More Airport Security Horror Stories

Nealznuze ^ | 3-11-02 | Neal Boortz

[Dick Bachert]

We received this e-mail from an airline pilot over the weekend.

I'm a 21 year Delta Captain and former Marine pilot. I swear to you this happened!!!!! Flt 3958, Continental Express, IAH-MOB, 8 March. Random security check prior to boarding......a 90+ year old woman who could walk only with assistance, and (I assume), her daughter were fingered. The old lady was asked to remove her shoes so her feet? could be wanded with the metal detector....she couldn't take off her shoes without the assistance of her companion. SHE COULDN'T STAND UP TO BE WANDED, SO SHE WAS EXAMINED AND PATTED DOWN WHILE SLUMPED IN A CHAIR.........SHE COULD RAISE HER ARMS TO THE HORIZONTAL, (for the arm pat-down), ONLY WITH HELP!!!!!! I tried to get the daughter's name so I could document this fully, but she didn't want to help.....I think she really felt she was doing her part for "security". I wish I'd had a video cam...I still can't believe I saw it...and not one of the 50 plus people who were standing there uttered a word in protest.

The flying is still fun, but I can't wait to retire.

BTW, the security force in BOS are dressed like the Ugandan army...with rank, black boots, and epaulettes. I love it!

Now .. can anyone figure out why these security screeners would want to harass an old woman this way? Well – if you can’t, I can. It’s called “political correctness.” These screeners are prohibited from focusing their security efforts on the people who present the greatest threat --- people of Middle Eastern descent; people who appear to be Muslim or Arab. It’s just idiotic, my friends. The terrorists, who are almost exclusively Middle Eastern, stand right there and tell us that they are going to kill as many of us as they can. In return we stand right here and tell them that we are NOT going to single them out for special attention at airport security checkpoints because it wouldn’t be politically correct. That would be profiling – and that just isn’t nice.

It’s a wonder some of these people can actually wire their bombs while they’re so busy laughing their asses off at our stupidity.

We’re not through yet. Here’s another story about our “professional” airport security screeners in action.

We traveled this past week from Reagan National Airport to Orlando and back again. We being myself, my husband and my two daughters ages 4 and 2. On the return flight we left Orlando very early in the morning. As we were passing through the metal detector they asked if my 2 year old could walk through by herself. We said yes she could. My husband puts her down and she is carrying her beloved blanket. (About 15" square). Well the screener says she MUST put it thru the conveyor. She began to cry when it was taken from her and screamed when she saw it disappear thru the black hole. She refused to walk thru at that point as she was hysterical. I asked the guy why she couldn't carry it thru and he said "I don't make the rules". Well finally my husband has to pick her up and carry her through and eventually retrieves the blanket. Now immediately following us comes a lady with a coffee cup. She says "I didn't want to put this thru the belt." So the same guy takes it and hands it right back to her. I said "She can walk thru with a coffee cup, but my baby can't carry her blanket?" He says "I checked the coffee cup" Oh my God, he had it in his hand for 2 seconds!!! I was furious, a baby blanket terrorist!! Geesh!

[Dick Bachert]

Here's a highly interesting footnote from Neal's site today.

Help me understand what the hell's going on here -- and when might it end?

******

WOULD 9/11 HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IF WE HAD PROFILED?

By now you’ve probably heard that 9 of the 19 hijackers were singled out for special screening before they boarded their airplanes on September 11th. That’s true. They were. A computer actually picked them out for special attention. But just what did that special attention consist of? One thing … the bags they checked (to avoid suspicion) were gone through. What about searching the hijackers themselves? No go. Not one of the actual hijackers was searched or questioned at the airport – even though a computer had fingered them for extra scrutiny.

OK .. now you’re asking why they weren’t searched. Two words. Political correctness. It seems that the Justice Department had warned the FAA to be careful how this Computer Assisted passenger Pre-Screening (CAPPS) system was used. Arab-American and other civil liberties groups had been pressuring the government to avoid singling out Middle Eastern airline passengers for special attention. A gaggle of Arab-American advocacy groups sent letters to the government warning of invasions of privacy if CAPPS were used to single out Arab passengers. So … on September 11, 2001, the CAPPS computer system identified nine Arabs as possible security threats. Government political correctness allowed all nine to board their flights without a personal search. If they had been white males or little blue-haired grandmas they would have been searched.

