Doesn't profiling make sense?
Aug 20th, 2002, 01:13 PM
#1
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Doesn't profiling make sense?
Recently took my parents (in their 80s) to the airport. Dad uses a wheelchair to get to the gate. They both had to walk through the metal detector. Mother set off the metal detector and had to be hand wanded and take her shoes off for inspection. Then their carryons were hand searched. Isn't this just a little bit silly? If they really want to get people flying again, shouldn't they be using some common sense about who they need to search? Despite not being politically correct, wouldn't it be better to use some form of profiling to decide whom to search?
Aug 20th, 2002, 04:34 PM
#7
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Dan:<BR><BR>Well, I agree with half of your posting -- I do believe that profiling should be used. It's unfortunately one of the best ways to help stop terrorists. I am sure if the terrorists on September 11 had been Swedes, they would be stopping all blonde-haired people. <BR><BR>But sorry, I don't care how old a passenger is -- be it 9 or 90 -- if they set off the metal detectors, I expect them to be given further scrutiny. <BR><BR>If you feel that this is too big a problem, there's always the bus . . .
Aug 21st, 2002, 03:52 AM
#8
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It makes infinite sense to spend more time and attention examining passengers who fit a profile because there are risk factors involved that merit the extra scrutiny. Insisting on pursuing a "politically correct" agenda doesn't enhance security. In fact, it results in less security when limited resources are incorrectly targeted or completely untargeted. All passengers should expect to be screened, but let's not pretend we don't know what this situation is about. It's not really so random.
Aug 21st, 2002, 06:59 AM
#9
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Profiling is good! If we did it before 9/11, it may not have happend. 2 middle easterners walk up to buy 2 first class tickets and pay cash,checking no bags,one way? Funny, you hav'nt heard alot of politiciansbeing critical of racial profiling since then.
Aug 21st, 2002, 07:06 AM
#10
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Whwn a debate turns into a mindless name calling it's time to leave the building. <BR>Onthe - you really showed your mental prowess with your post. Maybe it's time to go back to the drawing board for your parents and start from scratch.<BR>Have a nice life!
Aug 21st, 2002, 08:52 AM
#15
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Ok Doc, I'll chill. Apologize, I will not. I am almost a senior, I am a grandmother and I get so tired of people thinking senior citizens are all senile. John Lindh was seventeen when his parents let him go to Afghanistan to study the Koran. He was a young and impressionable child and it is easy to see how he got caught up in all of this. But to think that I would carry on an airplane something given to me by a person I did not know, think again. I am sixty years old and there is no way that I would take something from a stranger and carry it aboard a plane. Most likely, if ask to do such a thing, I would report him/her to authorities. So, give those old people some credit. I recently flew to and from London and watched my carry on very closely.
Aug 21st, 2002, 09:01 AM
#16
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My point is not that senoirs are to ignorant to just carry a bag on. my point is that we cant disregard age as fitting the profile of a terrorist. Is it possible that a terrorist could be over sixty? i think it is. Just as easy as an american could be part of al queda. jed posted it well, all get searched equally.
Aug 21st, 2002, 11:09 AM
#17
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Doc<BR>Of course terrorists could be over sixty, they could be any age and I am not against profiling. When I flew to London, this is the latest plane trip I have taken, twice I was pulled aside and my carry on searched. Didn't bother me one bit, as a matter of fact I felt safer knowing they will search anyone. My daughter was pulled aside and they used the wand on her, she had to take off her shoes and they searched her carry on. She is a blonde, I have no complaint with this, I have no complaint with profiling. It makes me angry when it is suggested that seniors would carry something on a plane for a total stranger. To be clear about profiling, it does not bother me who gets pulled aside and scrutinized, me included.
Aug 21st, 2002, 12:37 PM
#19
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ONTHE, <BR>You're as thick as a brick. I held back, but after your moronic statements I decided to come back. WHEN DID I SAY THAT THEY WILL USE TOTAL STRANGERS? All I said was that if they knew that older people were not searched they would in all probability find somebody older that's sympathetic to their cause to help them out in an operation. LEARN HOW TO READ!
Aug 21st, 2002, 01:04 PM
#20
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I would note that the Israelis have used profiling for their airline, El Al for something like 30 years (since the original hijackings) and haven't had a single terrorist incident on an airplane. Therefore, profiling has been proven to work. As Yuppers said above, searching everyone wastes time and dilutes resources, which partly explains why most airport security systems have failed significantly when they were being tested recently. This "search everyone" idea sounds good but has actually resulted in less security, not more security.
