Bad Security Theater at the Airport
16th June 2010
I flew out of Dulles last Wednesday, and the security process there was pure living hell. First there was an endless line just to get to the checkpoint where the TSA guy looks at your passport and boarding pass. Then there was another line — this one snaking back and forth through what seemed like miles of elastic tape barriers — that eventually divided up into several streams to go through the X-ray machines and the metal detectors. Shoes off, coat off, laptop out, liquids into the little bag, go through the Mystical Arch of Examination — and if you’re lucky, they don’t select you for some of that Extra Scrutiny.
Coming home yesterday I had to repeat the same procedure in Zurich, although it was less strenuous there. Unfortunately, however, I had to change planes in Philadelphia (a five-hour layover), and Philly is a point-of-entry. That meant I had to go through passport control (an endless line), and then reclaim my luggage. Next came customs (an endless line), and then I had to re-check my suitcase. And then — here’s the killer — I had to go through security again. A long line down a winding corridor to the checkpoint with the grumpy TSA guy, then the inevitable snake back and forth to the X-ray machines. Shoes off, etc., etc. Once more with feeling.
But — and here’s the kicker — everywhere I went there were Muslims working the security. Muslimas in hijab checking boarding passes. Muslims at the X-ray machines. Muslims wanding people. And in Philly I saw a Muslim guy doing the security screening on an entire family of Muslim travelers — women and girls in hijab, Dad in his little beanie, kids straggling along.
We are less safe after all this folderol because we’re letting people who could well be our enemies screen people who could well be our enemies. Which, needless to say, is insane.
IF IT WEREN’T FOR MUSLIM TERRORISTS, NONE OF THIS HUMILIATING RIGMAROLE WOULD BE NECESSARY.