If you were in charge, what kind of airport security would you implement?

Page 2 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.

Pardus

Diamond Member
Jun 29, 2000
8,197
21
81
Nuke these countries and get on with it... Afghanistan, North Korea, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Syria and Sudan
 

Zorkorist

Diamond Member
Apr 17, 2007
6,861
3
76
Each of those countries has something to offer the world.

Like Afghanistan and Heroin.

It's not the country that offends, it's not the people, it's the Religion, or their form of Government.

The long term solution involves investing in their countries, and trickle down economics.

-John
 

Freshgeardude

Diamond Member
Jul 31, 2006
4,506
0
76
follow el al's security plan.


nothing beats the most targeting county for terrorism's biggest airline never having a single terrorist incident on board.


I flew on them like 4 years ago. they interview each passenger individually and ask a set of questions on top of the regular stuff + more stuff behind the scenes.
 

Zorkorist

Diamond Member
Apr 17, 2007
6,861
3
76
"Papers please."

Americans belive in principals like freedom to pursue happiness. Having some police officer stop you every second argues against any sort of freedom to pursue happiness.

-John
 

Patranus

Diamond Member
Apr 15, 2007
9,280
0
0
1) Profiling
2) X-Ray Baggage
3) Medal Detectors/Full Body Scans - not optional
4) Selective wanding/search if medal detector is failed.

Set up in a pre 9/11 fashion.

It amazes me how EVERYONE was allowed to the gate and now it takes 100x longer for only passengers.
 

Zorkorist

Diamond Member
Apr 17, 2007
6,861
3
76
1) Profiling
2) X-Ray Baggage
3) Medal Detectors/Full Body Scans - not optional
4) Selective wanding/search if medal detector is failed.

Set up in a pre 9/11 fashion.

It amazes me how EVERYONE was allowed to the gate and now it takes 100x longer for only passengers.
Petranus,

You probably mean metal detectors, not medal dectectors. ;)

-John
 

drebo

Diamond Member
Feb 24, 2006
7,034
1
81
No need to do anything other than X-raying carryons, metal detectors, and using that swab that shows explosive residue.

Combined with intelligent profiling, bomb sniffing dogs, and locks on the cockpit doors, this should be more than enough.

We don't need full body virtual strip searches or cavity searches or anything like that.

As I pointed out in another thread, if a terrorist's goal is death and destruction, commercial airlines are about as inefficient as it gets. The goal is to cause as much disruption to our daily lives as possible. It's a goal they've succeeded at beyond their wildest hopes.

Trading freedom for the illusion of safety should be punishable by death.
 

Zorkorist

Diamond Member
Apr 17, 2007
6,861
3
76
Combined with intelligent profiling, bomb sniffing dogs, and locks on the cockpit doors, this should be more than enough.
More than enough, to accomplish what?

More than enough to accomplish that no one ever dies at terrorist hands on a plane again?

Or, more than enough to accomplish that a building is never struck by a plane in the hands of a terrorist?

Or, more than enough to pacify the country that "terrorism is being reeled in?"

-John
 

drebo

Diamond Member
Feb 24, 2006
7,034
1
81
More than enough, to accomplish what?

More than enough to accomplish that no one ever dies at terrorist hands on a plane again?

Or more than enough to accomplish that a building is never struck by a plane in the hands of a terrorist?

Or, more than enough to pacify the country that "terrorism is being reeled in?"

-John

Even if you ban commercial flying entirely, you will never accomplish those goals.

The goal of a terrorist isn't to claim lives. The goal of a terrorist is to fuck with our heads. If we give up our rights for the illusion that the government can keep us safe from them, they have succeeded in their goal. They need not harm another fly, and they've succeeded in their goal.

As stated before, commercial airlines is not the most efficient way for a terrorist to kill people. It's not the most efficient way for them to destroy property. Locking the cockpit effectively removes the chance that will ever happen again on a commercial flight. Everything else is a dog-and-pony show and a government power trip. It accomplishes nothing and effects us no additional real security.

Waste of money, time, and, worst of all, it is an infringement on our rights as human beings.
 

Zorkorist

Diamond Member
Apr 17, 2007
6,861
3
76
I agree.

I'm old enough to remember going to the gate to meet a plane. Yes, I passed through security to meet that plane, but now it only makes me think why I had to pass through security then.

Because that security certainly didn't help during 911.

So, why should I pass through security now?

-John
 

Zorkorist

Diamond Member
Apr 17, 2007
6,861
3
76
The only real explanation is that the Government is preying upon people's fear of flying, and exercising undue, and unconstitutional, control.

Papers please.

-John
 

Zorkorist

Diamond Member
Apr 17, 2007
6,861
3
76
If we are going to implement this level of Security at America's Airports, shouldn't we also exercise this security in America's Courthouses, and Statehouses?

I want to subject Justice Scalia to his eighth random cavity search. :)

Mrs. Obama's pat downs, will just be a bonus. :)

-John
 
Last edited:

Zorkorist

Diamond Member
Apr 17, 2007
6,861
3
76
Shouldn't we station Mall Cops outside every mall, that can ask for your papers, please, or submit you to x-ray spatter? You know, just to make sure you aren't a communist... I mean terrorist.

-John
 
Last edited:

guyver01

Lifer
Sep 25, 2000
22,135
5
61
i would place one of these at every single checkpoint:

ed209.jpg
 

Harabec

Golden Member
Oct 15, 2005
1,369
1
81
Zork, I think you are mixing your experience as a foreigner coming to a high-security country and what you will actually get at home in the US.

As an Israeli/Jewish it does take me no more than 40 minutes to pass all inspections, half of that just waiting in line for baggage.
There is no reason why it should be any different for YOU in your home country.

