And the Meek Shall Inherit The World

David Heath
Wednesday, 11 June 2008 19:24

Your IT - Home IT

The latest TSA stupidity is quite breathtaking.  They’ll demand ID at the security checkpoint, but if you complain and refuse, you’ll be denied access to the departure gates.  Those who gently explain that they left their wallet at home will be let through with some increased screening.

Assuming the decision was carefully made, there can only be one possible conclusion – that the TSA is trying to stifle vocal criticism at the airport.

After-all, if you’re a good boy (or girl) who forgot their driver’s licence, all you need do is meekly offer a mea culpa and submit to a little extra screening.  To quote the TSA site: “Cooperative passengers without ID may be subjected to additional screening protocols, including enhanced physical screening, enhanced carry-on and/or checked baggage screening, interviews with behaviour detection or law enforcement officers and other measures.”  Pretty easy if you’re a terrorist – what better encouragement would you need to be sure you left your ID at home!  Or make sure your fake ID is sufficiently ‘real.’

However, if you’re an activist, basically, you’re screwed!  Arc up at pretty-much anything at the security check point and the only flight you’re going to take is the lunatic taxi driver on the way back home.

When Bruce Schneier talks about “Security Theatre,” he is generally focussing on the charade of security versus the reality.  However, the TSA has developed a new kind of security theatre – one where only the very skilled and the very stupid are permitted a role.

It gets worse.  You’ve succeeded in traversing this lunacy without agitating too much; your flight’s quota of terrorists decided to take the day off and you arrive at a primary entry port of any one of the G8 nations.

Now a new challenge begins.