I'm in the "it's mostly theater" group.
X-raying and occasionally swabbing carry-ons is fine and actually does something. The shoes, belts, wallets, body scanners, "hands-up and shut-up" shouting of the TSA agents is ridiculous. And they're almost always shouting. The invasive pat-downs are often cruel (elderly women in wheelchairs and 4 yr old girls?) and just over-the-top.
Here's an example: I went to a conference in Chicago in the 1980s (before 9/11, but there had been many hijackings in the 1970s). The conference had the usual grab bags of gifts. One was a letter opener, dull but pointed. Some left early and were stopped at the airport when carry-ons were x-rayed and letter openers found. The conference asked that we turn in the letter openers and they'd be mailed. I simply slipped my letter opener into the spine/binder of a loose-leaf notebook and the x-ray didn't catch it. If that had been an 8" knife....
Another example: early 2000s, I few to California with a friend to pick up an old car and drive it across the country (long story). Because the car was old and I had no idea of the condition, I put together a repair kit with wrenches, extra wire, hoses, tape, flashlights (batteries), hose clamps, a hammer, screwdrivers from small to long and heavy, etc. It was in a duffel bag along with my clothing, tennis shoes, sandals, etc.
This was so soon after 9/11 that heavy security was still in airport lobbies where it had been hastily set up, until airports could be remodeled for all the extra measures (xray and inspect checked and carry-on, pat-downs, etc). So, security hefts my duffle bag onto the x-ray machine. We start to walk to the gate and get called back. "HEY! HEY! Is THIS YOUR BAG?" "Yes, is there a problem?" (fully expecting heavy questioning over all the stuff, especially wires and batteries, let alone screwdrivers, hammer, etc). I was prepared with paperwork for the car and a full explanation.
"Do you have SHOES in there?" "Well, yes, there are shoes." "Get over here and take them out!" OK.... "here are the tennis shoes"...
They x-ray the shoes, alone. They x-ray the sandals, alone. They hand everything back. Didn't check the rolls of wire, hoses, batteries, tools just the shoes.
Two guys, flying one way across country, just after 9/11, bag full of potential weapons and suspect items, not a question about any of that. Didn't even examine it all. Only the shoes. And this was before the shoe bomber guy in whose honor we all have to go barefoot.
Just theater imho. I don't mind the x-rays, but the rest is BS and even the x-rays are poorly used by people with little thought.
|