Just an example of the difference - when you leave Germany to Israel (in Frankfurt) you have to go to a remote terminal and go through a silly amount of checks until you can continue to the waiting lounge. Takes an hour and more IF you're not stopped for deeper searches. (I was told this was Germany's decision as added protection, for some reason)

The thing is...what you need is INTELLIGENCE, not rules and laws. By that I mean trained staff that knows what it is doing (your TSA people don't sound like that, judging from ATPN) and a different mentality of the people.
You just can't do hours-long security in Israel, you'll have people revolting. :)
 

Vette73

Lifer
Jul 5, 2000
21,503
9
0
I'd fire most of the TSA and re-hire back 50% of the staff count. Send the best/brightest to Israel for an education on how to properly screen passengers and compensate them properly. Implement Israeli security standards and adopt best practices.

On airplanes I would ban all electronic device usage in cabins, block all radio and cell signals with jamming. We lived without them before, we can do it going forward. I would give extensive self-defense training to all cabin members, including martial arts or something similar (have them learn Krav Maga while they're over there).

Other than that, I wouldn't do much other than the usual magnetometers and explosive detection.


Yep do the samething as Israel. They screen every person yet they get people through just as fast or faster then TSA can.
 
Last edited:

Darwin333

Lifer
Dec 11, 2006
19,946
2,330
126
Correct. They don't use body scanners but instead profile and use interrogation. Imagine to get beyond the lobby of the airport, you need to talk to 2-3 Israeli soldiers. They ask you just about every detail of your trip(where, who, when, etc). While, they are doing this, someone else is going thru your luggage. Afterwards, they meet alone to go over your answers, if they find an inconsistency, you may be then body searched and further interrogated. All of this happens even before going thru customs into the real terminal.

Planes are boarded/unboarded away from the terminal and you may be stopped once again before boarding or coming off the plane. Being American and a minority, I would always be detained just coming off the plane before I could board a bus to the terminal. To make life easier, when departing, the Israeli company I worked at would provide me a letter with who I was and what I was doing here.

Obviously, a frequent Israeli/Jewish passenger wouldn't have to deal with all of the obstacles that I dealt with.

Would Americans be willing to go thru this? No.

So basically 98% of Americans would be asked a few questions and then sent on their way? The people who actually might blow shit up will be asked a few more questions and possibly scanned the way all Americans are currently being scanned..... and then sent on their way? In exchange we don't get half a hand job or electronically strip searched and don't have to get to the airport 3 hours early?

I'm good with that. I don't see any need to have the Army do it, just hire some competent people and give them the proper training.
 

Darwin333

Lifer
Dec 11, 2006
19,946
2,330
126
I say we have secure flights to major hubs that cost extra with added security and beefed up random searches...

then we allow southwest or someone like them to have a bare bones low cost flight model that allows smoking, heavy drinking, and only carry on luggage that passes through enhanced scanners..

if you are afraid of everything you go secure..if no fucks are given today then go partaaay airlines!!

Bring back hot stewardess, preferably topless, and I am sold!
 

PottedMeat

Lifer
Apr 17, 2002
12,363
475
126
i would place one of these at every single checkpoint:

ed209.jpg

haha my guess is anyone would have a 25% chance of making it out alive ( this applies to any human in the airport ).

Every passenger must ride naked after a full body cavity search, no baggage allowed (ship it via FedEx). All passengers must be restrained for the duration of the flight.

for lulz, my requirements are:
1. All flights are cargo
2. People are sedated at the airport, restrained, sedated, scanned, full body cavity search, packed like sardines into the aircraft.
3. Robot ( Bender-type ) pilot
4. I would own all the companies involved, my private jet is exempt.
 

drebo

Diamond Member
Feb 24, 2006
7,034
1
81
I agree.

I'm old enough to remember going to the gate to meet a plane. Yes, I passed through security to meet that plane, but now it only makes me think why I had to pass through security then.

Because that security certainly didn't help during 911.

So, why should I pass through security now?

-John

9/11 was a freak incident that has been 100% solved by locking the cockpit door.

Even if we did full public strip searches and cavity searches, our current pre-flight "security" would be no more effective in stopping a similar attach with unlocked cockpit doors than pre-flight security was able to stop the 9/11 attacks.

Exhaustive pre-flight security is pointless. Plain and simple. Simple screening for the big things (guns, knives, drugs, explosives) is sufficient.
 

Atreus21

Lifer
Aug 21, 2007
12,001
571
126
Actually, watching The Fifth Element provided some enlightening ideas.

All passengers are forcibly put to sleep for the duration of the flight. Although that wouldn't work for long trans-ocean flights.
 

Murloc

Diamond Member
Jun 24, 2008
5,382
65
91
brutal ass rape at the gate.

No seriously, just check for weapons or weird items with metal detector and bag x-ray, and try to do something about explosives. For now you can't have 100% security regarding explosives.
 

Zorkorist

Diamond Member
Apr 17, 2007
6,861
3
76
So basically 98% of Americans would be asked a few questions and then sent on their way? The people who actually might blow shit up will be asked a few more questions and possibly scanned the way all Americans are currently being scanned..... and then sent on their way? In exchange we don't get half a hand job or electronically strip searched and don't have to get to the airport 3 hours early?

I'm good with that. I don't see any need to have the Army do it, just hire some competent people and give them the proper training.
All Americans aren't being scanned. Random Americans, including Children, are being asked to succumb to the humiliation of being scanned for weapons.

It's clearly a violation of the 4th Amendment, which states that we are safe from unreasonable searches and seizures.

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

-John