEP!
On the plus side, and I don't know if I want to laugh or cry about this, I do get to keep in practice with my opt out procedure.
On the plus side, and I don't know if I want to laugh or cry about this, I do get to keep in practice with my opt out procedure.
Nov 23, 2014, 10:29 pm
#39
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 579
I have the same fear as well. After going through the precheck WTMD at MDW yesterday, I was bothered that it took the person behind me in line so long before going through the WTMD with the fear that the beep would come about during the time that it took him to do whatever he was doing before going through. Fortunately for me, the beep came through during or after he went through and that person was selected for the body scanner (which I would have opted out of) instead of me.
In the future, I may try to wait to go through until there is another person right behind me as it seems that this will lessen the odds that I am selected.
In the future, I may try to wait to go through until there is another person right behind me as it seems that this will lessen the odds that I am selected.
Nov 24, 2014, 3:06 pm
#40
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Somewhere between here and there...
Programs: WWF, Appalachian Mountain Club
Posts: 11,595
They actually questioned if they give him the rubdown. Thankfully, he did not receive one. I stood, ready to film.
Nov 25, 2014, 5:57 am
#41
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: DC area and San Francisco
Programs: SWA A-List, OnePass, AA, U-MP, more
Posts: 170
Since this thread is continuing, I'll point out that randomness doesn't matter.
A random inspection is useful if there is persistent activity. Like speeding. Or continuing embezzlement. If you regularly do such an activity, random enforcement will deter or eventually catch you.
But terrorism isn't like that. It's like a single bank robbery rather than slipping a few hundred dollars into your pocket every day. A 90% chance of success is pretty good odds for a one-off attempt.
So what exactly does random selection for screening accomplish?
A random inspection is useful if there is persistent activity. Like speeding. Or continuing embezzlement. If you regularly do such an activity, random enforcement will deter or eventually catch you.
But terrorism isn't like that. It's like a single bank robbery rather than slipping a few hundred dollars into your pocket every day. A 90% chance of success is pretty good odds for a one-off attempt.
So what exactly does random selection for screening accomplish?
Nov 25, 2014, 12:29 pm
#42
Join Date: May 2008
Location: BOS
Programs: TSA TSO
Posts: 455
Does anyone have a guess for what the "random" selection percentage is for pre-check metal detectors? I am curious about whether they have a higher selection rate at airports with body scanners in the precheck lanes than in airports that only use the hand swab for this. Also, I have seen TSOs press buttons at the top and have wondered about whether they are adjusting the rate when they do this.
2) As for touching the buttons, the majority of the time it's to grab the PAX count of how many passengers went through the WTMD for metrics, because TSA loves metrics.
Nov 25, 2014, 5:30 pm
#43
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 579
I have been surprised how often that two people seem to get the beep in a row, but since my experiences are truly anecdotal regarding this, I cannot draw any conclusions from this.
In response to tkey75, is the beep a function of time or is it a function of the number of times people go through the WTMD? If it is a function of the number of people who go through the WTMD, then it should not matter how long after one goes through the WTMD before the next person goes through. If it is a function of time where the last person to go through the WTMD (excluding crew members and perhaps children) prior to the beep is selected, then one decreases one's odds of being selected by going through right before someone else.
Relating to LoganTSO's response, although TSA employees might not be able to share the percentage of people who are randomly selected from precheck body scanners, are there any frequent fliers that can speculate?
In response to tkey75, is the beep a function of time or is it a function of the number of times people go through the WTMD? If it is a function of the number of people who go through the WTMD, then it should not matter how long after one goes through the WTMD before the next person goes through. If it is a function of time where the last person to go through the WTMD (excluding crew members and perhaps children) prior to the beep is selected, then one decreases one's odds of being selected by going through right before someone else.
Relating to LoganTSO's response, although TSA employees might not be able to share the percentage of people who are randomly selected from precheck body scanners, are there any frequent fliers that can speculate?