In the airport: security at TSA security
As a friend of mine learned to his dismay the other day, “security” at the security checkpoint isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
I’d already read about a growing problem with TSA agents stealing from luggage. But, as my friend learned, it’s also necessary to watch out for theft by fellow-travelers—or people posing as such—while going through the security lines. An already irksome procedure could become a nightmare, if you’re not careful (and perhaps even if you are).
Boston’s Logan is one of those airports graced with the new body scanners; I’ve been through them a couple of times myself. My friend was preparing to board a plane there and asked to put his wallet in a plastic bin, before assuming the usual stick ’em up pose for the machine’s benefit:
It turned out that for him, “stick ’em up” was no metaphor. Afterward, when he turned to retrieve his wallet from its resting place, it was gone.
The wallet contained lots of cash, and of course all his credit cards and driver’s license. Have you ever thought how lost you’d be on a trip without ID and your other plastic (although in this case he’d already gone through security, so he knew he’d be allowed to get on the airplane)? How do you rent a car, for example? How do you get cash from an ATM machine?
Anger and frustration are mild words for what ensued. My friend reported the theft at once to security, and a bunch of cops descended on the scene. Here’s where the story becomes more amazing: within a half hour, they had located the security tapes and handcuffed the thief, who still had the wallet and its contents on his person.
One of the reasons the thief was relatively easy to catch seems to have been that the surveillance camera indicated he was wearing a distinctive garment, a short white flowing robe, over his slacks. He didn’t seem agitated at all, even when caught, and said to my friend something on the order of, “Salaam, brother!”
Needless to say, this did not sit well. Hardly filled with the milk of human kindness at that moment, my friend yelled in response, “Don’t call me brother! You’re not my brother! Brothers don’t steal wallets from brothers!”
With intact credit cards and ID, but minus the original considerable amount of cash (which the police said he’d probably get back later, after they processed the guy) my friend boarded the plane. The rest of the trip was uneventful, after his heart rate had calmed down to normal.
But I’m passing the story on to you because it illustrates some problems of which I’d previously been unaware, although I’d always wondered why luggage theft at the carousel is not more common. This website has some excellent tips for avoiding having something similar happen to you. It focuses more on the ordinary security line than the scanners (I think people are more vulnerable at the latter, because their possessions are probably out of their sight for longer), but it’s generally helpful for all conditions.
It also has the following to say about the phenomenon of airport thieves, who seem for the most part to be a well-organized and professional group:
…[T]here are some thieves who make their living in airports…[T]hey find the lowest fare for travel from a high traffic airport and check in early online. By checking in online these thieves can have their boarding pass for a 9:00pm flight 24 hours before boarding the plane, and get through security when the security check point opens at 5:00am. The thieves spend their day people watching. They are looking for body language, items out in the open, people who seem unfamiliar with security procedures and those who seem confused and easily distracted by dealing with all the procedures for crossing from the “land side” to the “air side” of security. The “professional airport thief” has a subtle way of getting in line behind their target. You won’t know the thief is there until they are gone.
In the course of a day a skilled thief can go through security…a dozen times. These thieves go from one check in point to another and use tactics like waiting for lunch shifts and shift changes. By waiting for shift changes these thieves can cross back and forth without being noticed, they can avoid the problem of already having a screeners initials on their boarding pass by print multiple copies of their boarding pass on their home computer, hotel computer, or anywhere they choose to check-in online. To blend in these thieves dress like business travelers, carry a roll-aboard bag with a small amount of clothes or a brief case with basic items inside as to not raise any red flags. In short, they blend in and blend in well.
Some very experienced thieves fly short point-to-point, or low cost “hub flights” at the end of their stealing day. Why? Because if they buy tickets frequently and never fly the route a few times they will raise red flags in both the airlines system and the US Dept of Homeland Security’s system. These people do not want any red flags. Some really good thieves gain “elite status” and use airline clubs to further their stealing endevours.
Human ingenuity knows no bounds, apparently.
Travel is already stressful enough without adding this phenomenon to the list of worries. Nevertheless, forewarned is forearmed. Now, happy traveling!
Makes you want to opt for the “pat down.” If you’re going to have your pocket picked it helps to know who laid hands on you.
This incident points to a TSA enabled new crime: “The bin pick.”
If thieves can easily steal stuff, then could they not also plant stuff, like bombs?
Remind me again what exactly the TSA is accomplishing, besides acclimatizing Americans to intrusive searches on demand?
http://market-ticker.org/akcs-www?post=189612
Was the perp a black muslim? White robelet, ‘Salaam, brother’?
Ah well….TSA is the reason I don’t hardly fly anymore, only for trips >1000 miles.
It is amazing what the criminal mind can come up with. If these people worked as hard and creatively at a real job, they would no doubt succeed. Is it the adrenaline rush? Or just the thrill of taking advantage of the marks?
TSA is a PC exercise in trying to be fair and steer clear of any charge of racism or bogotry. Does it make it harder to get bombs on airplanes? Well the shoe bomber and the underwear bomber both made it on board, but botched the mission.
