Yeah, especially if his name is Mohammed and he has a nice tan. :D

I was asked to remove my wallet and the other contents of my pockets prior to the pat down. The TSA agent directing the show decided to thumb through my wallet. I don't believe he bothered to ask for permission first. However, since I had nothing to hide and was operating under the assumption that full cooperation would expedite the process (until the full extent of the dilatory tactics became obvious), I decided not to object.

Yes.

I am white. And I do understand the extra hassles and inconveniences people who look Arab or have Arab-sounding names experience at the airports. Very similar, I suspect, to the "driving while black" treatment that African-Americans all-too-frequently get.

That's not what I mean at all. I would greatly prefer not to be inconvenienced by secondary screening. Especially so when I don't set off any alarms at the metal detector either with my person or with my carry-on items. However, I can live with, albeit not be thrilled with, being subject to additional security screening provided that it is conducted in good faith and in a prompt and reasonable manner.

As for waterboarding, perhaps we should leave that topic for OMNI lest we exceed the bounds of this forum. Suffice to say there is a vast difference, in my judgment, between applying harsh interrogation tactics to high-value Al Qaeda captives like Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who undoubtedly have innocent blood on their hands and critical information about future terrorist plots at their fingertips, and unduly hassling ordinary and law-abiding citizens and visitors of any race and ethnicity as they make their way through our airports.

Actually, Continental allows on-line check-in for international flights. I do it all the time.

And will you be "the decider," in the fractured parlance of your hero, of who "undoubtedly have innocent blood on their hands and critical information about future terrorist plots at their fingertips," and who "are ordinary and law-abiding citizens and visitors of any race and ethnicity [making] their way through our airports?" If you are that all-knowing, perhaps we don't need the TSA.

How do you expect the TSA to determine whether or not you are a "high-value Al-Qaeda captive," without the use of the tools you are so anxious to use on possibly innocent brown-skinned people?

All I can say is, I'm glad you're not my lawyer.

Are you serious? Are you really comparing operations by NSA and CIA operatives working overseas in actual enemy areas to the dingbats who "man" the TSA checkpoints? Placing these fools with 10 minutes of "training" anywhere close to the level of real security professionals dealing with genuine issues indicates your extreme lack of understanding of what passes for airport security these days.

It's late. Either you have misunderstood me, or I have misunderstood you. Please remind me where I referred to NSA and CIA operatives working overseas in "actual enemy areas."

BTW, I was not aware that the NSA had operatives working in enemy territory. Perhaps you will enlighten me.

^
Agreed.

Well I was going to hold off posting about our ordeal with some TSAholes but I guess I'll go ahead and post it.

The problem is that not everyone who is water-boarded or otherwise tortured or mistreated or even killed as part of "interrogation" is as obvious a criminal or terrorist as Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.

There are hundreds who are let free after the "interrogation" because it becomes obvious they are not terrorists, or who are held indefinitely or even die in captivity though there is nothing to suggest they are terrorists.

Therein, my friend, lies the problem.

Whatever happened to the "innocent until proven guilty" principle our country's legal system was once based upon? What would your reaction be if your family member was being water-boarded at Gitmo despite having no ties to terrorism and without having access to a fair trial?

dupe, deleted

In support of SAT Lawyer's point and as a fellow NW Plat: I try that technique (only show them the immediate flight BP) every time I fly, and every time, the TSO at the document checking station unfolds my OLCI sheet to review the entire itinerary. The "institutional" manner in which they do this consistently clearly indicates that this process is part of their training.

It's all I can do every time not to say, "Glad you reviewed all my BPs there pal...America is far safer now." I'm gonna slip one day, I just know it...

Not all airlines print them that way. Maybe a few seconds of quality time with a paper cutter is in order.

Agreed...I always think to do it and I just never do (and as you know, I pretty much fly NWA exclusively). Do you do this?

^^

A person after my own heart as I was thinking the exact same thing. :D

Or a quick stop by the airport kiosk to 'reprint' boarding passes. Then you could even try the "wad & toss" as you clear security & board using your un-scribbled upon home-printed pass.