On: If the TSA Were Running New York

[tome]

I think the answer is either that Silhouette has had a number of unusual experiences or he's overstating the case. In the last six months I have flown from the following airports:

Heathrow Stansted Ben Gurion Cologne Vienna Edinburgh

I have had to take my belt off at all of them, and my shoes off once. The "worst" experience was in Israel where I had to go through my bag with the very polite security guards, and it took about half an hour. They were very nice about the whole situation though.

Basically it was inconvenient, but I don't feel it was a big deal and I don't feel like my humanity has been debased.

I've also travelled once on Eurostar and the security process was exactly the same.

[Silhouette → tome]

> I think the answer is either that Silhouette has had a number of unusual experiences or he's overstating the case.

My experience, and those I am reporting from other people I know, obviously only represent a small drop in the ocean of all air travel. It's certainly possible that we have collectively been "unlucky" and others have a much better experience.

In any case, I look at this more as a matter of principle. Clearly for at least some people air travel has become very unpleasant, very inefficient, or both, as a result of all the security theatre. This is a purely negative effect on our society. It has absolutely no merit whatsoever, except for politicians who can now say they are "doing something" about "fighting terrorism".

As with much done in the name of fighting terrorism, the measures initially only catch a few people. As long as this represents only a relatively small proportion of travellers, it doesn't cause a huge public outcry and a lot of people carry on oblivious. That doesn't mean those people would be happy with the way they were treated if their number came up.

I'm happy that you have, so far, been one of the lucky ones. I wish everyone was guaranteed the same experience you have had so far. However, as a result of the inconvenience I have experienced and the much nastier things that have happened to other people I know, I am quite sure that I wouldn't like it if my number came up, so I now choose not to fly on routes where that is a significant possibility.