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Are planned airport scanners just a scam?

New and improved scanners won't do anything, as long as our airport security focuses on items rather than people. It will never be difficult for terrorists to sneak something through security if they know how the scanners work. We need to completely overhaul our security procedures to focus on suspicious PEOPLE, and get rid of stupid **** like taking our shoes off at the airport.
 
So, since it's becoming pretty clear that absolutely nothing would have detected the undie-bomb and since the guy was low enough on the terror scale that intelligence agencies didn't think it was necessary to revoke his multiple-entry US visa, I guess we're just gonna have to take our chances when flying, eh?

And, yeah, the El-Al profiling style is starting to look better by the day, except I'm not sure all airlines would be willing to implement it. I'm not even sure all airlines even need to implement it except for the usual suspects, the US and Israeli carriers, maybe the British too.
 
New and improved scanners won't do anything, as long as our airport security focuses on items rather than people. It will never be difficult for terrorists to sneak something through security if they know how the scanners work. We need to completely overhaul our security procedures to focus on suspicious PEOPLE, and get rid of stupid **** like taking our shoes off at the airport.

Why not do both?
 
Why not do both?

Because making us take our shoes off at the airport is a response to a PREVIOUS terror attempt, not the NEXT terror attempt. As far as I know, there has been a total of ONE person in the history of air travel who attempted to blow up an airplane with explosives in his shoe.

As long as we're looking for dangerous things instead of dangerous people, terrorists will always find creative new ways to sneak things past security.
 
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Everyone who wants to board any plane should be told they will be Subject to a full body scan, the use of a sniffer used to detect explosives, a pat down, and even a full strip search if they are suspected of just looking the tiniest bit suspicious. The use of any and all profiling should be used and if some Islamic dirt bag doesn't like tough shiite they can walk or swim to where ever they want to go.

Flying is not a right and and the safety of all on board out weighs the feelings of someone from the phony Islamic cult of hate and death. It's too bad the crusaders went successful, because we wouldn't be having to deal with all these brainwashed idiots now.

I know we are supposed to be tolerant but being a Muslim is no better than a cult of death where all is forgiven if you just go kill infidels when you're finished drinking, whoring, smoking, gambling and what ever else you want to do the Koran prohibits. Just kill innocent people and it's okay.

A quick history of terrorists shows they all went out and lived it up before they set out to kill. I say profile the hell out of the Bastards.
 
New and improved scanners won't do anything, as long as our airport security focuses on items rather than people. It will never be difficult for terrorists to sneak something through security if they know how the scanners work. We need to completely overhaul our security procedures to focus on suspicious PEOPLE, and get rid of stupid **** like taking our shoes off at the airport.

I agree with you, but also, there are clear suspects on intel. lists, like the bomber from Nigeria, who somehow slip by security in really audacious ways. The Nigerian had a list of warning signs including the fact that he was already on a list because his father reported him to the U.S.

I think the information network about suspected individuals needs to be strengthened so that details arise immediately when someone on a list tries to check in.
 
Because making us take our shoes off at the airport is a response to a PREVIOUS terror attempt, not the NEXT terror attempt. As far as I know, there has been a total of ONE person in the history of air travel who attempted to blow up an airplane with explosives in his shoe.

As long as we're looking for dangerous things instead of dangerous people, terrorists will always find creative new ways to sneak things past security.

Perhaps because they know we are made to take off our shoes is the reason that it hasn't been tried again? If we drop our defenses in one area it opens up the possibility of an old trick being used again. Tactics 101: Sometimes old is new.
 
If I were a Terrorist, and saw how much we are spending to secure airports, I would just kick back and wait---then attack something else entirely. don't need to be real smart to go where we're not looking so hard. We keep putting all our eggs in one basket.
 
If I were a Terrorist, and saw how much we are spending to secure airports, I would just kick back and wait---then attack something else entirely. don't need to be real smart to go where we're not looking so hard. We keep putting all our eggs in one basket.

There are thousands of great targets. These terrorists are too obsessed with airplanes if you ask me.
 
New and improved scanners won't do anything, as long as our airport security focuses on items rather than people. It will never be difficult for terrorists to sneak something through security if they know how the scanners work. We need to completely overhaul our security procedures to focus on suspicious PEOPLE, and get rid of stupid **** like taking our shoes off at the airport.
I couldn't agree with you more. You hit the nail on the head.
 
If I were a Terrorist, and saw how much we are spending to secure airports, I would just kick back and wait---then attack something else entirely. don't need to be real smart to go where we're not looking so hard. We keep putting all our eggs in one basket.

That is what is gonna happen. They will just attack other places. Like big shopping malls, stadiums, huge biz. buildings, etc.

BTW, I went to Bahamas and back with a purple Bic lighter. For flight there? I honestly had forgotten it was with me but on way back? I knew it was there and was curious if I could make it through without em finding it. I did.
 
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My question. What exactly does a terrorist look like? How do they act different from anyone else?
 
Well I guess we should stop Miss Arab World 2007 from ever boarding a plane then huh?

Link
 
Perhaps because they know we are made to take off our shoes is the reason that it hasn't been tried again? If we drop our defenses in one area it opens up the possibility of an old trick being used again. Tactics 101: Sometimes old is new.

But that's the point...there's no way we can possibly prevent every trick the terrorists can think up. So rather than check for every single trick a terrorist has ever tried in the past, we'd be better off looking for people who are behaving suspiciously and improving our "watch lists" to single them out for additional screening.
 
But that's the point...there's no way we can possibly prevent every trick the terrorists can think up. So rather than check for every single trick a terrorist has ever tried in the past, we'd be better off looking for people who are behaving suspiciously and improving our "watch lists" to single them out for additional screening.

I'm not disagreeing with you on this part. Remember I asked "why not both?". ;)

My point is that while sure we may not be able to prevent every trick we can try to prevent the ones that we know of. And you should realize that even your idea will not stop them 100%. Nothing is ever 100%.

Your idea does have its limits.

Not every terrorist will always act suspicious. Not every terrorist will ever be on our watch list as there will always be terrorists that we don't know about.

But if you combine what you have suggested with what we are doing currently then flying becomes that much more safer because it will help stop the ones we know about and act suspcious and the ones that we don't know about or act suspicious.
 
That is what is gonna happen. They will just attack other places. Like big shopping malls, stadiums, huge biz. buildings, etc.

BTW, I went to Bahamas and back with a purple Bic lighter. For flight there? I honestly had forgotten it was with me but on way back? I knew it was there and was curious if I could make it through without em finding it. I did.

It's perfectly legal to carry a Bic lighter on an airplane now. That prohibition was lifted a couple of years ago.
 
There are thousands of great targets. These terrorists are too obsessed with airplanes if you ask me.
Airplanes make big news and big fires.
 
Being quite libertarian in my views I must agree that body scanners are not the best investment we can make while profiling would be. We must however, in our hyper-capitalistic corporatocracy, invest in commercial solutions instead of investing in people. Good training in profiling for TSA employees would be our best option but for some reason if a corporation can make a buck we seem to HAVE to give them the money. It's like an addiction or something and we know addicts never make good choices in regards to their addiction. We need an... intervention.
 
Thought you all should see this being as we're on the subject of bombs and what not...

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fESo6JweU20"]YouTube- modern binary explosives[/ame]
 
New twist, now the scanner may be breaking child porn laws.
 
It's perfectly legal to carry a Bic lighter on an airplane now. That prohibition was lifted a couple of years ago.

When I went? It was not allowed. :2razz:
 
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