Given recent events and the ensuing discussions, I have a question. What do you consider suspicious activity? I'm serious - what would trip your internal alarms and cause you to consider reporting activities or even picking a different flight?

Anything said the by TSA. Any behaviour by the TSA. And any rule by the TSA.

^

Given your post wherein you stated that vigilence is needed, what would you consider suspicious behavior?

The three top priorities should be:

1. Unshaven people.

2. Praying people.

3. Showing of bare skin, in particular breasts.

Now, if we can just round these people up, then we should be safe. Oh, and people with shoes and also those with shampoo.

Seriously, short of anyone being very short of doing physical harm to their surroundings, then I'm pretty much tolerant of most things. Heck, I've even endured such dangerous things as flying the flag carrier of an islamic state into another islamic country, probably with a loadfactor well in exces of 70% muslims onboard. Strangely enough nothing bad happened.

As much as billions are thrown at security related to air travel, and how much hoopla is created around travel, then the current security regime is so risk averse that I doubt I'll ever see anything actually security related happen in my lifetime of flying. Now, get in a car, anywhere in the world, and lets discuss morons and security...

-A

When I overhear members of the flight crew talking about the wild weekend they had or how they other wise enjoyed their layovers.

Especially when its crew members I recognize from a flight the day before.

Never changed a flight on the basis of that, but have considered it.

An individual (or group of individuals) reporting suspicious behavior in circumstances where there is no criminal activity is definitely suspicious activity.

Thanks for the insults guys. I really thought that this forum would continue to embrace civility, but I guess I was wrong. It was a serious question - If you don't like the things that bother other people - then tell us what does bother you. I don't really need the insults - just looking for a little insight.

I have to agree about the partying flight crews. They could be considered extremely dangerous.

I also dislike it when I'm on a regional carrier and one or more of the FAs finds it more convenient to talk about his/her recent attempts to get on with one of the majors than to do his/her current job.

Of course by then it's too late to change flights.

I would hope that the posts in the thread were not directed as insults toward you.

The posts responding to your inquiry are a manifestation of a good number of people's growing frustration with all the imagined "suspicious activity" that happens at airports and on airplanes, and with the growing practice of "authorities" -- be it TSA, immigration/customs or airline employees -- and nervous nelly passengers acting like little Napoleons by whimsically claiming suspicious activity that so routinely turns out to be anything but suspicious except in the minds of the ignorant, the bigoted.

This is why I'm trying to find out what you and others consider suspicious activity worthy of notice.

Some of the details mentioned in the MSP story seem a little suspicious. I would NOT have passed a note, but I would have continued to observe. If nothing else occurred, then fair enough. I'm sure I've done my share of weird and suspicious things over the years. The key is observation and not overreaction.

In all seriousness, I've been flying since way back when airports did not even have fences. (Actually, they were called airfields back then, but w/e.) And flew a fair amount in the 70's when hijackings seemed all so frequent.

In all that time, the singlemost fear-generating situations have been seeing one or more visibly intoxicated men get on the plane. It's almost never ended politely. Tho thankfully never with physical injury.

What are some activities you consider suspicious in relation to an airport or airplane?

I consider the reporting of suspicious activity at airports and on flights a suspicious activity, particularly when the result of the investigation results in no convictions for criminal activity of those who were allegedly engaged in "suspicious activity".

In fact most of the "suspicious behavior" reported in the removal of pax in these past months has not been suspicious at all. It has been the observers that have been suspicious. Repetition in the media of supposed suspicious behavior has reinforced the attachment of the adjective to the wrong parties.

As for me, I would find only overtly threatening actions or a glimpse of a weapon to be worthy of reporting someone. By then it would likely be too late anyway.

Trying to read the behavior of travelers who are often stressed, tired, jet-lagged, or whose cultural norms are not familiar to the observer is a fools game.

Surely no trained terrorist would travel as part of group of imams or pray conspicuously in the terminal before getting on the plane as in the most recent egregious display of xenophobia, for example. Surely a trained operative would be as inconspicuous as can be until their moment arrived.

OP, no one insulted you, much. You want to see insults, look at some of the replies to my posts on Omni

Now, in my opinion susicious activity is not necessarily a show stopper in itself. I see plenty of people on planes who I would cross the road to avoid or punch in the face and break a beer bottle over their head with (if Yucatan Liquor Stand, Houston, circa 1991, long story) but I'm more interested in getting to my destination on time than in turning their life upside down.

What does OP think is suspicious? Hmmm, Let me guess...