Airline Security- PSSST you are probably on 'the list'

[JCMach1]

Having recently moved abroad, it was a fascinating experience flying now. I now firmly believe our government has a 'list'. And guess what, you are probably on it.

The tight security checks are not JUST random. My family was subjected to the close search at every single airport stop with one exception (Britain). That was 4 tight searches in the U.S.

Any other 'radicals' out there have a problem with this???

[lcordero]

1. Not me

Hopefully I will never have to ride in a plane again. I just don't like the hassle of having to go to an airport 5 hours early just to make sure that my luggage makes it on the same plane that I am traveling on. The one thing that saved me from any hassle the last time around was a military ID card...which I'm going to turn in come March if I don't get "stoplossed".

[Hubert Flottz]

2. Let the airlines survive on our 5 billion dollar donation to them!

I love to fly, but will NEVER get on another airliner just out of spite for the Repub backing bastards that own them!

[DemBones DemBones]

3. Haven't flown since 9/11 and don't miss it, though I do miss

going to Europe. Don't miss the way Delta crams passengers in to teeny seats with no leg room for a short person like me. British Air is far superior (unless they've changed for the worse.)

Your experience doesn't encourage me to fly, either. Hey, did you hear what Dennis Kucinich said about airport searches? He says he gets the tight search every time he flies so when people cast questioning stares at him when he's being searched, he says, "This is what happens if you run against George Buch!"
:7

How's the new home? You're in the Netherlands? UK?

[rapier]

4. sill and insidious

Can't help with a link but they admit to having a list. I saw something on this back when some activists were denied flights for various protest venues. (hows that for vague? Still I have defitine memory of an official admission as to the existence of a list) How big it is I don't know. Certainly not near big ehough, yet, to flag non public persons.

If you were on a list, I'm sceptical sorry, close searches could only be seen as a nuisiance. Denial of boarding is the big weapon. The implied supposition that political oponents would carry bombs and stuff onto a plane is alternaely silly and insidious.

[xchrom]

5. they stole an election

why would this be silly or insidious.
and they do turn away or hassel activists, they've done that off and on since the 60's.

[Robb]

6. My understanding

from TSA workers I know is that there's two subsections of passengers who are searched more thoroughly.

The first is "random", in that they'll search either the first or second person through their line each morning, and pull another person as they finish their first search -- effectively the TSA workers are searching someone throughout their shift.

The second are the pathetically unsubtle "red box" searches... you might have noticed at the airport, most of those little tubs for your personal belongings are gray or blue, and you may have noticed a small stack of red tubs off to one side. Very rarely, someone is told to take their things out of the other tubs and put them in the red ones.

If you are told to put your stuff in the red tubs, you have been flagged. It's a computerized screening system, not unlike the one they use to look at some checked luggage, that originates when you pick up your boarding pass. The parameters of the screen are secret (for obvious, if disturbing, reasons).

It may be little comfort, but rest assured: if you've never put your things into a red tub, you've never been flagged. You've just been unlucky.

[eyesroll]

7. I'm going to be flying MKE-DEN next Friday

and I'll be bringing a few books of "note" as well as a laptop and a digital camera that, if they were to look at the pictures on them, the TSA would notice I have pics of Howard Dean, John Kerry, Dennis Kucinich, Russ Feingold, Bernie Sanders, Tammy Baldwin...(mostly from the WI Democratic convention and Fighting Bob Fest yesterday)...

Wonder if I'll get searched...

[Blue-Jay]

8. I've never had a problem so far.

Maybe I don't "look" threatening or something: white, male, short hair, etc...

A brown friend of mine told me that he carries Astro-Glide whenever he has to fly. Ya know, just in case. I still haven't been able to figure out if he's pulling my chain.