Folks,

Sorry -- long post ahead that may be viewed as "ranting" ...

This thread and a few others about security have been great reading. I finally have a few minutes and thought I would enter into the fray.

I tend to side with those who think that the enhanced security measures are fluff and window dressing. I say this from a couple of perspectives --

First, A lot failed in our country's national security system before 19 guys got on airplanes with evil intentions on Sept 11th. Witness the INS visas being issued to two of the terrorists 6 months after they did their act. Other than the President getting pretty upset, I didn't see anyone in government particularly upset or embarassed, let alone apologize. But, that would have required someone to be accountable -- a rare thing in a bureaucracy. The terrorists very skillfully exploited many vulnerabilities in our system long before they walked through airport checkpoints.

Second, enter the FAA/TSA into the mix. Shortly after I retired from the Air Force in 1998, I interviewed with the FAA for a senior job in one of their program offices building the next generation ATC system. It was the most bizarre job interview I have ever had. At times, we were almost yelling at each other. Their view of systems engineering was so narrow, it was shocking. The openly spoke of complete disdain towards the Airline Pilot's Association, the Air Traffic Controllers, and the flying public -- private pilots and us passengers. These folks are their CUSTOMERS!!!!

In 1998, I was put on to the FAA by a couple of senior industry leaders who were hoping to get some fresh blood into the FAA. They warned me that, when faced with Congressional or public criticism, the FAA retreats, hunkers down, and leter emerges with some highly visible act to give the impression that they are in charge and know what they're doing.

Those words echo loud & clear every time I make the decision to fly and confront airport security. In my non-lawyer opinion, procedures are a clear violation of civil liberties. Unfortunately, it's going to take a couple of big lawsuits to get this sorted out.

My reaction is to push back when confronted with lunacy. I'm 100% accountable for my actions and I expect security and airline personnel making judgments about us to be the same. I recently had an interesting encounter at DEN in which I was "randomly" searched at the gate. I insisted on watching them search through my case and laptop while they did the wand thing. When they were done, I took my wallet out of my briefcase and counted my money and credit cards in front of the screeners. The two screener said to each other (loud enough for me to hear), "You'd think he thought we were trying to steal his money." I responded, "Well, when we are treated like criminals from the moment we set foot on a airport, I guess you've left us no option but to respond in kind." Also, I bring a couple of folded-up paper towels with me to stand on if my shoes are inspected. Also, I bring a handiwipe to wipe my shoes after they have run the swab on them.

I witnessed another encounter at LAX. A young, well-dressed Hispanic guy was pulled out of line a few people ahead of me. The screener asked him if she could search his belongings. He replied, "Do I have a choice?" She replied, "No." He said, "Don't insult me by asking then." Her reply, "We do it as a courtesy." By then, all of the other screeners had perked up and gone into "alert mode", pretty much like my cat when she's spotted a mouse.

I get a knot in my chest when I see an elderly couple or a family harassed at a gate. I am insulted when I read about screeners passing out candy to passengers. I get chills when I read about a screener who admitted he searches only children.

I know my pushing back, however non-threatening, is personally risky, but, frankly, I didn't wear my country's uniform for 22 years with my finger on "the button" for someone at an airport to order me to unzip my pants. We have put thousands of people in airport security jobs in the position of making judgments they clearly are not in a position to make. I'm not saying they aren't smart people; I'm saying they aren't trained and aren't given rules that make sense. The whole system is built upon the philosophy of "If I don't make a decision, I can't screw up."

The only right we have left, unless we push back, is to NOT fly. I figure my household has spent about $2000 less on air travel since 9/11 than we would have. We now drive for any trip under 500 miles and my wife no longer goes on occasional business trips with me.

Other posters are right -- this will never get any better, reasonable, or probably Constitutional. I'm really disappointed by the ideas of "special lines" and "safe traveler ID's", etc, that people are willingly buying in to. I was reading the other day that someone observed that we are now a conformist society -- completely opposite of the non-conformist society in previous decades. I believe that if the FAA/TSA decided we all had to fly naked and chained to our seats, we'd politely ask the FA where we could hang our clothes.

If we are ever going to get results, reasonable people all over the US and other countries are going to have to say "This is stupid" and do something about it.

I just think about what might not have changed if Rosa Parks hadn't taken that bold step and pushed back.

Thanks for listening.