Randomn my foot!

[Randallw]

As some people may know I went on vacation to visit my nephew (Mother and son doing fine thankyou very much) but this is not about my new nephew. On my trip over I was pulled out of line and told I had been randomnly chosen to be tested for explosives in my baggage and on my person. Never happened before so it was a slightly interesting process to go through. Anyhow I spent my 2 weeks away and then came home this afternoon. I go through the metal detector and while getting my stuff I am told I have been randomnly chosen to be tested for explosives. Randomn my foot. I have a slight suspicion they keep picking me because of my beard . I'll sue, sue I tell ya.

Official security Memo:

All men with beards (especially if they look like they havn't trimmed them for 2 weeks) are to be assumed as terrorists and chosen for bomb tests.

[El_Phil]

I was going into Finland also slightly bearded, but with a recent very short haircut. Carrying a big green bag.

I was also pulled over for a "random" check of my bag and passport. Still I suppose you can't say "Sir you look shifty and we think you could be a terrorist."

[narf poit chez BOOM]

I probably would.

I also tend to occasionally give my *honest opinion when asked for it.

* complete and unabridged...

[ZeroAdunn]

Actually, random checks aren't truely 100% random. There are certain signs that increase your chances of being screened. Things like bying one way tickets, paying in cash, not providing contact information, etc along the same lines.

Also there is a big list of names, if your name matches or is similar enough to a name on the list, expect to get screened.

And then of course, they do select random names......

[General Woundwort]

If it's any consolation, I once saw a five-year old girl getting "wanded" at a security checkpoint at National Airport. I'd love to hear the rationale behind *that* "random check"...

P.S. *I'm* bearded and I haven't been unduly harrassed - but then I'm very Anglo-Saxon in appearance and not likely to be mistaken for a Mid-easterner.

[El_Phil]

That is the mysterious thing. I am roughly as middle-eastern as democracy or womens rights. My only thought is that anyone with a dicey haircut and beard carrying a big green bag of any race are considered shifty.

[rdouglass]

That's the new phrase for 'racial profiling' - random selection.

[Puke]

General Woundwort said:
If it's any consolation, I once saw a five-year old girl getting "wanded" at a security checkpoint at National Airport. I'd love to hear the rationale behind *that* "random check"...

women with children are frequently recruited to smuggle all sorts of things. i wouldnt expect any of them to show up on a metal detector.

i would guess the person running the checkpoint just thought it would be "fun". which it probably was, and im sure it added an interesting experience to the girls trip. a good chance to broaden horizons, and all that.

[Phoenix-D]

General Woundwort said:
If it's any consolation, I once saw a five-year old girl getting "wanded" at a security checkpoint at National Airport. I'd love to hear the rationale behind *that* "random check"...

Perhaps you should recall the stories of terrorists strapping bombs to little kids, then? They have the kids walk up to a checkpoint, the soldiers go "how cute", let the kid get close, and the adult watching from a bush pushes a button.

Wouldn't take much to do the same in an airport. Or use the kid to carry a weapon for someone else on the plane.

[General Woundwort]

Perhaps you should recall the stories of terrorists strapping bombs to little kids, then? They have the kids walk up to a checkpoint, the soldiers go "how cute", let the kid get close, and the adult watching from a bush pushes a button.

Wouldn't take much to do the same in an airport. Or use the kid to carry a weapon for someone else on the plane.

This was a five-year old kid, with no backpacks and no way of concealing a weapon or any object on her person. Neither was she of a Middle-eastern family. There was no logical reason for her to be searched.

Peggy Noonan wrote a piece awhile back saying that our "non-discriminatory" policies in this regard would get people killed. Kids and grannies get "randomly searched" while young Arab men get a pass because we don't want to look like we're "discriminating".