Well, while I feel bad for Tim's treatment, let's look at it this way:

2 months ago = October/November. Effects of 9-11 still fresh in everyone's mind.

A non-American male with tickets from Europe to JFK (site of the WTC bombing) planning to enter the U.S. and stay for ONLY 2 days (most folks coming from Europe stay longer), with NO checked luggage and only a "paper bag" with school books in it?

If I were a security guard with any sense, THAT should be ringing some bells. Again, obviously there was nothing there, but that profile SHOULD make someone suspicious.

Tim, I would imagine if you were coming to the U.S. for 1 or 2 weeks, with 1 or 2 items of checked baggage, and maybe a carry-on bag instead of a paper bag, you wouldn't have triggered the security. That having been said, it sounds like you were treated well and were expedited boarding as a result. Not bad.

This is the type of thing that security SHOULD be looking at, rather than having totally random searches and pointless National Guardsmen doing nothing at checkpoints...

- Sameer