Originally Posted by L-1011
Is THAT what they were doing in DFW (and apparently still are) as I wrote about a few months back? I wondered what the TSA was doing "helping" with the ID checking. I must not have been suspicious looking because I wasn't pulled aside.
They did it at a number of airports; not sure if DFW was one of them, but that's what this sounds like.
If all TSA can brag about is how many "regular" crooks they have been catching, I don't think this is a program suitable for TSA. They should be looking at transportation security and leave the rest to regular LEO. There is a very thin line around the "general consent" to screening and I'm afraid this can very well cross that line.
The problem is twofold: (1) the techniques can't tell the difference between someone smuggling drugs or nervous about having "too much" money on them and (2) there are almost no terrorists, but lots of other people doing other potentially illegal stuff.
So what you end up with is a lot of catches of people who are no threat to aviation security. Since I don't favor using the TSA as an arm of the DEA, I've got mixed feelings on such a program.
Originally Posted by Mats
"It's been very effective overseas."
Hmmm...
"That's all the questions I have. Gate 16, Mr. Reid. Have a pleasant flight. Please keep your carry-on luggage with you at all times. Nice shoes."
Actually, as I understand it, it was the behavioral profiling people who said that something was not right with this guy - two days in a row - but the airport security people said he was OK to fly over their objections and let him on.