Airport Security Outside the US

[911boost]

Having spent all of last week in Delhi and Bangalore, India, with my connections through Frankfurt, I will no longer complain about the TSA here in the US.

I would rather this not get PARF'd, but it was interesting seeing the same type of screening being attempted without the boys and girls in blue. India had the most evasive screening, Germany's was definitely the least organized and biggest cluster.

Now, the driving in India, that's a whole 'nother story. Wow.

Bill

[Z-man]

I went to Germany this past September on a business trip, and had no issues with security whatsoever. Didn't even have to remove my shoes.

On the way there, I was patted down in Newark Airport in NJ, because I failed the metal detector due to my insulin pump. But this was a 'pre-TSA groping' pat down procesure, so I really didn't feel too violated.

-Z-man.

[Seahawk]

I used to travel quite a bit internationally. By far the most invasive searches were leaving Saudi Arabia.

On the jet way were long tables...every item was searched, and not with a hand wave...they dug through everything, all carry on electronics had to be turned on, etc.

Just part of the parade.

As far as driving in India? Wow is right. Any hesitation is viewed as a weakness.

[tcar]

Originally Posted by BSiple

India had the most evasive screening..

Funny...

Evasive... so they just lie about it???

Invasive would be my guess...

Laughing...

[widgeon13]

This is all Ok now, Holder said today most of the terrorist threats will come from within the country from US citizens so we can stop looking for the obvious.

[island911]

Well, really ... who wants to target a plane anymore? I mean flt93 showed that passengers are not ever going to let the take-over of a plane happen again. And the underwear bomber showed how karma can burn their ass (and junk)....and still no big pay-off.

...and how many idiots are left for a suicide mission?

The focus has got to be on those people with really big destruction plans. --not toe-nail clippers toters.

[TechnoViking]

I agree the "use the plane as a weapon" tactic will no longer work.

But imagine if they could get a small bomb on, say, 10 planes and pull the trigger. That would be pretty terrorizing. And it would be a major disruption to our economy.

My friend who lives in the Colorado mountains wonders why the terrorists just don't drive around with a bunch of gas cans, setting all the trees on fire. It would be devastating. But not in the same dramatic way as killing people I guess.

[TechnoViking]

I'll never forget flying out of London *before* 9-11. There was an interview conducted one-on-one with each passenger. Quick, but very engaging, and you got the feeling you'd better not jerk with these people.

I remember thinking: "Damn, these people are serious". I guess they had it figured out back then, while our security was essentially non-existent.

[911boost]

evasive, invasive...yeah yeah yeah, I am till rebounding from the trip and my brain isn't woking quite right yet.

[island911]

The latest report was that they wanted to poison a bunch of salad bars at once.

I'll say this; post 9/11 all of our soft-targets became so obvious.

Yet, almost 10 years on, we don't have some wrath of on-going sabotage to deal with. Which makes me conclude that, aside from the few crazies (shoe & undie-bombers) there really aren't that many people in this country, focused on little hits. Come to think of it, both shoe and crotch-bumblers came from outside the US.

Inside the US we have many more deaths from politicians insisting we drive smaller and smaller cars. --though, that's not really news worthy. ...even if it's the equivalent of 100 jets falling out of the sky. (33,808 US car deaths for 2009) rfnc

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by TechnoViking

I agree the "use the plane as a weapon" tactic will no longer work.

But imagine if they could get a small bomb on, say, 10 planes and pull the trigger. That would be pretty terrorizing. And it would be a major disruption to our economy.

My friend who lives in the Colorado mountains wonders why the terrorists just don't drive around with a bunch of gas cans, setting all the trees on fire. It would be devastating. But not in the same dramatic way as killing people I guess.

You need to read "Physics for Presidents". There is more energy in 1lb of diesel fuel than in 1 lb of TNT. A lot more!

It does a great job of debunking "dirty bombs" and other non issues. To me, the destruction/contamination of water supplies in certain areas would be worse than anything.

Imagine trying to evacuate Los Angeles and San Diego, at the same time...

[Rick Lee]

I've been interviewed at all the German airports. I think they take it pretty seriously there. A guy snuck a loaded Glock past the TSA here a few days ago. I have zero confidence in the TSA. It's a pure cattle call and matter of chance that no one has been successful with a bomb (yet). I can think of a lot of easier, more effective ways to carry out a terrorist attack. But disrupting air travel and ratcheting up the airport misery a few more notches here would be a good win for them.

[ronster]

Upon landing at Athens in 1990 all the passengers had to stand behind their open luggage while armed military guided sniffer dogs through everyone's bags. I went through the same interview process in Germany in 1990 as another poster here did, and in 1998 was called to the airline check in, for a flight to Mexico City, and told I had been upgraded to first class then was led into a private room where three security employees went through every inch of my luggage and another security employee conducted a pat down and wand scan. I've been traveling single for 23 years and am used to being on a "suspicious" passenger list. I also travel with a CPAP device and that sets off all kinds of bells.