Security Theater

That is indeed ridiculous! And it only makes me feel less safe to know how broadly incompetent some security staff can be!

I was not at ALL thrilled to be searched with a metal detector while trying to take the subway a while back. This was back in the paranoia days when September 11 was still fresh in people's minds.

Did you guys read about the girl that was arrested - ARRESTED - for doodling her and her friends' names on her desk at school. She was twelve. And led out in handcuffs...

Security is a laugh. I hear these reports and it gets to me how incompetent security can be at times. I also don't understand what it is about security when it comes to a person's needs. If I have to go, I'm going. I can't believe that a girl got arrested for doodling on her desk. And led off in handcuffs yet. How embarrassing is that to the girl. I'll bet the parents went after the school on that one.

This one was really precious:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/14/nyregion/14watchlist.html

I think I posted it elsewhere too.

Ugh, infuriating, isn't it? And I at least feel far less safe as a result

@DBlack That's insane!! What if you are on an incredibly long flight? I guess it's best to forgo the beverage cart.

@Uraniumfish Frisking an eight-year-old like he's some sort of hardened criminal is so strange....

You'd think that in these situations the best thing for everybody would be a healthy dose of common sense.

Is there really any way to make the world completely secure? But I guess we can all go mad trying.

@NeverSleeps: Unfortunately, when it comes to commonsense, many people don't have it. Can't you tell, by the way they act.

Shouldn't the people who create the methods behind the security measures at least exercise some common sense? Someone up there at the top has to have some.... take the kid off the no fly list!

Those people in high position are not paid to think. This may come as a shock to people, but in reality, those in top positions are not paid to think. They delegate that job to their subordinates. They only get paid to sign papers, attend functions to promote their business, and occupy space in an office. My college professor told us this. He worked as an executive in a fortune 500 company and resigned to go into teaching. He told the class many stories that would make your hair curl.

Wait...who is in charge of airport security? It's not the government?

@BroadwayBK: I thought that airport security was outsourced to a private firm? The government doesn't have that many employees do things these days. They keep a limited staff and hire outside contractors to take care of much of what has to be done. I don't know if this is true of airports, but for hospitals, courts, and other government buildings, it is.

The government nevertheless determines the policies that are instituted regarding airport security. They may outsource things like the training of security staff, or baggage inspectors, but they do not outsource the decisions! Ever looked a customs officer in the eye? They wear government uniforms!

It's crazy. I'm rarely treated with less respect than when I fly into JFK and the border official demands to know why the good old US of A wasn't good enough for me.

@Uraniumfish: I remember approaching a security officer at an airport and asked him who did he work for. I don't recall the airport. I tried to pretend I was looking for a job. He said he worked for a private security company. Then I asked him who controls or dictates security in the airport. He said told me the company he works for decides on security, but the company he works for does have policies in place that are written and published by the federal government, of which his company not only enforces, but ensures is up to date.

So even though the security company operates independent of the government and the airport, they are still under government control since they still have to follow policies and guidelines the government set up.

Thanks for bringing your points to our attention.

@Uraniumfish That's exactly what I was getting at with my above demands for common sense from the top of things.

Right... I thought Homeland Security or some such thing was involved in creating regulations.

It seems like a lot of policies are made for political reasons, and not because they actually help keep us safer. Remember the "terrorist" scare over the holiday, because of that one young kid on an inbound flight to the US? What was the reason for harassing millions of travelers for weeks after? Obviously no terrorist was going to try much just days after that incident, and yet they still insisted on thorough searches that cause massive delays of flights. I don't think that was because we were all going to be safer, but because people were scared and needed to feel like the government was doing something.

And of course then you have the guy who nearly did get away with bombing the plane...if only the bomb would have just gone off instead of just setting him on fire.

A lot of policies are made for political reasons rather than for any other reasons, period.

@BroadwayBK: Yes, policies are made more for political reasons than for any other. It is a sad fact, but that is the way the government works. You basically have to watch your back and protect yourself.

I do agree that sometimes security can go overboard, as was the case with the kid.