Flying from Canada? Be prepared to spend a ridiculous amount of time going through security. After the underwear bomber on Christmas Day, travelers are paying the price for upgraded security...with their precious time. No doubt that safety is paramount, but are we being fooled into a greater sense of security by a Potemkin village of pat downs, ID checks and inane questions?
My most recent Toronto airport security experience, which culminated with a line of questioning about the book I was carrying on board, leads me to believe that this so-called security is just all for show. Hoping to get some clarification on the new procedures, I went directly to the source, (kindly) asking the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority what the point is behind the theatrics.
They wrote me back with this response: You are asking to comment on our operating procedures, which is something that, for security purposes, we do not discuss publicly. So, we're left to pontificate the actions of airport security as a community of travelers. (I think that's more fun anyway.)
You tell me: are the scenarios that I experienced bonafide security measures that ensure the safety of travelers? Or are they just a bunch of baloney to offer travelers a greater sense of security? I welcome any and all of your comments.
Bonafide or Baloney? Before going through the detectors at the checkpoint, each passenger had to wait until security had completely checked the traveler in front of them and had gathered their items from the conveyer belt. This seemed to take a good three or four minutes per person.
Bonafide or Baloney? They asked me to put my hands inside the top of my pants and slide my hands around my waist before testing my finger tips for (I assume) explosives. Why can't they just take a sample from my shirt or arm? Does it really do any good to test just one area of the body anyway?
Bonafide or Baloney? I was carrying the book Love in the Time of Cholera. This led to a series of questions about the disease, including what I know about cholera and why I am reading the book. I bet the Nobel Prize winning author never thought the title of this book would set off security alarms. Do people even get cholera anymore?!
Bonafide or Baloney? They asked me to turn on my laptop and wait until it booted up before putting it back in my bag. This left me wishing I had one of those new Toshiba models that wake up really fast.
Bonafide or Baloney? I had to show my boarding pass to six or seven different people before getting to my gate. Must I remind people that all attempted attacks have been made by people who did indeed have boarding passes?
Am I alone in thinking that these security measures are just a bunch of baloney? A Potemkin village intended to lull travelers into a greater (but possibly false) sense of security? Or do these enhanced security measures give you solace as a traveler? Discuss.
Comments
Jan 28, 2010
Hooey, hooey, and more hooey, I think.
And I'm sorry. Not knowing that LOVE IN THE TIME OF CHOLERA is a classic is just...classic.
What's next? If you read TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD you won't be allowed to adopt a pet from the animal shelter?!
Jan 28, 2010
When you fly from Canada into the US you enter into the US security system. It is much different than flying from Canada to anywhere else. We fly from Canada all over the world on a frequent basis and the security measures only get so over the top when flying into the US. That having been said, we have not flown since Christmas Day. Come Saturday we may have a different story to tell.
Jan 29, 2010
hmm...!! this is nice..:)keep it up..:D
Jan 31, 2010
I agree that some of the measures are uncalled for, but most are necessary. I would rather spend an extra 5 minutes going through security than get blow out of the sky by some nut case!