You gotta hand it to the TSA – they’re really good at making you hate travelling. CNN has recently obtained a list of 70 “behavioural indicators” that the TSA uses to identify potentially high risk passengers and one of ’em is if you complain about the TSA.
It’s circular reasoning at is finest, and is best described by Michael German, a former FBI agent who now serves as legal counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union:
“We all have the right to express our views, and particularly in a situation where the government is demanding the ability to search you. It’s circular reasoning where, you know, I’m going to ask someone to surrender their rights; if they refuse, that’s evidence that I need to take their rights away from them. And it’s simply inappropriate.”
The entire TSA procedure is formerly known as Screening Passengers by Observation Technique, or SPOT. Basically, when the TSA officers casually drum up conversation with you, they’re actually judging you and marking points up if you show certain behavioural indicators. Check out CNN for the full report. [CNN]