USA TSA: Signs You Might Be a Terrorist

[Deleted]

Source: https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2...ot-terrorists/

Selected quotes:

Fidgeting, whistling, sweaty palms. Add one point each. Arrogance, a cold penetrating stare, and rigid posture, two points.

These are just a few of the suspicious signs that the Transportation Security Administration directs its officers to look out for — and score — in airport travelers, according to a confidential TSA document obtained exclusively by The Intercept.

The checklist is part of TSA’s controversial program to identify potential terrorists based on behaviors that it thinks indicate stress or deception — known as the Screening of Passengers by Observation Techniques, or SPOT. The program employs specially trained officers, known as Behavior Detection Officers, to watch and interact with passengers going through screening.
...
Since its introduction in 2007, the SPOT program has attracted controversy for the lack of science supporting it. In 2013, the Government Accountability Office found that there was no evidence to back up the idea that “behavioral indicators … can be used to identify persons who may pose a risk to aviation security.” After analyzing hundreds of scientific studies, the GAO concluded that “the human ability to accurately identify deceptive behavior based on behavioral indicators is the same as or slightly better than chance.”
...
Points can also be deducted from someone’s score based on observations about the traveler that make him or her less likely, in TSA’s eyes, to be a terrorist. For example, “apparent” married couples, if both people are over 55, have two points deducted off their score. Women over the age of 55 have one pointed deducted; for men, the point deduction doesn’t come until they reach 65.
...
One former Behavior Detection Officer manager, who asked not to be identified, said that SPOT indicators are used by law enforcement to justify pulling aside anyone officers find suspicious, rather than acting as an actual checklist for specific indicators. “The SPOT sheet was designed in such a way that virtually every passenger will exhibit multiple ‘behaviors’ that can be assigned a SPOT sheet value,” the former manager said.

The signs of deception and fear “are ridiculous,” the source continued. “These are just ‘catch all’ behaviors to justify BDO interaction with a passenger. A license to harass.”

[Kujako]

Hey, at least they left off "you're brown" this time.

[Vea Lea]

thats a ridiculous list

[Tradewind]

"Being naked." not on the list. Score.

[Kujako]

"Being naked." not on the list. Score.

Means Penn & Teller are still safe (they or one of their crew often strips down to nada when going through TSA). Well, kinda...

[Varabently]

A lot of those are true of people who are tired or just woken up.

Freshly shaved beard? Yawning? Staring? I mean if I'm at an airport at 6 am for a flight or stayed overnight at an airport...that's probably going to be about right.

[Nobleshield]

Ridiculous. I think we should just abolish the TSA and be done with it. It's basically a testament to what happens when you give average people power above and beyond what they should have; they abuse the hell out of it.

[Revi]

Pretty basic signs of nervousness. You're not going to get arrested, but it will means they pay more attention to you. Seems pretty sensible to be extra alert of people who are visible nervous going through a security check.

Those of you calling it abuse of power, what would you have them do? Ignore body language and be completely random in their checks?

[Tradewind]

Funny enough at least half of these describe every single TSA staff I've encountered.

[Lenonis]

Frankly things have gotten to the point where I get a bit nervous going through security just because it's such a shitshow these days. I worry I accidentally packed something that will set off the screening, like a liquid or whatever. Or I'll get randomly picked for something because of reasons.

It's past time that TSA got tighter...time to start loosening up the reigns and realize that things have gotten past the point of absurdity.

[Voolawl]

Pretty basic signs of nervousness. You're not going to get arrested, but it will means they pay more attention to you. Seems pretty sensible to be extra alert of people who are visible nervous going through a security check.

Those of you calling it abuse of power, what would you have them do? Ignore body language and be completely random in their checks?

Exactly this. I'm sure TSA would gladly go back to "random"(read: anyone brown) screenings. This seems like a decently viable system. Not 100% accurate, but it feels along the same lines as a polygraph test. Sure it won't tell you exactly what you need to know, but it will give you a better idea than you had before.

[Deleted]

Lol you have no way to know based on those criteria.

[dokilar]

Ridiculous. I think we should just abolish the TSA and be done with it. It's basically a testament to what happens when you give average people power above and beyond what they should have; they abuse the hell out of it.

i wholeheartedly agree. its a waste of time and money. last time i checked the tsa hasnt caught a single terrorist at its "screenings"

[Elim Garak]

Omg, thanks to that list I've just realized that all TSA people are TERRORISTS.

[Nengal]

I've been selected for a "random" search in addition to standard procedure prior to almost every flight I've been on. Sometimes even multiple times (Such as in Colombia when I was searched 3 times "randomly", at different locations, outside of their standard security before boarding on my way back to the States). I really wish I knew what the hell it was that I apparently do to get picked, but whatever. I'm used to it now and it's expected.

[Vea Lea]

Pretty basic signs of nervousness. You're not going to get arrested, but it will means they pay more attention to you. Seems pretty sensible to be extra alert of people who are visible nervous going through a security check.

Those of you calling it abuse of power, what would you have them do? Ignore body language and be completely random in their checks?

if they would do that to me i would get checked because am always nervous about flying

[Moralgy]

I scored a 6, go me.

[Revi]

I've been selected for a "random" search in addition to standard procedure prior to almost every flight I've been on. Sometimes even multiple times (Such as in Colombia when I was searched 3 times "randomly", at different locations, outside of their standard security before boarding on my way back to the States). I really wish I knew what the hell it was that I apparently do to get picked, but whatever. I'm used to it now and it's expected.

Yeah, I get selected every single time. I think it's because I was selected randomly once, so the next time I was thinking "crap, hope they don't select me again", which must have made me look shifty, and after that I just dread the security check so they pick up on it and check me it's a vicious cycle.

1 time in my last 10 flights I wasn't checked, and that time I was in a real hurry so I didn't even think about it, and as a result didn't seem suspicious.

[Naxere]

Yeah, last flight earlier this month I had the random hand swab before I got to the checkpoint, got selected for a random extra screening as I went through the checkpoint, had my daughter's car seat swabbed down, and had my backpack dug through. About the only thing they didn't ask me to do was spread my buttcheeks apart.

[Tradewind]

Yeah, last flight earlier this month I had the random hand swab before I got to the checkpoint, got selected for a random extra screening as I went through the checkpoint, had my daughter's car seat swabbed down, and had my backpack dug through. About the only thing they didn't ask me to do was spread my buttcheeks apart.

but you obliged anyway?