Airport profilers: They're watching your expressions

Seattle Post-Intelligencer ^ | December 25, 2007 | By PAUL SHUKOVSKY

[SubGeniusX]

facecrime?

He did not know how long she had been looking at him, but perhaps for as much as five minutes, and it was possible that his features had not been perfectly under control. It was terribly dangerous to let your thoughts wander when you were in any public place or within range of a telescreen. The smallest thing could give you away. A nervous tic, an unconscious look of anxiety, a habit of muttering to yourself — anything that carried with it the suggestion of abnormality, of having something to hide. In any case, to wear an improper expression on your face (to look incredulous when a victory was announced, for example) was itself a punishable offence. There was even a word for it in Newspeak: facecrime, it was called. (Nineteen Eighty-Four, Part 1, Chapter 5)

[SubGeniusX]

Scary...

[SubGeniusX]

Libertarian ping! To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here.

[BenLurkin]

The program, however, has raised privacy and civil liberties concerns. "The problem is behavioral characteristics will be found where you look for them," the American Civil Liberties of Massachusetts legal director John Reinstein told The Washington Post.

So the ACLU lawyers don't want racial profiling and now is doesn't want this either?

Do the ACLU lawyers ever get on a plane?

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

But a central task is to recognize microfacial expressions -- a flash of feelings that in a fraction of a second reflects emotions such as fear, anger, surprise or contempt, said Carl Maccario, who helped start the program for TSA.

Then, I'm already in trouble since I have nothing but for contempt for TSA after regularly watching them hassle elderly men and women of obviously European descent while waving Middle Easterners on through the check point.

[massgopguy]

My boss was coming home from Israel and the Security at Ben Gurion asked him if he had packed his suitcase himself. He answered that he had and it had not been out of his possession. They Yellow Tagged him for answering a question they had not yet asked.

[TheThirdRuffian]

Apparently, they single out parents traveling alone with a three year old.

Or at least that is my experience.

Disney Princess backpacks are deeply suspicious.

[taxcontrol]

LOL - I was asked where I was heading once by a TSA screener. I told them “The bathroom”. To which they replied “Business or Pleasure?”. I just kind of stared at the guy until he realized the conversation (took about 10 seconds).

[G8 Diplomat]

1984 was supposed to be a warning, not a compliment.

[Doogle]

..here's an expression, the ex wife expression

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Just because they say they have the technology, doesn't mean they do.

The government will buy anything, whether it works or not, as long as it is outrageously expen$ive.

The first law of bureaucracy is: "He who spends the most money is the most important."

[Tijeras_Slim]

Meanwhile, this guy gets extra drink coupons.

[StolarStorm]

Great. That means that those of us that have a slight case of aspergers syndrome will get searched every time we fly.

[Smogger]

"How are you today?"

"Where are you heading?"

"Is this all your property?"

"Papers, please!"

Wow. Just insert add a German accent and we can all travel back to 1939 Europe.

[JeeperFreeper]

And to add to your number 2: “and is produced by a big campaign contributor or close relative”

[purpleraine]

We had a flight home out of DeGaulle 6 weeks after 9-11. A guy went through the line and interviewed us. Another guy, who I took as the supervisor, stood behind him and mad dogged us over the first guy’s sholder. Human lie detectors?

[John Jorsett]

[Smogger]

Yellow tagged? What the heck? Did they slap a Star of David on him or what?

[null and void]

I get that a lot...

[rahbert]

At SeaTac you are hassled by TSA whilst hijabbed Somalis
clean the plane. Its like they deliberately attempt to
cause unease and resentment.

Its beyond stupid to employ immigrants from the Umma whose
backgrounds one can only guess at to do this whilst TSA guys
hassle granny in line.

Oh well, we voted for it. Who is the Rep for SeaTac/Burien?