How to decrease chances of a "random" search.
 

I flew home for Christmas and was "randomly" searched both directions of the STL-DCA rt. The way home, I was nailed because I was the one closest to the screener when he began screening. He just reached for the closest person to him (who was a white male with a small carry-on), and picked him (me) at random. On the return trip, I was seated in the middle of the boarding area. The woman actually pointed to me when I looked up and motioned for me to get over there for the rubber glove treatment. When I got to her, I said "You had to pick me, didn't you?" The male screener heard that and said "She picked you because of these." He pointed to my "Proud to Fly American" button and small carry-on. He actually told me that they like to pick people who look nice and don't have a lot of stuff.

This leads me to my conclusion and topic. It seems that one may greatly lower their chances of being searched if they:

1) become a woman (this probably shouldn't be your 1st line of defense)
2) bring a lot of stuff with you onto the plane
3) show up to board near the end of the boarding process

Any others?

Do what so many other Americans, leisure travelers and business people alike have done.

* * * DON'T FLY * * *

Sad state of affairs we have caused ourselves, don't you think?

They shouldn't call it a "random" search.

The US INS requires visa for passport holders of all countries with about a dozen or two exceptions. They based the exceptions on the percentage of illegal aliens. People from countries like Switzerland don't need to come to the US to pick strawberries.

On a similar note, selected searching is much more effective. Criteria could change as the terrorist profile changes.

Let's look at the math, oversimplifying and increasing the %. Say 1% of the public is dangerous, but 5% of the men from a certain country are terrorists. Say there are 10,000 ordinary people and 100 from the high risk group. Search 100 passengers and you are likely to miss all 5 of the high risk terrorist (5% of 100). Search 80 of the passengers and 20 of the high risk group and you may catch 1 of the 5 terrorists.

It's not random if they are deciding who to pick. That's continuious searching, which is different. Random is when the software randomly generates people to search, which is different then profiling people to search. There are three different selection processes, be it next person in line when there is a space, software identifying you as a potential terrorist, or the software using some random number generator to choose people.

Before you leave for the airport, look in the mirror and ask yourself "Do I look like a terrorist?" If the answer is yes, you'll be fine.

Anyone who knows how to decrease the chance of a search should not post that knowledge.

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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"> It seems that one may greatly lower their chances of being searched if they:
1) become a woman (this probably shouldn't be your 1st line of defense)</font>

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Doesn't work if the searcher is a skanky male who wants to look and play with your underwear.

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I Love New York

I was "randomly" selected at ORD 3 days ago even though I had a brief case and a big fat backpack. I definitely wasn't traveling light.

The random searches you complain about pick the shoe bomber and determine that he shouldn't fly?

The security company was right on. (The French authorities then bungled it and let him fly after being told by the security company not to, twice on two separate days. But that's a side note, as the random searches we're talking about did work in this case).

d

I was randomly serached because I was the only one in the area when exiting customs, and then I was the first one that checked in. I think to avoid random search, be as late as possible but still enough time to make it.

I had to take my shoes off 3 times for my last trip, yet other people never had to take them off, and there were people who were more suspect looking then me!

JRF, I can one up you on the shoes. At the CO security check in DAL (its one gate for an ERJ every two hours, one xray, one metal detector so its small and not many people) I had to take off my shoes FOUR times to the SAME security guard. Go figure.

I really think it is a bad idea to post information like this on a public board. The terrorists can use the internet as well as we can.

I dunno about NOT getting searched, but I did figure out how to ensure that I get picked every time.

The first was quite by accident. I was just bored at the gate and found myself staring (by accident, I assure you!) at one of the gate security folks. When she made eye conact, I did what most americans do and looked away (thats one of the things I love about Paris...staring is a sport!). Next thing I knew, I was pulled out of line at the gate reader. So at ORD, I stared at security on purpose, BAM, got it again. Then stared again at TPA: BAM. DEN: BAM. Etc, etc.

This worked 8 out of 8 times. Now that I know how to ensure that I will get searched at the gate, I'm thinking of putting something very personal and embarassing in my carryon. You know, a big blow up sheep or something.

Hey, fun is fun!!!!

But, clearly, these searches are not random and I stumbled onto one of the profiling keys.



[This message has been edited by kokonutz (edited 01-08-2002).]

Oh, please! Does anyone really believe that REAL terrorists are going to learn anything here that they don't already know? Get serious.

Bruce

When I was in London in December, the movie on TV one night was Airplane 2. The scene where people carry weapons through with no problem, but a little old lady gets buzzed, seems to be spot-on commentary...

Actually, yes.

One of the news reports indicate that Al Qaeda didn't even start looking into biological/chemical attacks until the press highlighted how dangerous they were and how vulnerable we were.

Collectively, FT'ers almost certainly have much more knowledge than the entire Al Qaeda organization put together on how to to move around domestic US airpors in the most expeditious manner.

Agree with Bruce. The terrorists already know more than we do and are laughing at all the foolishness going on. Give me a break.

Here's one for you. Most airports have restricted parking in the first 5,10 or 20 rows of the parking terminal. These are parking terminals separated by a roadway from the terminal. Seems they don't want any car b*mbs there. Well, duh - couldn't they just drive up to the terminal with one? Or in some cases, maybe into the terminal? Or how about this? - maybe just carry it into the terminal in their suitcase. Duh! Do you really think I just gave some secret away? Meanwhile, our economy is being trashed, we are being hassled, felt up, delayed and soon paying more taxes. While this is going on, Bin Laden is laughing his a*s off in some cave somewhere.

Okay... rant off.

I am always amazed when people believe that they know something the other guy doesn't know. Usually, they are wrong. The other guy is just as smart as you are -- maybe even smarter! The only things you know that MAY really be secrets involve activities that no one else really cares about, like your personal medical history, etc.

