Security for Dummies: Why the New Airline Rules Won’t Work Either
04. Jan, 2010 
39 Comments
If you travel frequently, you already know that the US airline security screening doesn’t work. As someone (I assume) who is not trying to blow up aircraft, hijack planes or otherwise really screw up your travel itinerary (it’s hard enough to make your connecting flight without a band of hostages slowing you down), you’d think it would be more difficult to smuggle contraband through security screening. After all, you’re not trying to be tricky. You’re not spending months planning the perfect 007-style concealment. But it happens all the time. At least to me. I’m always forgetting an errant water bottle in my carry-on or some non-regulation sized toiletry and back when I smoked, I could always get at least one lighter through the X-ray machine.
So when I returned from Hawaii to hear someone tried to blow up a plane with a bomb in his underpants, I groaned at the thought as to what this would mean for screening going forward. In fact, ACLU already beat me to the punch, writing a rather funny (perhaps dark) response to the idea of cavity searches for airline passengers. Of course no one has proposed this… yet. (Oops, unless you count this guy on Fox News).
The irony for me was that the same week as the Christmas bomber, I got on a United flight with a leatherman knife*. I had it loose in my bag, in a side pocket and it wasn’t concealed. It’s a nice knife, great for camping, and as it occurred to me later, perfectly capable of killing in the right hands. I went through screening and the knife was X-rayed but never discovered.
The screening process doesn’t work. Period.
(*This is the knife:)
To be fair, I’m not a terrorist. So I didn’t do anything with the knife (in fact I didn’t know about it until after we landed). But if we’re trading our privacy for increased security, shouldn’t it at least work?
There’s a saying at the TSA, “If it doesn’t work, keep adding more increasingly arbitrary restrictions…“ At least that appears to be the modus operandi as they recently announced a plan to pat down and search everyone traveling from a list of 14 countries. Did they release the full list? Nope. So basically, even as an American, you can be pulled aside for additional screening because you traveled somewhere that has terrorists. Let’s put this into perspective. Nigeria is on the list and has a population of 154 million. How many of these people are terrorists? 100? 1,000? And we’re going to screen everyone with a Nigerian passport (plus 13 other countries) and everyone who travels to that country?
It seems absurd because it is. It’s a knee-jerk reaction intended to reassure the masses and buy a little political time. No one can accuse the President of doing nothing.
On closer inspection though, this is a failed and failing strategy. First, it openly admits that our current screening processes doesn’t work. If it did, they wouldn’t have to add an additional level of security. Secondly, it does nothing to address the huge gaping holes in our current system. If the original screening doesn’t work, drop it or improve it. Thirdly, it will never end. When I fly somewhere in my flip flops and have to remove them (or else be automatically pulled aside for more screening as I was advised by one TSA agent), it’s easy to understand these are not the thinking man’s rules. Clearly there are no bombs in my little shoes. But what’s worse is that these temporary stop gaps become permanent and with each new attempt, a new silly rule created.
Shoes. Water Bottles. Toiletries. Countries on some semi-secret list.
Someone will swallow a bomb. Someone will stick a fuse up their butt. And General Electric will figure out a way to give thousands of passengers a swift rectal exam with their new CavitySearch Technology ™ and that will be it.
It’s not about safety anyway, it’s about the illusion of safety. The only way to become truly 100% safe is to stop flying. The only way to completely protect the US to is close our borders, build a huge fence and spy on our citizens. Open societies are not safe. And yet no one has blown up the New York subway or taken down a building using a private plane or driven a car bomb into some monument. There is a hysteria about flying that doesn’t match the reality. It’s the same irrational fear that makes people clench their armrests during take off, even though they were statistically more likely to die in the drive to the airport.
It’s fear-based governing. We’re better than this.
Alarmist rules for alarmist times. I was stoked to save money by flying to Brazil from Seattle instead of Vancouver, yet was appalled at the time wasting rules back then (2008). They practically had everybody strip down to skivvies, meanwhile I had 40 minutes to connect to the next flight. The madness must end!
