Cranky about airport security

[dmaze]

To the security guys at Logan Terminal C: no, I'm not letting you push my bags through the scanner before I'm ready to go through; I'd like to see them come out on the other side. Just because there are wires in my bag doesn't mean I'm a potential terrorist. If you're going to take apart my bag to swab every little bit of it for traces of explosives, please be so kind as to put it back together.

Now that airport security is being done by the government, at what point do I start getting Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable search and seizure again?

I think we clearly have gone down the stupid path. It's pretty obvious that, so long as there's a system that nearly everybody can get through, some very clever criminals will be able to find an exploit in it. Blowing up an airplane might make a political statement, but causing the government to realize that, say, liquids can be stored in containers and later mixed together to cause an exothermic chemical reaction will successfully chip away at Americans' vaunted freedoms without actually harming anybody. So now in our new reformed world anybody who wears shoes or was thoughtless enough to buy their Starbucks drink outside security is a suspected terrorist.

Thanks, America. I appreciate it.

Comments

[arcanology.livejournal.com]

Well given where we both live, we'll probably be in the same detention camp in early 2008, so we can discuss it then.

I'll bring the stones if you bring the pot.

[ilai]

So, here's a stupid question: why did you have wires in your carry-on?

[dmaze]

Wasn't checking anything. Want USB cable and power cord for laptop. But apparently nobody else, like EVERY BUSINESS TRAVELLER IN THE WORLD, does this.

[ilai]

Ah, that makes much more sense :-) I thought you meant loose insulated wires, which would be kind of suspicious....

[dcltdw]

One great article I saw was, okay, if we're worried about liquids on airplanes, then clearly, we should have airport security checking that women have not had explosive liquids implanted in their bodies as "breast implants". Said article went on about how the author was volunteering for said position... in the interest of national security, of course.

In the paramount interest of nationa--

Patriotically selflessly volunteering in the paramount int--

Oh alright, I'll stop.