Makes me think...

[labelleizzy]

Something to think about:
Do I have the right to refuse this search?
and
Where are all the white guys?

If you have other links on this or similar subjects, feel free to share them. Or stories of your own screening ... difficultieschallenges.

Comments

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

I used to be regularly selected for secondary screening. I put this down to two facts: 1) I often travel alone (and have only been selected for additional screenings when traveling alone), and 2) When traveling alone, I generally travel light - I check no luggage, and instead carry my possessions in a backpack and in my pockets. I also tend to look pretty gutter-punky when I fly.

I initially responded to the additional searches by being disgruntled and impolite. This availed me nothing. My current strategy is to be obnoxiously cheerful going through the first line of security. I hop up on the table where you sit stuff that's waiting to go into the xray machine, and swing my legs while doffing my shoes. I pull my coat off and cheerfully offer to take off the rest of my clothing. I smile ALL THE TIME, and sometimes make up little nonsensical songs while in line.

So far, since employing this method, I have never been singled out for additional screenings, even when looking my gutter-punkest. I suspect this is because the screeners think that I am mentally ill or perhaps developmentally disabled, and likely to cause an embarrassing scene.

[ribbin.livejournal.com]

I don't usually get singled out, and I think it's because I cause problems. I NEVER fly squeaky-clean. I always have SOMETHING that draws attention- big, clunky boots, a weird backpack full of strange objects, a leather jacket with so many zippers the x-ray machine goes haywire, whatever. Basically, I send the sign that I have no problem drawing a lot of attention to myself, and I'll be a pain in the ass to completely screen. Then I make sure I never actually set off the metal detector (which means they HAVE to screen you). So far, 100% success.

Funny story: Last time I flew to TX, I had my bodhran and a bagpipe practice chanter. Two-part thing with a reed in the middle, one piece maybe a foot long, the other maybe 9 inches. Well, the whole thing is high-density plastic, so it shows up like concrete on the x-ray. Bag goes through. Bag stops. Bag backs up.
Tech: *clicks a few buttons*
Me: "Is there a problem?"
Tech: *clicks buttons*
Me: *craning my neck to see the screen* "It's a practice chanter."
Tech: (distracted) "Uh-huh." *clicks buttons*
Me: "For a bagpipe?"
Tech: "Uh-huh..." *clicks buttons*
Me: "It's like a flute."
Tech: "Oh! Ok."
Bag continues.

The exact same scenario plays out on the way home.

[barnabas-truman.livejournal.com]

“We are understaffed today and we don’t have enough male screeners to do pat downs. We are not allowed to do opposite sex pat-downs so we are only selecting women for secondary screening.”

Wow. That is quite possibly the biggest hole I've ever seen in any security system.

[capnkjb.livejournal.com]

At BWI, I got stopped for having what looked, on the x-ray, to be a bomb - in actuality, it was a solar-powered rainbow maker (with gears and a pin) sitting in front of this kind of scrapbook. It was kind of hilarious to watch the TSA people call each other over, puzzling over what this cheerful little white girl has in her bag.

Jim also got stopped, but that was because apparently PS3s are in the same category as laptops, only they don't mention it, so when you have one in your bag, you'd best take it out or they'll freak out. He was not as cheerful as me, however.

But yeah, overly-perky and smiley is how I get through all that. It's not necessarily the TSA agents' fault that their rules are so incredibly stupid, and anyway they're people too, so I'm nice to them. However, I'm getting really really sick of taking off shoes and sweaters and pulling out toiletries and laptops in the name of a "security" system that is one of the bigger recent governmental jokes I've had the pleasure of suffering through.