Airport Profiling - You Better Not Cry, You Better Not Pout! · Jan 3, 04:21 PM
Cripes, as if travelers didn’t have to suffer another humiliation, the TSA is going around airports asking questions and observing body language, and then, if your answers are vague, grilling you in private and possibly arresting you for things that have absolutely nothing to do with terrorism, according to Airport profilers: They’re watching your expressions
TSA officials will not reveal specific behaviors identified by the program — called SPOT (Screening Passengers by Observation Technique) — that are considered indicators of possible terrorist intent.
Not only that, they’re asking questions that are vague and pretty damn hard to answer.
Let’s take one of them: “Is this all your property?”
Ok, so someone in a uniform is thrusting their authoritative chest out at you while asking this question. You know the sweat on your brow might give you away. But what’s the answer? I mean, come on!
“No, I have some other stuff at home.”
“I own property in Tahoe, but it’s not worth much”
“You mean this? Well, it’s all mine except for the vibrator.”
And get this. They’re asking a question so vague there’s no good answer, and you get thrown in the hoosegow if your answer is a vague as the question!
“It’s almost irrelevant what your answers are,” (Carl) Maccario said. “It’s more relevant how you respond. Vague, evasive responses — fear shows itself. When you do this long enough, you see it right away.”
Is there any wonder why Europeans with their strong currency aren’t coming over to the US in droves to shop?
Since January 2006, behavior-detection officers have referred about 70,000 people for secondary screening, Maccario said. Of those, about 600 to 700 were arrested on a variety of charges, including possession of drugs, weapons violations and outstanding warrants.
So, you stop people without a warrant and you catch people for mostly non-terrorist things about 1% of the time. 69,350 people or so are more than mildly inconvenienced.
Barry Bonds wouldn’t need steroids or his right eye to bat .010. He probably wouldn’t need a bat.
“Where are you heading?” (Yet another of the TSA questions).
“To the bathroom.”
“Home.”
“Gay Paree.”
“Straight to hell.”
“Ok, come with me.”
— Guido Veloce
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