Certainly everyone with any interest -- terrorists included -- knows how airports operate.

Bruce

While I don't feel anybody will gain one bit of knowledge on how to move around an airport from this or any other source online that is a general discussion board, and while I also don't feel that the items being discussed here are the only security issues faced by a terrorist, if they were then it's best to get them out in the open so the holes can be plugged. Get it all out in the open and let the airports take care of it.

I think it's insane to expect a terrorist will gain enough knowledge here, or many other places online, to make a difference in his plans in the vague and general terms we have been discussing, like carry lots of packages and be a woman.

I travelled through the US in December for the first time in a couple of years and not being a US passport holder noticed that the 'random' gate searches were not 'random' for me or for my partner, 10 from 10.

I did also have problems with my umbrella at JFK but only once I got to the gate, after it had been scanned and approved as carry on at check in. The security guard insisted that it be approved by the pilot before I got on the plane. The UA staff seemed to think the guy was being stupid but went along with him anyway. Maybe he thought I was going to open it on the plane and cause everyone to have bad luck! The most generous comment I could make was that he was taking his job seriously, but a bit of common sense would have been welcome.

An umbrella is alot more dangerous than nail clippers or pocket knives. But then who I am to figure out what the FAA is thinking???

The FAA said on October 8 -- and it's still on the FAA web site -- that nail clippers are OK. But the Argenmorons can't seem to understand that. I carry around copies of the FAA pronouncements, but nobody cares. Tweezers are OK, too, but I had to check mine on November 4 in San Diego.

Bruce

Well, they don't seem to be listening to us about how valueless we think their current security "enhancements" are. If they think we have some valuable knowledge that terrorists could make use of, then they should also tap our collective think tank about how much of our valuable time the FAA is wasting with most of their pointless "security".



[This message has been edited by Spiff (edited 01-08-2002).]

I was in a MOOD today.
When I was picked for a shoe search in ATL this morning, I decided that I had a bad back and that I couldn't take my shoes off be myself. I had the screener who picked me take them off for me, and put them back on. My little bit of revenge.

I love it!!! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gifWhat was her reaction? Hope they had lots of laces.

I saw Michael Badalucco, who plays an attorney on "The Practice," selected for a random full search a few weeks ago on my UA flight.

He was completely pleasant and cooperative. Dressed pretty well, too.

I haven't flown since the Richard Reid shoe thing, but for the past couple years, I've been putting my shoes on the x-ray conveyor and getting lots of comments and stares, especially from security. Reason is I often leave my manufacturing clients with my dressy steel-toes on and found it faster to drop them on the x-ray belt than be wanded starting with my head down to my shoes. Does the shoe removal inspection now involve x-raying the shoes or just a visual once-over?

On the reverse side of that, I have been using my US passport as ID ever since the 11th and have never been 'randomly' selected. But one time as I sat waiting for my flight I played "who would I pick to search if I was doing the searching?", all four of the people I would have picked were AND three of the four had non-US passports.

(I just occured to me to edit this for readers who are not from cricket playing countries)

I had a similar problem at JFK a number of years ago which I'm sure someone from OZ will apreciate.

I few years I had some friends at work who at lunch played cricket in the parking lot with tennis balls, but only had one bat (cricket needs two bats to be played properly). So I decided to pick up a second one up for them while in London, so I went to Lilly Whites and said "I need the cheapest bat you have" (after all they were playing with tennis balls), and was pointed to the Kookaburra model at the end of the rack. (Kookaburra is an Aussie company, and everyone knows all proper bats are made in India :-) ) Unfortunately it did't fit in my luggage.......

So there I was at the security check in at Heathrow having just put my three foot long edged piece of hardwood through the X-ray machine as casualy as is possible to put a three foot long edged piece of hardwood into an X-ray machine in the middle of Heathrow security....

And as I come out the other side of the metal detector I see the nice security man holding the bat in his hands and looking at it very dissaprovingly.. and I think... "oh boy am I in trouble now".... when he looks up and says

"Kookaburra???? eeeuuuuuuwwwwwwwww" and hands me my bat with a look suggesting that I have just confirmed every bad thing he has ever thought about Americans. So I take my bat and promptly carry it into the passanger cabin of a 747...

on my arrival at JFK I clear customs and walk over to go to my domestic flight (I little twin turboprop to Pittsburgh) and this time when I pass through the metal detector I am greeted with

"I'm sorry sir thats a weapon, I can't let you take that on the plane, you are going to have to check it"????????

How could such a thing happen? Simple

In UK;
Q: what is a 3 foot piece of hardwood?
A: must be a cricket bat.

Q: list all possible uses for a cricket bat?
A: playing cricket, mounting on pub walls, hanging above your fireplace so guests will know what school you attended.


In NYC:
Q: what is a 3 foot long piece of hardwood?
A: a baseball bat.

Q: list all possible uses for a baseball bat?
A: hitting people, breaking windows, picking your teeth.... playing baseball?



[This message has been edited by jcrb (edited 01-08-2002).]

Yeah, but think how many people felt "safer" after that. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/rolleyes.gif

Just another in a long line of stupid ideas. Like you could not hit someone with a briefcase or a computer or a purse or parts of a roll on bag, etc.

When will it end?

Couldn't do it today. Walk through security at LGW and I guarantee you that bat is not going with you.

It's on the signs (memorable) and they verbally announce it as they (the security folks) work the line to the xrays.

Regards,
-Bouncer-

Exactly, this is why I have ALWAYS been taking my shoes off and putting them through the X-ray machines since the 11th....

While I would like to have a knife to take on the hijacker with I suspect that my steel tipped boots might even be more effective if push came to.....kick? :-)