For a security program that is just as safe, but less intrusive and insulting (Is it not an insult that every passenger is considered to be a possible terrorist?) I still say we need a trusted flyer program where passenegrs pay $200 or some such fee for a one time security check that provides a biomarker ID. (Fingerprint or iris scan or ??) Make these people go through an ID check and occasional deeper check. The rest of the passengers should be profiled for Muslim, ME males between the age of 14 and 45 accompanied by profiled females (15 – 45 ME, or suspicious behavior) for stringent security procedures. Those who don’t meet the profile go through a simple bag x-ray and magnetometer check. The enemy is fanatic Muslims. No other group that I know of is likely to want to commit suicide to kill innocent people. Let’s look at the enemy the hardest.
Simplified and faster procedures would not provide as many opportunities for regular thieves. At least not in the security lines.
I refuse to fly barring a death in the family, and it’d better be somebody important even then.
Fortunately, as retired military, I can jump a space-A flight instead of dealing with the Trans-Stupidity A$$holes.
Thanks for posting Neo, this is very good advice, I travel with a rolling computer bag with 2 laptops and all of my portable office, since the body scanners came out, my wallet, watch and any cash get zipped up in the bag and the only thing I have on me is my drivers license and boarding pass and I can keep those in my hand going through the scanner.
I constantly see wads of cash in money clips, wallets and other valuables coming out of the x-ray scanner and figure the temptation would get someone sooner or later, depending on the lines you cant always get directly to your stuff, especially when you get a numskull that tries to get dressed right at the front instead of moving to the back, holding everyone else up.
I try to maintain eye contact on the computers and have had people grab my Dell work computer by mistake a few times.
Just gotta maintain situational awareness at all times in the airport.
I’ve put some decals/stickers on my laptops so that they are different looking and easy to spot. Get a decal from a sports team or school. I don’t think I would put a political sticker on my laptop since the TSA guys would probably drop it!
I agree that certain valuables should be placed in a larger bag along with other items so they are not as obvious.
agree with Darrell. Pack away the wallets and credit cards and keys in your main carry-on, save distraction time by not wearing a belt, having empty pockets and maintain situational awareness at all times. BOS is my airport. I do the full body scan and let my eyes track my bag at all times. Pretty easy.
Agree with Darrell and manfred. I’ve done the same even before TSA, and it’s not only more secure but faster through security. Still sucks we have to find ways to comply with big brother in order to secure ourselves and limit hassle.
Thanks for posting this story & the link. When traveling w/my son, I have to juggle multiple electronics (laptop, dvd player, phone, Nintendo) as well as the shoes, coats/sweaters, bottles in ziplock bag (a must after having my luggage delayed multiple times), and two backpacks. The worst we’ve experienced is people jumping ahead of us as we’ve quickly filled the bins. After reading the post, I’ve realized how lucky we are to have not had anything stolen.
The thing that burns me is that no one had, nor has so far, the guts to place the blame and direct the mad where it deserves to be; at Muslims.
Were is not for Muslim terrorists, millions of us would not be going through this shit, traveling by air would be less time consuming, a whole lot more pleasant, and we wouldn’t be looking over our shoulders.
Were it not for political correctness, 95 year old Anglo grannies would not have to take off their diapers and be searched but, instead, we would be profiling the hell out of and directing the vast majority of our attention at, say, Muslim males between the ages of 18 and 50.
And if it weren’t for Muslim terrorists, we probably wouldn’t have the oafish TSA groping our genitals and breasts and the diminished freedom and privacy that they have ushered in.
Wolla, it may become as a surprise but most of the world seem to be doing just fine with their security checks without the kind issues TSA is doing.
In the scale of 0-10, before 9/11 US airports had security around 1. Now they are somewhere at 9. Rest of the world has always been in-between, the 9/11 didn’t change much.
Have a friend who fedexes or upses his luggage, down to his toothbrush, to his destination. Given the price of a heavy bag, or any bag, depending, and what he can send without hassle, he thinks it’s worth it.
Agreed about driving. When you figure leaving home, twenty minutes to the airport to get there an hour before boarding which means an hour and a half before leaving, and whatever time it takes to deplane and get your luggage, and driving a rental car, or having somebody pick you up–which is his time and must be counted–, you’d be two hundred miles on your way if it’s a one-hour flight. And when you get there, you have a car. And you eat when you want, where you want. The restrooms are bigger and there are fewer lines. The company is the company you choose, is the entertainment. The view is better and if you see something that interests you, you can stop and look it over. The leg room is superior. And you can carry anything you want, including weapons
About ten years ago, but before 9-11, I asked some friends about driving versus flying. They said they’d drive at least a hundred more miles, possbily a hundred fifty, more than they used to rather than fly.
Had a leather wallet with passport, tickets, cash and cards swiped from ATL Hartsfield in Feb 2000 and enjoyed spending Presidents’ Day holiday in a motel room, watching Dale Ernhardt die over and over again. Now the wallet is put in my bag, cash in pocket, and passport and bording pass ALWAYS in hand when going through the magnetometer.
To illustrate the flip side, at the same Logan airport, I stupidly forgot to take my wallet out before going through the scanner. The TSA guy didn’t give me a hard time, and all I had to do was flash my wallet and get a cursory one-second patting of my front pockets. Theoretically, I could have been singled out for major screening, but wasn’t. Without inspecting my wallet to see that it was, in fact, a wallet, who is to say what was in there?
Maybe because I have a Mediterranean ancestry and might look the teensiest bit Muslim (I have dark hair), they left me alone–because, you know, I could have actually been dangerous. By selecting easily intimidated elderly white people, the TSA go about their business knowing they’ll never be faced with danger or charged with racism.