Nomadic Chick´s last blog ..Creative Ways to Travel Cheap
After a backpacking trip to Pakistan several years ago I found myself immediately placed on the US ‘watch list’ after being questioned for three hours upon my arrival back in the USA. The officials doing the questioning simply refused to believe that I wasn’t a terrorist. I must now go through extra screening as a result (although I still manage to get my pocket knife through anyway) and every time I return to the USA, an officer examines all of the files and photos on my computer. But it’s nonsense of course. Even if I had negative intentions, which I don’t, I wouldn’t keep an easily readable file of them on my computer, nor would anyone else intent on not getting caught.
You’re exactly right, it is all about the illusion of safety.
Earl´s last blog ..A Decade of Wandering Ends, Another One Begins (Part 2)
A “illusion” of safety is completely true. However, that’s life and there will always be flaws. I bet you no matter how hard the government tries, there will always be that one guy raising his hands in discontent.
Dave -nibbleanibble´s last blog ..In Search of Winter (Photo Gallery)
Apparently the new scanners being considered will zap you with dangerous levels of radiation. That doesn’t make me feel safe at all.
Gordie´s last blog ..Interview With Captain Australia.
It’s just madness. I’ve been following the writings of Bruce Schneier (www.schneier.com) on this topic for a long time now, and for the last few years he has been (repeatedly) saying the following:
“Only two things have made flying safer [since 9/11]: the reinforcement of cockpit doors, and the fact that passengers know now to resist hijackers.”
That’s it. Everything else is just security theatre. It gives the illusion of increased security (hey, if we can’t ever make our flights on time, have to strip down to y-fronts and be generally treated like criminals the minute we get anywhere near an airport, we must be safer!) without actually doing anything at all to decrease the liklihood of dying in a terrorist attack.
I’m starting to plan my next round of extended travel at the moment, and you know what? I’m going to be making every effort to travel by anything other than plane wherever and whenever I can. It’s just not worth the hassle any longer. Even when terrorists fail (as most of them do), by causing this much disruption to you, me and the rest of the travelling public, they’ve actually achieved their wider goals.
Where’s that bus timetable…
Dave´s last blog ..Goodbye stuff, hello world
My theory is that if you’re going to get strip seached, have fun with it and wear frilly pink underwear or tattoo your butt with a bright yellow smiley. To quote William Wallace, “They can take your freedom, but they cannot take your sense of humor!” (Or something like that!)
Rich Cook´s last blog ..Five interviews & 17 pages of notes
Insane — this is simply insane to think that they will be able to effectively manage the sheer volume of passengers that travel during peak period like Christmas and summer holidays with these ridiculous and ever-escalating rules in place.
The check in time has now moved from 2 up to THREE flippin’ hours before a flight to allow for this extra screening. Who needs this? It simply makes travel hellish!
Deborah Harmes´s last blog ..Travel Can Be Fun If You Stay OFF The Planes!
I’m sad to do this but each time I can avoid the US now, I do. I live in Europe and travel to North America is through Canada if I can manage it, or to South America via some small Central American country. Yes, I recently transited through Guatemala City rather than go through Miami! As a Canadian, I feel like a criminal entering a country which once only required me to produce a dog-eared driver’s license…
None of this makes me feel safer, on the contrary. And I had a similar encounter with a knife… I was flying with someone who put his hand in his jacket pocket on arrival and found… a large cutter in it! He’d waltzed right through security, twice. Oh yes. Much safer.
Christine,
unfortunately we are still in the minority in being able to see that these “security” measures are a complete dog and pony show. There still seems to be a vast majority of folks who think that it’s just fine to give up their civil liberties so long as it will keep them “safe” on an airplane. The news is, at least, starting to give airtime to people who can see past it though and I can take at least a little bit of comfort in that.
Scibetrotter…I am treated like a criminal entering my HOME country…one for which I served and was decorated for in its defense.
Will´s last blog ..Goodbye Peru, Hello (again) Chile
Last time I flew my toothpaste exceeded the 3oz allotment, and was tossed during the security checkpoint, but my husband’s pocketknife (which we totally forgot was in the side pocket) went undecteded. Obviously, the “security measures” are bogus.
