mikeef

I've read so many threads on whether we should/shouldn't have Israeli-type security that I thought I'd jot down my experience last week. I'm going to try to keep this as factual as possible and throw in my opinion at the end. In other words, this is here for informational purposes only, not as a "TSA bashing" post. Obviously, it represents only what I saw, since TLV's security apparatus encompasses far more than what I observed.

Situation: We are a couple of Jewish American 30-somethings. My wife speaks Hebrew, lived for a year on a Kibbutz and has several relatives in Israel. I can read Hebrew (with the vowels) and know five words (mother, father, cat, dog, pencil) as well as an operative phrase or two that I picked up as a teenager and would be censored by FT.

We arrived at TLV at about 4 pm for a 7:30 pm flight, having been sufficiently scared about how long security took at Tel Aviv. You go through a security checkpoint as soon as you arrive and before you reach the ticket counter. There was a line of about 6 people and two uniformed, private security officers handling the line. When we got to the front, the woman asked us where we had been in Israel, how long we had been there and where we were going. Very professional but friendly, and well-trained. She asked if we had friends or relatives in the area, and my wife replied that she did. More questions: Where do they live? What are their names? How often have you been to Israel? Do you speak Hebrew? My wife and the security officer then chatted in Hebrew for a minute, no doubt discussing my devastating good looks and keen intellect. Then a few more questions: Do you have a place you go for the holidays in the states? What is the name of the synagogue? After being satisfied with my wife's answers, she turned to me. She clearly noticed that I hadn't understood their conversation and asked if I spoke any Hebrew. Where did I learn it, in Hebrew school? And then we were done. From the minute we stepped in line until the end of the process, about 10 minutes.

Interestingly, there was a pair of American guys behind us who were backpackers, but they got pulled aside. I'm not sure why, but they got a full bag search. We noticed a few others had gotten pulled aside for bag searches, as well.

After our first stop, we headed to the ticket counter to get our boarding passes. This step was the longest part of our process, with only a few people in line in front of us, but 100 key strokes by the agent to get anything done. Another 10-15 minutes.

After getting our boarding passes, we went through passport control. Tap tap tap of our passport numbers into the computer. They centered on my wife. Were we married? What was her maiden name? What was her father's name. Tap tap tap. Okay, move on. 5 minutes.

Finally, we went through the actual security and WTMD process. No liquids out. No shoes off. I don't remember what happened with my wife's laptop, but I think she had to take it out. The security officers observed the whole process with a sort of casual indifference, or at least that's how it appeared. Belts did come off. Anyone who beeped the metal detector got one more try and then got a quick wanding. There were several lanes open and we made it through in a few minutes.

And then we were done.

Okay, a few observations: The whole process took 30-45 minutes tops, from the minute we walked into the airport to the minute we got to our gate. The entire process was professional and efficient. It involved no unnecessary steps but clearly didn't miss anything. The Israeli version of SPOT is unnecessary, because everyone is a BDO. No one messed around, but no one barked orders, yelled at the passengers or acted unprofessional in any way.

In terms of time, we got lucky. We were there at a relatively quiet time and the airport was built around the security measures, instead of vice versa, meaning there was plenty of space and personnel to keep things moving. I'm guessing that at rush hour, 2-3 hour waits aren't uncommon.

So would I trade in our system for the Israeli system? Tough question. I would absolutely love to see our personnel get the training and leadership that the Israeli group had, focusing on real security. But we simply don't have the same risks that Israel does, and there is no way that we could have a system where a "quick" through the screening process was 30 minutes. Bottom line: there's a lot we can learn, but probably more than we need.

Mike