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Consider this counterpoint experience posted on Slashdot... "I recall going through security at the Charlotte, NC airport once, a few years ago, and noticed TS

Consider this counterpoint experience posted on Slashdot... "I recall going through security at the Charlotte, NC airport once, a few years ago, and noticed TSA agents out in the queue making smalltalk with all of the passengers. "Hey, how are y'all doin' today?", "Goin' someplace warm?", "Be sure to take off that belt buckle sir.", "Were are y'all headed?", "Y'all fly much?", and so forth. At first I thought that this was a misguided effort at public relations. But then it occurred to me that those agents were probably pre-screeners looking for nervous and evasive passengers who would then be subjected to additional traditional screening. I don't know what SPOT is and have no opinion of its effectiveness. But it seems to me that chatting up passengers in order to spot potential trouble-makers is probably the single most effective part of the whole TSA process."

excitom 12y ago
I'd like to see some statistics that corroborate the effectiveness of this technique.
u23KDd23 12y ago
I've observed this as well by the TSA which is probably a good implementation. What we should be worried about however are the poor implementations and exploitations of these concepts and ideas. I'm concerned about the occurrences that probably generate misguided animosity towards people who are genuinely concerned about the safety of passengers. When you have events like what unfolded in New Orleans and LA we should wondering what motivated such actions.
otakucode 12y ago
>it seems to me that chatting up passengers in order to spot potential trouble-makers is probably the single most effective part of the whole TSA process I don't understand this. I assume that its meant from an intuitive 'I feel like this would be effective' standpoint. Because as far as actual effectiveness is concerned, we know that it has stopped 0 attacks. The only way we could know it to be effective is if there were people actually trying to carry out attacks and being caught. Neither of those things are happening, though, so we really can't tell. Thus far, it's just a massive waste of resources. Really, 9/11 guaranteed that there will never be another airline hijacking for a very, very long time. No passenger will fight with anything less than every fiber of their being to stop any hijacker now. It doesn't matter what kind of weapon you've got, the instant you stand up and say 'I'm taking over this place', you immediately have the entire crew and passengers willing to die to stop you. Before the idea of planes as weapons was tried, everyone presumed a hijacked plane would just fly to Cuba and everyone would be OK. But now that they know the possibility everyone is going to die in an intentional crash, hijackers have no chance.

excitom 12y ago

I'd like to see some statistics that corroborate the effectiveness of this technique.

u23KDd23 12y ago

I've observed this as well by the TSA which is probably a good implementation. What we should be worried about however are the poor implementations and exploitations of these concepts and ideas. I'm concerned about the occurrences that probably generate misguided animosity towards people who are genuinely concerned about the safety of passengers. When you have events like what unfolded in New Orleans and LA we should wondering what motivated such actions.

otakucode 12y ago

>it seems to me that chatting up passengers in order to spot potential trouble-makers is probably the single most effective part of the whole TSA process I don't understand this. I assume that its meant from an intuitive 'I feel like this would be effective' standpoint. Because as far as actual effectiveness is concerned, we know that it has stopped 0 attacks. The only way we could know it to be effective is if there were people actually trying to carry out attacks and being caught. Neither of those things are happening, though, so we really can't tell. Thus far, it's just a massive waste of resources. Really, 9/11 guaranteed that there will never be another airline hijacking for a very, very long time. No passenger will fight with anything less than every fiber of their being to stop any hijacker now. It doesn't matter what kind of weapon you've got, the instant you stand up and say 'I'm taking over this place', you immediately have the entire crew and passengers willing to die to stop you. Before the idea of planes as weapons was tried, everyone presumed a hijacked plane would just fly to Cuba and everyone would be OK. But now that they know the possibility everyone is going to die in an intentional crash, hijackers have no chance.