Originally Posted by
Denverbounding
I posted a rant a week ago or so about an annoying gate check in Denver.
I noted that my wife seems to get pulled aside often for random checkpoint patdowns -- and -- of course -- she was grabbed for the recent gate check.
A poster noted that maybe she looks like she would not cause trouble, so they grab her for their random checks.
Been thinking about it, it seems to make sense. I am never pulled aside. I'm 6'2" and work out and when I am in the airport the security drama sets a nasty scowl on my face.
Wife is the picture of a merry Danish farmgirl -- only lacking the braids.
She submits to the extra patdowns without a whimper and is smiling and pleasant. Myself, I would be confrontational and questioning.
In the airport a few days ago and saw they had drug out "anybody's favorite grandma" for extra attention.
There may be merit to the "sheeple grab" theory.
The answer to your question is, yes. There are many stories here on FT about how a well timed scowl or look the other way causes a passenger not to be selected, but where a smile or eye contact does the opposite.
That said, if this is the case, then there is a mistake in your post. By definition,
the process then isn't random (as you wrote)
, it's arbitrary.