Originally Posted by Casimir
Either way, I have a hard time understanding the hysteria over answering 5-10 minutes worth of questioning. If the experiment proves worthless, it will be scrapped. And yes, I would rather have the government with all its flaws making that decision than a bunch of frequent flyers (including myself) with their own self interest clouding their judgment.
You have my vote on this too. We would probably be the first to complain if we thought that our security was being compromised also. Security is a pretty thankless task. Much of it is a deterrent and it is difficult to know how successful that is.
Also, whilst I agree that some security "interrogators" may not be up to the task, it is surprising how much does come to light during these interrogations. Many of it is illegal rather than a security risk (smuggling precious stones or other contraband) or just the plain "secret weekend away with the mistress". Of course, none of that is relevant to a security official, however it does allow one to practice the art of judging people's reactions and the way they behave when they are lying..and of course there is the odd occasion when they DO actually catch someone who has malevolent intentions towards the flight itself.