Amateurs

May 4, 2006 - 10:02 AM by Israelity

I see that the TSA (Transportation Security Administration) is in the news again, not only for hiring people with criminal records, but for becoming a favorite target of cartoonists and comedians. Gee, I can’t wait to travel to the U.S. this summer. Not.

Since 9/11 I’ve experienced first-hand the unrelenting stupidity of the newly-hired airport security personnel. I’ve also heard stories from dozens of other folks, including the middle-aged American woman traveling with a child and her crocheting, who was identified as a high security risk by an agent. The woman was informed that – get ready for this – her yarn was a dangerous object (“You could strangle someone with that.”) Gee, are they going to start telling people they can’t bring their hands on the flight next?

Israel has had tight airport security for alot longer than 5 years. Each individual, or group traveling together, is asked a series of questions pretty much like the ones now asked in American airports. The difference is, Israeli security agents are trained to evaluate the passengers while they are questioning them. They have learned how to tell after a few moments’ conversation who is a threat and who isn’t. Obviously, the Americans are unable, or unwilling, to do that.

The Americans are averse to using so-called ethnic profiling. After all, they wouldn’t want to be politically incorrect. I guess it was just a coincidence that all of the 9/11 terrorists were Arab males under the age of fifty. That 90 year old man from Duluth who is in line in front of you could just as easily be a cold-blooded killer, right? Better make sure he takes off his shoes!

The sensible thing for the TSA to do would be to hire a bunch of Israelis to teach them their jobs. But, of course, that won’t happen. Amateurs.

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