Recently returned from a trip to DXB and IST. In DXB after I got my ticket and went thru the screening, the guy watching (or not watching) the monitor was talking to the guy checking us as we walked thru the portal. He never even looked at the monitor. As I picked up my bag I stopped and watched a little more. While I was standing there at least 5 more people went thru and the monitor person -never- looked at the monitor just continued laughing and continuing his conversation with the other guy.

Then when I returned from IST and were going thru in transit screening, the same thing happened - the attendant were very busy in iving conversation and laughing, ignoring the monitor and not really watching people walk thru the portal.

Wanted to stop and say something - after all it is -our- safety that is being put at risk bt didn't. Thought well here I am in another country, I don't speak the language, and could be inviting all sorts of trouble for myself.

Would you have spoken up? Still bothers me.

Nothing that happens at a TSA checkpoint contributes to aviation safety*. It's all just for show anyway, so what difference does it make whether the actors are playing their roles passionately or passively?


*except, possibly, the swabbing

Swabbing works best.
X-rays are pretty marginal at best, requiring a hand inspection.
Everything else is for security theater.

I know this forum is obsessed with the TSA but I can assure you they do not work in DXB or IST, having recently passed through both of those airports...

Nice try though.

I wouldn't have bothered to report it either.

Heck, if it was in the US and somebody got away with it I don't know that I'd bother. Stateside it might cause a terminal dump, or at least do something else to inconvenience everyone. (The only thing that would motivate me to do it here is to embarass the TSA.)

These clowns don't come to my place of work to help me with my tasks. Why should it be my responsibility to do their jobs for them? If they're taking responsibility for security in the terminals, then they need to actually do their jobs and quit spouting off this "security is everyone's responsibility" nonsense. The day security becomes my responsibility is the day they allow me to carry loaded firearms past the security checkpoint and onto the plane.

As usual, some people don't bother to read the OP . . .

amend my post to say "Nothing that happens at a checkpoints in the U.S. or countries that allow themselves to be influenced by U.S. standards contributes to aviation safety*. "

You need to report it when you see it. There are cameras all over the place at most airports and they will verify your story and action will be taken.

Wow that is an ignorant statement/

Unbelievable. Have you ever actually left the US? Any experience whatsoever of these countries in particular, their screening processes, their level of co-operation with the US?

Or is this just another blindly ignorant comment that further damages the credibility of the "get rid of the TSA at all costs regardless of what the topic is about" mob? Yeah - thought so. Your statement couldn't be further from the truth.

I am positive that both questions can believably be answered in the affirmative.

TSA has engaged in "security" theater at DXB and IST -- repeatedly so -- although there is "security" theater at DXB and IST that continues to exist independent of TSA engaging in "security" theater at DXB and IST.

The *only* area where there is any involvement from US security authorities in either of these airports is for flights that depart non-stop from them to the US. Extra checks are requested, and the airport must be able to demonstrate that it is performing them to allow these flights to operate.

To facilitate this (again, I'm talking about these 2 airports specifically) dedicated "US" security checkpoints are used, to spare the rest of the world from having to endure them.

So - where's your point here? There are two options:

(1) The checkpoints described above were just the regular checkpoints where there is no taking laptops out of bags, no shoes off, etc (I suspect so from the description of the behavior - seen this many times myself) - in which case these checkpoints are nothing to do with the TSA or their ugly policies, or;

(2) The checkpoints were the US specific ones at the gate(s) for US departing flight(s) in which case the security agents should be applauded (in true TS&S) fashion for giving the middle finger to the TSA's ugly policies and sleeping through it

Serious question for you - since you claim to have experience with these airports too. What part of the regular (non-US) security screening process in DXB or IST would you call "theatre"? Or would you just have the whole checkpoint thing abolished?

The above post starts with another false representation and goes on with the presentation of false choices and of yet more false choices.

Some of us don't ignore that it's DHS/TSA that tries to push or maintain various kinds of "security" theater around the world and then complains to no end if foreign or domestic "persons" don't respond as Uncle Sam's TSA footmen demand of such.

Instead of lamenting this "fact" and making somewhat misguided comments related to it, would you like to elaborate? Or are you just talking about this in the "black helicopters" sense, rather than any specifics? That's certainly how it appears, looking at this from an objective viewpoint.

From previous experience this is a favourite tactic of yours - and it completely avoids the issue at hand.

No, you don't need to report it. If security can't do their job properly, that's their problem. The last thing this world needs is another narc.