Sleeping Agent
 

Soooo. I'm on the last legs of an itinerary which has taken me from:

SXM-PHL-SFO-KIX-SIN-AKL-NAN-AKL-SIN-DPS-YOG-CGK-CTS-PEK-TPE-ICN-PVG-EWR-SXM

Anyway, I just saw the most outrageous thing I've seen yet... the Shanghai bag screening agent was asleep at his monitor, I kid you not:

http://www.travelingtotravel.com/wp-...ping-Agent.jpg

I don't mean he was half-awake. He was completely asleep. Those eyes were closed tighter than a plane's door during flight. I tried to take more photos, but didn't want the other agents to harass me.

I walked by two more times looking for a duty free shop. The first he was still asleep. The second they moved him to a nearby chair, where he continued his nap.

Is this real life?

Isn't it possible it was his break and he was allowed to rest/nap? And if so, why would that be cause for any concern or outrage?

I would assume that when bags were showing up on the xray machine someone was actually viewing it!!!!!

If he was on a break there would be someone else watching the screen. Surely.

If he would be on break, why are there still bags going thru the x-ray and why isn't there a replacement agent? :confused:

Happens more often than you might expect.

Any process dependent on humans is always subject to disruption by human factors.

Agreed. I've seen them not even looking at the screen as things whizz by on the monitor.

When a bomb goes through the x ray machine and is not picked up there would be international outrage.

Sleeping Agent
 

He was most certainly not on a break. He was the only one in front of the screen.

Some agents may look away, but I'd guess few dare to fall asleep.

Either he is lazy and incompetent, or he understands the futility of the screening process and sees no harm. I hope for the latter but lean towards the former.

Sleeping Agent
 

A lot of those countries the security is just for show. The Philippines searches bags everywhere, even in malls but they never look through the bag they just wave over it. I have walked through metal detectors in some Asian countries wearing several pieces of metal but never set off an alarm or was stopped.

Perhaps sleeping agents pretend o be sleeping, but always acutely aware of the situation going on.

The agent must be peaking through the side of the eyes at his computer.:)

Leaving MEX for IAD last week, the agent that was supposed to check boarding passes and passports before security was asleep on her feet. I just walked past. A few seconds later, she approached me in line to check my credentials.

Is this just fantasy?

I'm sure his Spidey sense was engaged.

Caught in a landslide, no escape from reality.


It seems pretty obvious to this landlubber that sitting for long periods staring at pictures of bags would be pretty soporific. I seem to recall the TSA trying to find ways to deal with this; they now limit the amount of time that an agent can be on x-ray duty.

This is China. He probably has 特異功能.