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Federal probe questions TSA behavior profiling
The Government Accountability Office said its investigation found that the results of the TSA program -- called Screening of Passengers by Observation Techniques -- were "no better than chance." Under the program, agents identify suspicious looking people and talk to them to determine whether they pose a threat. The investigators looked at the screening program at four airports, chosen on the basis of size and other factors. (www.federalnewsradio.com) Más...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
The problem is not with the profiling but with the TSA. It takes training, skill, and determination to make profiling work. The TSA has none of these and only tries to throw more money at it in a PC environment. El Al knows how to profile and works it to perfection without restricting any religion or race from boarding.
No rational person suggests giving up rights and living in a totalitarian state. But there is some value in directing more energy differentially toward properly identifying and eliminating threats to aviation. Not all travelers are equally a threat.
Not surprised that the TSA can't do better than random selection. But that's unfortunate. Points to incompetence. Even if one were to believe that it is due to lack of training, that's just an incomtent implementation.
You can't hire the bottom of the barrel TSA agents and expect El Al agent effectiveness. We need to get past the security theatre era, and get to a time when we spend less time and effort giving your average traveler a hard time getting through security, while increasing security by better using our limited resources to identify the eliminate actual and real threats.
which is just another
Not surprised that the TSA can't do better than random selection. But that's unfortunate. Points to incompetence. Even if one were to believe that it is due to lack of training, that's just an incomtent implementation.
You can't hire the bottom of the barrel TSA agents and expect El Al agent effectiveness. We need to get past the security theatre era, and get to a time when we spend less time and effort giving your average traveler a hard time getting through security, while increasing security by better using our limited resources to identify the eliminate actual and real threats.
which is just another
Wow... The comments on this thread are really astounding to me. I'm an American. I live in what should be a free country. Racial profiling (or "religious profiling" if you want to pretend you aren't racist) has no place in a free country. If you disagree with me, move to a dictatorship. They'll keep you very "safe" there by stripping you of ALL your rights.
I don't panic when there's a mild threat and march down to congress with a picket sign that says "Take my rights to keep me safe!" Those who came before me put their lives on the line to protect those rights; I wouldn't be honoring them by giving up/taking other people's rights to placate my own cowardice. And if it's other people's rights today, it's my rights tomorrow that are gone.
Associating Islam with terrorism simply reflects a poor understanding of what Islam is. There are many terrorists who claim to be Muslim - but they are Muslim in the same way that Eric Rudolph was Christian - by completely and utterly missing the mark.
Do you really think that now somebody who strives to be a terrorist and claims that they are Muslim will walk through the airport security line with a beard, a turban, and traditional Arab clothing? Heck no, they'll shave anddress in a baseball cap and a tee-shirt, looking just like any run-of-the-mill American.
I don't panic when there's a mild threat and march down to congress with a picket sign that says "Take my rights to keep me safe!" Those who came before me put their lives on the line to protect those rights; I wouldn't be honoring them by giving up/taking other people's rights to placate my own cowardice. And if it's other people's rights today, it's my rights tomorrow that are gone.
Associating Islam with terrorism simply reflects a poor understanding of what Islam is. There are many terrorists who claim to be Muslim - but they are Muslim in the same way that Eric Rudolph was Christian - by completely and utterly missing the mark.
Do you really think that now somebody who strives to be a terrorist and claims that they are Muslim will walk through the airport security line with a beard, a turban, and traditional Arab clothing? Heck no, they'll shave anddress in a baseball cap and a tee-shirt, looking just like any run-of-the-mill American.
You hit the nail on the head, even though I am starting to believe some sort of profiling might need to be used now in everyday life in a SENSIBLE way... Just because of the way society has become...
Profiling of some sort is done every day by virtually every cop in America. It might just be the looks of your car in a certain neighborhood driving slowly. Suspicious and profiling run real close.
I have just arrived home in Australia after 7 weeks in the U.S. I travelled on international flights ( Air New Zealand ) to get to L.A. then United to New York and back to L.A. & then Air New Zealand to get home. I was asked to take my belt off as well as my shoes in every U.S. airport, was body-scanned and questioned why I was in the U.S., where had I been in the U.S. and what were my intentions in New York. !!! I really don't care about the security checks, scans etc. As far as I am concerned, it's being done, although not particularly well, for my benefit and that of my fellow travellers so that we have a much better than average chance of arriving at our destination without some disgruntled zealot deciding that he/she doesn't like my way of life and setting out to destroy me, my fellow passengers and possibly him or herself, as well as the aircrew and aircraft. I abhor the need for the TSA and such organisations, but I appreciate their efforts to make me safe.