Security and Airport Hassles

August 11, 2006 - 11:06 AM by

With airport security on everyone’s mind, and inspired by Yael’s earlier post, Idan talks about the Ben-Gurion airport security experience:

Luggage is not dangerous. People are.

The main thing that Israeli screeners do is examine you, the person. The questions they ask are mainly intended to facilitate their assessment of you as a person. That is the difference between Israeli security and security everywhere else. In the US, the TSA is far more concerned with whether or not I have a screwdriver in my carry-on luggage than determining if I am likely to pose a risk to other passengers. Then you look at luggage.

Obviously the luggage is also dangerous, but more in the context of people somehow getting checked luggage onto a plane without getting on themselves; however this is such a basic threat to deal with that the Israeli security model focuses the bulk of its efforts on the people. Remember, folks — 9/11 was executed by a bunch of guys with boxcutters, not pistol-wielding commandos.

Thankfully, as an Israeli who travels quite a bit, I get the super-abbreviated version of the workup, with focus mainly on whether I have irresponsibly left my bag somewhere that somebody could have put something in without my knowledge — but I always look over at the non-Israeli line with sympathy.

Tags: • Category: A New Reality 

Comments

One Comment on Security and Airport Hassles

  1. Mark A. Griffin on Sat, Nov 21st 2009 5:03 AM

    2. I recently checked through several airports using this bag. I actually had several TSA agents tell me they loved them, because it eliminates less items on the conveyor belt. Think about it, if everyone had one of these we could eliminate a tom of Gray tubs! They have a video on this page that shows how it is used.
    Peace-

    http://g-bags.com/ezcheck.html

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