Comments on: Finally, the start of profiling we can believe in

By: Consumer Travel Alliance » Is travel safer after our Christmas wake-up call? Probably not

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 13:38:24 +0000

[...] new regime of limited profiling will make airport security far more efficient [...]

By: Is travel safer after our Christmas wake-up call? Probably not

Is travel safer after our Christmas wake-up call? Probably not — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 16:03:00 +0000

[...] new regime of limited profiling will make airport security far more efficient [...]

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 21:03:57 +0000

Well people are still discussing using FBSs (full-body scanners)
as a primary means of screening. I think given the level of detail these scanners reveal, they should be used solely for secondary screening, not as a replacement for primary screening. The use of FBSs for primary screening is now being advocated by many, including Los Angeles Airport Police, and local and national legislators. Even with these country specific flags in place, the focus from a screening level, should be on persons of interest. As long as profiling is abstained from, even when warranted, “security theater” will continue. It is a waste of time, and effort, to screen the majority (90 % plus) of American citizens in these FBSs for primary screening. It is good to narrow things down, the focus could still be even more logical however.

By: Allison

Allison — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 20:34:02 +0000

I have to say I’ve shifted my view on this to the “profiling” camp. I think the resistance to this point has been due to historical disasters–slavery/racism, Japanese internment camps and other low points in humanity. However, we have come a long way in terms of evidence gathering, intelligence surveillance etc and the reality is that Swedish grandmothers, 5 year olds from Kansas or the Australian surfer dude are simply not as likely to cause mayhem in the skies as a person from (or having traveled to/from) a known terrorist harboring country is. Treating everyone as a threat only clogs the system and allows for greater likilihood of error.

By: MeanMeosh

MeanMeosh — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 20:18:14 +0000

Amazing – our government puts out a policy that actually makes some sense. Let’s just hope that the profiling stays “intelligent”. This doesn’t apply to domestic flights or flights leaving the US, so I’m curious to see what they come up with there.

By: Hapgood

Hapgood — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 17:22:11 +0000

I question whether the “heightened screening” will actually do anything useful. Still, kudos to whoever in the DHS/TSA bureaucracy listened to the person who thought of it. That person clearly must be outside the DHS/TSA, since the concept of focusing on likely groups instead of mindlessly punishing everyone indicates a level of thoughtfulness and intelligence that can’t possibly exist within the DHS/TSA.