No “profiling” problem there.

As Washington Times columnist Rich Lowry writes, “ .. if personal searches and questioning had been routine, a bizarre pattern might have become clear: Why so many Arabs in first class? Why so many box cutters?

Who knows what might have happened then.

[sharktrager]

As a frequent business traveller, I can tell you the folks at the gate know exactly what they are doing. Unfortunately, it's picking the people least likely to be upset.

I was on one flight where they hadn't generated a random list, so the folks at the gate got to pick whomever they wanted. I watched them scan the passengers, and they finally selected me and one other passenger.

The two of us had one thing in common... we were both platinum status frequent fliers, and the gate attendant knew that. In fact, this was a commuter flight, and we were the only 2 platinum status passengers.

They chose the 2 people the airline knew the most about to search.

The reality is that they are profiling. The problem is that those being profiled are not members of recognized minorities, so it's allowable.

[FITZ]

This is ridiculous. They're also letting most of the cars and trucks and buses coming from Mexico through without checks. Strip searching Americans isn't security.

[aardvark1]

thank a lawyer

[Dick Bachert]

...and we ALL know what's so idiotic about the entire exercise, don't we?

It's that since 9/11, anyone -- ANYONE -- who stands up in the aisle of a commercial flight and announces that he/she/it (gotta be PC, ya know!) is taking over the aircraft will almost immediately
A) have the dog squeeze kicked outta him/her/it or

B) quickly assume cabin temperature

all courtesy of the passengers/crew who now know they're probably gonna die anyway and have nothing to lose by going for it.

But, of course, none of these pesky little tidbits of info help the cause of expanding government, sooooo....
we get Barney -- NOT the ubiquitous purple dinosaur who is better qualified for the position, we get the other one -- and virtual strip searches of 80 year-old grandmothers.

WHOM THE GODS WOULD DESTROY, THEY FIRST MAKE INSANE!

[steve-b]

Passing out 12" lead pipes to anyone who wants one would do ten times more for security than the entire army of drones working the stations (even if we only count the time that the stations are plugged in).

[hunyb]

I am 32 years old, white, 5'2", blonde hair, skinny as a rail. I was travelling to Las Vegas about a week ago to visit my family, and both going and coming back i was asked to wait to be searched, made me take my shoes off, so they could check them and my bags gone through.........and while they are searching my 95 lb weakling self, they are letting big, burly, ugly men go through with no hassel.........I HATE pc crapola........the end is near!

[Wild Irish Rogue]

As another platinum status frequent flier, I have come to the conclusion that those responsible for screening, do not want the hassle of checking potential problem passengers. The first airline that announces that all their screeners are ex FBI, ex military, ex police, etc.- I'm flying that airline. The low level screeners they have now, are not confident enough in themselves to challenge problem passengers, so they pick on the business flyers and old ladies.I was also very concerned, while flying over the Pacific last week, to see a problem with cockpit security. Five hours into the flight, while most passengers were sleeping-the pilot came out of the cockpit to use the lav.For a few seconds, that cockpit door was open and vulnerable, most passengers were sound asleep, the cabin was dark-it would have taken precious seconds to get everyone up to speed, if a terrorist was sitting in the bulkhead and made his move. I think the flight attendants should stand guard or ask a few strong men, to come and stand at the bulkhead, when the captain and first officer need to stretch or use the lav on long flights. That window of vulnerability could allow a madman to force his way into the cockpit and then he would be locked in and none of us could do anything about it.I also observed the Arken "Not So" Bright security agents,failing to check picture IDs with passenger tickets,at security areas, in some airports.Flying is such a hassle now- the security is so inconsistent and I have zero faith in the screeners, and the in flight service has been cut way back.I still say the Captain and FO should be the ones to single out those passengers that they want given extra screening.