More from Deirdre Walker: non-random random screening at BWI
#1
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More from Deirdre Walker: non-random random screening at BWI
This lady is my hero! She's the retired assistant Police Chief from Mont'y County MD who wrote about being repeatedly chosen for random searches.
Here's her latest essay.
Highlights:
Deirdre, if you're out there, keep writing and send these articles to the NYT and WaPo. Run for office. Seriously.
Here's her latest essay.
Highlights:
Within a few moments, I was met by another uniformed agent, who directed me to a glass-enclosed cubicle located between the screening belts for the B gates at BWI. On my way to the cubicle, I had observed a sign indicating that travelers have the right to decline the imaging machine and request a pat-down instead. It struck me as odd that in order to really see and absorb the information posted on the sign, you would have already passed by or through the imaging machine.
...
At this point, I turned to look over my shoulder and observed a Caucasian woman in her late thirties or early forties standing inside the whole-body imager. I called my screeners attention to this and said. Look over there. Theres a woman in the scanner. You all picked me for a search, and then the very next person you select is a woman. Why didnt you pick a white guy? Where are all the white guys?
She replied, helpfully, We are understaffed today and we dont have enough male screeners to do pat downs. We are not allowed to do opposite sex pat-downs so we are only selecting women for secondary screening.
By this point, I was seated and she was patting down the bottom of my feet. The secondary search, more thorough than the last search I had been subjected to in Albany, but equally ineffective, was nearing completion. I said If you are only selecting women, how is that random?
She said, Youre done. You can collect your belongings, Have a nice day.
...
At this point, I turned to look over my shoulder and observed a Caucasian woman in her late thirties or early forties standing inside the whole-body imager. I called my screeners attention to this and said. Look over there. Theres a woman in the scanner. You all picked me for a search, and then the very next person you select is a woman. Why didnt you pick a white guy? Where are all the white guys?
She replied, helpfully, We are understaffed today and we dont have enough male screeners to do pat downs. We are not allowed to do opposite sex pat-downs so we are only selecting women for secondary screening.
By this point, I was seated and she was patting down the bottom of my feet. The secondary search, more thorough than the last search I had been subjected to in Albany, but equally ineffective, was nearing completion. I said If you are only selecting women, how is that random?
She said, Youre done. You can collect your belongings, Have a nice day.
#2
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Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 4,953
This lady is my hero! She's the retired assistant Police Chief from Mont'y County MD who wrote about being repeatedly chosen for random searches.
Here's her latest essay.
Highlights:
Deirdre, if you're out there, keep writing and send these articles to the NYT and WaPo. Run for office. Seriously.
Here's her latest essay.
Highlights:
Deirdre, if you're out there, keep writing and send these articles to the NYT and WaPo. Run for office. Seriously.
#3
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 57,253
This lady is my hero! She's the retired assistant Police Chief from Mont'y County MD who wrote about being repeatedly chosen for random searches.
Here's her latest essay.
Highlights:
Deirdre, if you're out there, keep writing and send these articles to the NYT and WaPo. Run for office. Seriously.
Here's her latest essay.
Highlights:
Deirdre, if you're out there, keep writing and send these articles to the NYT and WaPo. Run for office. Seriously.
#4
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: USA
Posts: 555
This lady is my hero! She's the retired assistant Police Chief from Mont'y County MD who wrote about being repeatedly chosen for random searches.
Here's her latest essay.
Here's her latest essay.
My favorite quote from the article:
Within a few moments, I was met by another uniformed agent, who directed me to a glass-enclosed cubicle located between the screening belts for the B gates at BWI. On my way to the cubicle, I had observed a sign indicating that travelers have the right to decline the imaging machine and “request” a pat-down instead. It struck me as odd that in order to really see and absorb the information posted on the sign, you would have already passed by or through the imaging machine.
~~ Irish
Last edited by IrishDoesntFlyNow; Nov 10, 2009 at 6:09 am Reason: close a tag
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#11
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And???
Deirdre Walker claims that she is repeatedly chosen for "random" screening and postulates that it is because she looks compliant. She claims that the signage at BWI is in a completely inadequate position to do what it's supposed to do: inform people of their options before the machine. She further claims that BWI were only selecting women for "random" screening because only women screeners were available.
Do you have anything to say in reply other than "Of course I am."
Deirdre Walker claims that she is repeatedly chosen for "random" screening and postulates that it is because she looks compliant. She claims that the signage at BWI is in a completely inadequate position to do what it's supposed to do: inform people of their options before the machine. She further claims that BWI were only selecting women for "random" screening because only women screeners were available.
Do you have anything to say in reply other than "Of course I am."
#12
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Florida
Posts: 3,006
And???
Deirdre Walker claims that she is repeatedly chosen for "random" screening and postulates that it is because she looks compliant. She claims that the signage at BWI is in a completely inadequate position to do what it's supposed to do: inform people of their options before the machine. She further claims that BWI were only selecting women for "random" screening because only women screeners were available.
Do you have anything to say in reply other than "Of course I am."
Deirdre Walker claims that she is repeatedly chosen for "random" screening and postulates that it is because she looks compliant. She claims that the signage at BWI is in a completely inadequate position to do what it's supposed to do: inform people of their options before the machine. She further claims that BWI were only selecting women for "random" screening because only women screeners were available.
Do you have anything to say in reply other than "Of course I am."
#13
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Sorry, TK, but I don't have the faith in BB that you do.
Last edited by RadioGirl; Nov 11, 2009 at 5:57 pm Reason: spelling
#14
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And the response will be, at it has in the past, that every last WBI machine is properly and clearly signposted and that every passenger is clearly offered a choice and that TSA is doing it all perfectly. Or, more likely, he'll just ignore it and move on to another puppy post.
Sorry, TK, but I don't have the faith in BB that you do.
Sorry, TK, but I don't have the faith in BB that you do.
#15
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