Airport security... Why me

[Go Juice]

Why is it that everytime i travel i get "randomly" checked for explosives with the little wand they have now? I tought the were random but everytime?? Also i noticed when i got my boarding pass scanned by security sonething beeped red. Not so random maybe i'm thinking??

[longjon]

A similar thing happend to my wife, she has been randomly checked 3 of 4 trips. Twice we couldn't check her in online from home and only found out why when we got to the airport. We're still not sure why this happened.

[roscoe]

Here's another example of our security apparatus at work; My youngest is white, blondish, hazel eyed,6'6" 300 lbs, and (my bad) shares the name of a fat, black african dictator who was/is on trial for crimes against humanity, and he gets pulled aside fairly often. No luck getting off the "list" so far. Go figure....

[yycflyguy]

Why is it that everytime i travel i get "randomly" checked for explosives with the little wand they have now? I tought the were random but everytime?? Also i noticed when i got my boarding pass scanned by security sonething beeped red. Not so random maybe i'm thinking??

A couple of reasons:

Someone with the same/similar name could be on the do not fly list.

Are you only travelling one way?

[razorblade]

Haha yeah., I get "checked" 3-4 out of every 5 trips that I do.. Being a brown guy with a beard and a red pass doesn't help that cause.

[CID]

Do you look like this:

[GyvAir]

I was told once by security - while they were disecting my luggage - that I was always getting the *ssss* written on my boarding pass because of buying last minute tickets. I don't remember how last minute the purchase had to be in order to red flag you. They also implied that although it was published that 1 in 14 randomly get selected for the additional probing at security or in the jetway, in reality, randomness really didn't play a big part in who was flagged.

[CpnCrunch]

In my limited experience it seems to happen to me when I'm stressed/annoyed/jetlagged. I'd suggest trying to relax as much as possible (so they don't think you have a bomb up your ass). Also if you've just stepped off a 14-hr flight without sleeping and you're feeling like a dazed zombie (see above pic), try to clean yourself up and wake up a bit before going through security. Apart from that, perhaps you're just unlucky.

[Dash-Ate]

Answer all questions with: It is the will of allah. Or use god.

[NAT2]

Sorry, this doesn't help, but I must...

[Stu Pidasso]

Remember a couple things about Airport Security:

1. It is pure Theater.

2. They always target the Blonde haired and Blue Eyed, (form your own reasoning for that one.)

3. They 'employ' the 'unemployable,' that would otherwise be Janitors or Cab Drivers.

4. They are overpaid and underskilled.

[Darkwing Duck]

Here's another example of our security apparatus at work; My youngest is white, blondish, hazel eyed,6'6" 300 lbs, and (my bad) shares the name of a fat, black african dictator who was/is on trial for crimes against humanity, and he gets pulled aside fairly often. No luck getting off the "list" so far. Go figure....

Hey, Michael Jackson was once black.

[YYZSaabGuy]

Here's another example of our security apparatus at work; My youngest is white, blondish, hazel eyed,6'6" 300 lbs, and (my bad) shares the name of a fat, black african dictator who was/is on trial for crimes against humanity, and he gets pulled aside fairly often. No luck getting off the "list" so far. Go figure....

Let me get this straight: you named your white, blondish, hazel-eyed son Idi Amin Dada?

[flyincanuck]

2. They always target the Blonde haired and Blue Eyed

Bang on.

[cncpc]

I was once, and still may be, believed to have been a member of the IRA. That is certainly in wherever they keep files on things like that.

I have NEVER been checked at security.