Sara´s last blog ..Auld Lang Syne
sadly, as has been proven repeatedly since 9/11, we’re not ‘better than this.’
I’ve offered several times to go through naked, but have yet to be taken up on it. It always seemed to me that it would be easier to go ahead and strip down. My husband who is an airline pilot has had to go through extra security checks countless times because he forgot to take out the foil gum wrapper. This is after the fact that he had to undergo extensive background checks in order to get hired in the first place. Not to mention that he could fly the plane into the ground if he was that kind of person. He also has a stainless steel crash ax on the flight deck, too. When will the TSA madness end?!
Exactly what I’ve been saying for years. Big government WANTS its citizens in fear because we are more easily controlled. More fear equals stronger isolationism and more travel dollars staying in the U.S. But at what cost? If we get to know one another rather than staying in fear, we are less likely to want to kill one another. The road to world peace runs through building multi-national and multi-ethnic partnerships, mutual cooperation, tolerance, and helping others.
I certainly don’t mean to suggest we shouldn’t put adequate security measures in place, but I do think the knee-jerk reactions should be replaced with well-thought out, well-designed measures implemented by properly trained personnel. In the most recent instance the failure was not TSA; rather it was lack of communication at our embassy in Nigeria and the failure of our intelligence community. Unfortunately, because TSA felt it necessary to rush to the scene with ridiculous new regs they took the brunt of the criticism, and their subsequent reprehensible attacks against two journalists who had released their memo detailing new security measures won them additional disgrace and discredit.
Barbara @Hole In The Donut Travels´s last blog ..Joy Rising – A Great Way to Start the New Year
I agree with you Christine.
The thing I really don’t understand is why we’re so worked up over airline security when thousands of people ride public transportation – buses, trains, subways – in the U.S. every day. I don’t see any additional security to hop on the Metro in D.C. during rush hour. The likelihood of a plane on a bomb is astronomically tiny. It seems like all of our efforts on “security” would be better off focused somewhere else.
JoAnna´s last blog ..Zip Lining in Honduras | Roatan, Honduras
The unfortunate effect of continued threats is the cycle that the TSA has locked itself into. The public now expects “something” to happen after each incident, and the TSA, with a shocking lack of creativity, simply pulls the belt another notch tighter (or shall I say, removes the belt). If the TSA does “nothing,” the public outcry from those who travel only a little or not all will be deafening.
On a micro level, the best thing we can do as travelers is brush up on our Krav Maga/boxing/wrestling/TKD moves and be perceptive and alert. Put the TSA to shame.
Keith´s last blog ..New Year’s Revolution
I totally agree but what can we do to stop this? I want to move beyond just dealing with this insanity and then complaining every time I travel. I would love to move on to action so that we can effectively and constructively bring about change that makes sense for everyone. Any ideas?
That’s funny – did you make that fake ad? No “Texans” allowed?
Turner´s last blog ..Gambling to Travel
If terrorists want to get dangerous materials on planes, they’ll get them on planes. Screening is just done to make travelers feel safe, which they are anyway.
Zach Everson´s last blog ..From Idaho to China, 2009 was a fun year for traveling and writing
Completely agreed. I’m all about feeling safe when I hop onboard a magical metal machine that flys through the sky, but I’ve never understood why so much energy is focused there. Reactionary security methods only help to prevent the STUPID people from committing horrific acts via airplane – the same people that would be caught without such reactionary methods. My hope is that someone is able to take the reigns at the TSA and start making sensible changes rather than contributing to panic. Oh yeah.
Oh we are a fear-based country and “they” will not let us forget it and will continue to promote it. Timely as ever Seth Godin had this to say about fear today – http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2010/01/is-there-a-fear-shortage.html
Seems I’m one of the few who DID have to sacrifice my favorite Swiss Army knife during a search a few years ago. Of course I forgot about it too.
