Originally Posted by Dovster
Understand that everyone is questioned before getting on a flight. I am 59, male, with an obvious American accent but an Israeli passport, an El Al and Arkia frequent flyer, and I will be questioned until Security is satisified that I present no threat. The difference is that they will be satisifed more quickly in my case.
In addition to the profiling elements I mentioned above -- and, indeed, more important then them -- is if something, anything, seems so far out of the usual as to raise suspicions.
I was talking about the detailed questions; the follow-up questions that are posed to some people but not others based purely on a screener's personal assessment of an individual. I don't know if it's possible to reach that level of screener discretion in all 450 airports manned by TSA compared to the few in Israel. Call me cynical, but I just don't see how TSA can reach that level given its micromanaging bureaucracy, susceptibility to public and political pressure and the basic belief in our society about "fairness" that I described earlier.
Originally Posted by Dovster
Police may not admit it openly but good ones profile all the time. If a cop spots a man in his 50's hanging around a children's playground, he is apt to start up a "friendly" conversation until he feels comfortable about why the guy is there.
If a black male were to be seen near a predominently white high school, having brief conversations with individual students and then exchanging something with them, the cop would find out if he is selling drugs or merely giving out coupons to a local movie house.
If an Orthodox Jew was seen observing a mosque regularly, the beat copy would find out if he is thinking of converting or has a more sinister motive.
The same would be true of a Moslem near a synagogue.
My UIG (Used Italian Girlfriend) lives in a section of Milan which gets no tourism. Last year, she went into a bank near her home while I waited outside reading an English newspaper. After I was there about 10 minutes, two beat cops (a man-woman team that works together) asked me if they could "help" me. I told them I was waiting for my girlfriend and they continued to chat with me for a few minutes. They moved away a bit but stayed until close she came out of the bank.
Now they know me and we exchange greetings when we meet, but I was unquestionably profiled that first time out.
Yes, but you described circumstances which have clearly unusual contrasts. What about the terrorist who is dressed conservatively, is carrying a laptop, is an American Airlines Platinum Club member (or whatever they call it) and even goes as far as mildly complaining about the inconvenience of the security procedures yet complies with them nonetheless? It's tricky trying to break a cover story unless you know specifically how to identify inconsistencies or correctly interpret nervous behavior. It requires a level of skill that, quite frankly, would be better spent in law enforcement or intelligence than at airport security screening.
I hear you about how it should be, and I really don't disagree. I just don't see how it could be accomplished given all the societal and political factors that affect Americans differently than they do other nations. Hate to put it this way, but perhaps if we suffered more frequent terrorist attacks we would change our mindset. But that's a hell of a way to go about it. As you know, Israel has suffered terrorist attacks greater in terms of frequency and poulation percentage than we have in the US which gives Israelis a greater sense of survival.
We're too spoiled in this country to make the connection. Many have already forgotten what it was like on September 11th. Many have returned to the old practice of calling any sense of patriotism and national pride as jingoism and condescending nationalism.