> On Thu, 24 Jul 2008 19:07:40 +1000, Snapper
> y7mail.com.invalid> wrote:
>

>>My wife travelled to NY yesterday. She was telling me that she had all of
>>her
>>carry on luggage and handbag, etc. scanend and scrutinised. Then as she
>>collected her belongings to head out to passport control she was asked to
>>step
>>to one side while they "randomly" conducted a body search using a scanner
>>and
>>finally a pat down.
>>
>>She asked the woman if she looked like a crim or a terrorist. Oh no, the
>>woman
>>replied, this is just a random thing.
>>
>>Then how come this is the third time in as many trips that she'd been
>>randomly
>>selected for a more detailed search. And how come none of those gentlemen
>>before
>>or after her, wearing business suits weren't "randomly' selected? It
>>appeared,
>>she asked, that they were targetting those dressed in casual clothes.
>>
>>Of course, this may be simple paranoia, conspiricy theories or whatever.
>>But the
>>fact remains that she, being number twenty million, four hundred and
>>ninety
>>thousand, seven hundred and eighty two on the list of pax that has passed
>>through Australian airports, has had three random checks in as many trips.
>>
>>Like that chap from El Al said, it's not a security system. It's something
>>to
>>annoy pax and to give those who make these decisions a power trip of
>>sorts.
>>
>>(and I wonder how many of them get subjected to random searches, are
>>forced to
>>remove shoes and difficult to lace up boots that women like to wear and
>>who have
>>to travel in economy because they can't afford anything else).
>>
>>Now that we all know what terrorists will do if they try another one of
>>those
>>stunts on they'll move onto something else. All this crap does is to drive
>>up
>>the cost of flying for pax and make it an even less enjoyable experience
>>than it
>>is now.
>>
>>It'll be interesting to hear from her to see how it was getting into the
>>US, and
>>later on, over to the UK on her way home.

>
> Yes, I'm also wondering about the "random" bit as well.
> The scanning of passengers that come in from Pt Augusta to Adelaide
> isn't random. They always take the first person through the gate.
> Because the walk from the aircraft to the security point is fairly
> long, and I have long legs, I am often number one at the gate. As a
> result, I've been scanned for explosives four times in succession in
> the last four weeks.
> So, having determined that, the solution is simple. Politely allow one
> of the other passengers to precede me into the security check point,
> and I'll be able to swan happily through while he or she is being
> scanned.
> Now if I can figure that out......
>
> As others have said, its designed to annoy people, any increase in
> security is coincidental....

>
> Coop