Robyn´s last blog ..No Regrets
From Wikipedia:
“Worldwide it was estimated in 2004 that 1.2 million people were killed (2.2% of all deaths) and 50 million more were injured in motor vehicle collisions”
Fact: The most dangerous part of the journey is driving to the airport.
Why are we fighting this costly War on Terror when road traffic kills much more people every year. Oh yeah… because it’s costly (people are making money out of it), same reason as the War on Drugs… how did that go again?
NomadicNeil´s last blog ..New Year’s Values
Good piece. It’s spot on except the common refrain about creating an illusion of safety.
The real reason rules like these are enacted is to pave the way for the creation of a full on police state and the expansion of the state bureaucracy.
New York City is the model to which the Federal Government aspires: elimination of constitutionally guaranteed protections (rights to free speech and assembly eliminated by illegal assembly laws and protest regulation, right to bare arms eliminated by strict licensing, protection against illegal search and seizure eliminated by random stop and frisks and subway searches).
All of this is done in the name of safety. “Terrorism” is just a convenient excuse.
The government and media stoke fears in order to introduce these regulations without resistance. Of course it’s all being introduced to begin with to expand state control in time to repress the resistance that will inevitably come along with increasing economic crisis.
I totally agree. I think that the powers that be just put some new regulation in place so that they can’t be accused of doing nothing. I think that it might be more safe if the airlines were allowed to hire private security for each plane. A terrorist with a box-cutter is no match for a trained and armed security person. I will have to research the new high-powered screening machines. I’m not too keen on excessive radiation for myself and my toddler.
Tina´s last blog ..Hello world!
“The only way to completely protect the US to is close our borders, build a huge fence and spy on our citizens.”
Now you really have hit on a great idea! I’m surprised that George W didn’t take the opportunity while he was in ‘power’!
It’s not that I dread going to the US (I’m British) I just find it so ridiculous. Flying back from O’Hare you not only have to stand around in a sweaty queue to get through security, put up with the ‘TSA Guys’ but after you’ve done that you only have a grey corridor to sit around in waiting for your flight! At least places like Heathrow and Schiphol are glorified shopping malls and you can get over your frustration with a bit of retail therapy.
Let’s all stop going to the US and then all the ‘TSA Guys’ will be out of a job… Hurrah!!
Graham Phoenix´s last blog ..Earth Pilgrim… in 10 easy steps.
Definitely the new scanners being considered will zap you with dangerous levels of radiation. That doesn’t make me feel safe at all.
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Hello!
My name is Nuran Alteir and I absolutely loved your article. You use your words quite nicely.
I work for a non-profit newspaper that focuses on the local Muslim community in Southern California and I was wondering if we could repost your blog (and attribute it to you of course) on our Web site.
Please let me know, my email is nurana1228@gmail.com
Thanks so much and I wish you the best in your travelling endeavors!
I absolutely agree!
I would like to share a little anecdote that happened to me at LaGuardia airport not too long ago.
I was on a business trip heading south and I happened to receive a call minutes before it was my turn to go through security, so I had my phone on me and had to put it in one of those small plastic containers so that it could be X-rayed. After passing through the security gate, I was pulled aside for a “random” additional inspection. The TSA employee asked me to identify my belongings, but I was not allowed to retrieve these, not until TSA was done with the inspection.
By the time TSA was done harassing me, my phone had disappeared. Naive me thought: this is a security checkpoint!; whoever took my phone was probably caught on tape, we will catch the thief!!; only to learn that there were no security cameras near the security checkpoint and all they could do for me was to make an announcement over the speaker, asking whether anybody had taken a phone by accident and to please return it to the nearest security checkpoint. Luckily, I had all the time in the world and decided to call the police… TSA paid for my phone, but this experience was nonsensical.
I have routinely boarded planes with water bottles in my back pocket, sometimes by accident, and sometimes because I suspect the “no water past this point” rule was a sweet deal struck with airport vendors – one that will never go away. Be interesting to see the sales figures on drinks sold inside the security area after that rule was put in place.
Great post.
