http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/0108/p1s2-woeu.html
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Airlines test out 'clean' lists
US and British refine passenger 'profiling' methods post-9/11.
By Peter Ford | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor
PARIS - Airlines are devising a new way of classifying their passengers, and it has nothing to do with first class or cattle class.
In tomorrow's security-conscious world, you will either volunteer personal information in advance to the airline you want to fly on - and get onto a "clean" list once your details are verified - or submit to lengthy questioning each time you board a plane.</font>
Would you submit your information to the airline or to a government agency (possibly to be shared worldwide) to get onto a "clean" list. At first thought, I would do so if it meant that I could breeze through security without having to worry about being questioned and poked and prodded. But then, now some government agency will definitely be tracking all your comings and goings. Shades of
Big Brother come to mind.
But what is to stop a terrorist to plan years ahead, make sure they get onto the "clean" list, travel back and forth enough so as to not raise suspicion. Then, when the time comes for them to commit their crime, they can breeze through security? Yeah, a clean list would be nice, but the airlines still need to have competent security personel to review x-ray and bomb sniffing machines. A "clean" person could still sneak on board contraband.
Would you submit to being on a "clean" list?