This is actually really funny – my dad did that, on the same day as the attempted underpants bomb, only his leatherman had two 4 inch knives, a fish hook, and a 4 inch saw.
Ooops. It wasn’t caught at security.
That last image made me laugh out loud.
The TSA just does not have the right people in place to do the job effectively. I’d be curious to know the turnover rate of the front line screeners at airports. Is it a career to them or do they consider it a way to pay the bills?
There are no good solutions. Air travel and any potential threat is more psychological than anything else. Days and weeks of news coverage if something happens. Constant repeats of information and terror experts as guests. The world economy is affected.
The profiling of people from certain countries is ridiculous and leave holes. Shoe Bomber Richard Reid was a British citizen. Everyone should be screened with the same fine tooth comb. No way around it.
brian ´s last blog ..Guest Post – I Love Japan but it is Time to Go
the policies are reactive and not proactive… so if someone put a liquid bomb, no more liquids, and so on…
Adriana´s last blog ..Dia de los Reyes in Spain
They can screen me all they want. That isn’t going to stop me from getting out of this country and spending my money elsewhere, whoo!
Anthony´s last blog ..David Letterman, Times Square, Rupert Jee’s Hello Deli and Ending My 2009 Travels with a Bang
Probably one day we will be allowed to fly only stripped naked.
Vi @ Travel Tips´s last blog ..Free wireless internet in Bangkok airport (BKK)
i’m all for staying safe when I fly but I get annoyed at the silly rules that defy common sense, like I can’t bring my filled water bottle through security, yet i can buy a rather expensive bottle of water once i get through to the other side.
Heather on her travels´s last blog ..My travelling year in 2009
Some security rules are completely warranted – such as that you’re not allowed to have knives, razors, scissors (or anything else that can act as a weapon in the wrong hands). The only time I’ve ever been ‘stopped’, I had forgot to take out my scissor from a small zip bag, where I keep my pens and markers.
Other rules are downright silly. I’ve basically always went through security with a water bottle in my carry-on. Never was a problem.
It’s insane that your knife wasn’t discovered though and it’s obvious that you’re far from alone of having experienced the flaws of airline security first-hand.
Erica´s last blog ..Why I Love Winter
The rules are increasingly ludicrous. I inadvertently brought much contraband onto aircraft. Obviously the rules do not work.
Stevo´s last blog ..How I spent the first day of 2010 – Part 2
I’ve said from the beginning (right after 9/11) that airport screening & security was a joke – if someone wants to sneak something aboard, they will find a way, as we’ve all seen. These rules are meant to make us feel safer, if we’re gullible enough to believe it.
What amazes me is that so many Americans are so willing to so quickly give up their inalienable rights in order to have the illusion of safety. This in “the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.” Go figure . . .
Suzi´s last blog ..Jan 11, January Event: Napa
Very well-said, Christine. The government certainly does think they are doing us a favor, but in all reality, nothing is fool-proof, and it is causing such inconveniences to travelers.
My father is a throat cancer survivor and radiation wrecked his salivary glands, so he needs to drink water constantly. Airports refused to let him bring water through security, so he finally had his cancer hospital write him a note to explain that he must have water with him at all times. Sometimes they let him bring it through, but sometimes they still refused.
And while it’s fair to “randomly” do extra screening on some people, does it really make sense to waste the time doing it to kids and grandmas? You’re right, it really is an illusion. I hope the safety measures don’t get too extreme. I was furious when I found out that some airlines were not going to allow people to use the bathroom within the last hour or hour and a half of the flight. Plane air dehydrates you and I naturally drink a lot of water. I would be so mad if I was told I couldn’t use the bathroom for no real reason. I’m just glad to hear they have relaxed a bit for that one.
Emily @ Maiden Voyage´s last blog ..Review: Edinburgh’s Canon Court Apartments
The only guys winning right now are the terrorists. Even though they have not had recent success taking down any planes, they have created a level of fear in our society that has us changing our behaviors. That is exactly what they want. It will only get worse as companies see more and more ways to make money in this new mega-industry called “protection from fear”.