Israeli Airport Security Makes American Performer Dance to Prove his Identity

by Josh Lew on

When the famed American dance company Alvin Ailey arrived in Israel, one of the troupe was singled out by airport security because of his Muslim name. That’s nothing new in a place where security concerns trump political correctness.

But this particular situation didn’t stop with the usual searches and passport verification. The dancer, Abdur-Rahim Jackson, was asked to perform a dance in order to prove his identity. After being held in a holding room for a few minutes, a different security official asked him to dance again. Jackson claimed that another security official told him it might be wise if he changed his name.

Jackson received his name when his father converted to Islam. He is not religious and is engaged to a Jewish woman whose family he intended to visit while in Israel. Despite being taken aback by the treatment, Jackson said that he did not plan to pursue any sort of official complaint. However, the story has been picked up by the Israeli press and commentators have complained about the negative image the story has caused for their country. Source.

Is that a police badge or just TSA?

by Jamie Rhein on

If you want to look official,–like you shouldn’t be pushed around, you need an important looking badge that looks like a police officer’s. That’s the latest idea of TSA. Soon screeners at major national airport checkpoints will have them.

Evidently, without a badge that looks official, some passengers haven’t been minding their manners while going through screening. A badge that looks like a police officer’s says, “I’m an important person. Trifle with me, and you’re toast.”

Well, maybe not that extreme, but at least quit arguing with us or hitting us–whatever it is that drives TSA employees nuts when people are making their way through a screening line.

TSA employees are pleased as punch with their shiny new badges, but police officers are put off by them. The worry is that if TSA officers looks like police officers, people may think TSA employees can do more than screen people and luggage. People may start shouting out, “Arrest that man,” when displeased.

Also, if TSA folks get to wear badges too, than what makes a police badge all that special? There’s one thing I thought of. It says, “Police.”

But perhaps the police do have a point, and the TSA badge does lessen the clout and status of police officers. I’m on the fence. The badge in the picture, by the way, is just a toy.

Superman eyes: TSA’s device to see through clothes in an airport near you

by Jamie Rhein on

When Catherine first posted about TSA’s body scan device, I thought that the term “Big Brother is watching ” had reached a new level of meaning. The machine is one that a passenger steps though so that millimeter waves can be bounced off his or her body, thus capturing a fairly perfect image of the person’s exact shape sans clothes.

This isn’t the naked-as-a-jay bird, in your birthday suit image, but this grainy, fuzzy image that you see here. Still and all, do you see what I see? I think the person has an “inny” navel. Or is it an “outy?”

The machines must be doing some good where they are being used already, one would hope, since TSA is springing for more of them.

Engadget picked up on the story that machines are being installed in Dallas, Detroit, Miami and Las Vegas towards the end of June. The machine was used for the first time at the Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. yesterday. Albuquerque, Los Angeles, Baltimore, Denver, and JFK in New York have had Superman eyes capabilities for a few months now. If you have a plastic or ceramic gun and think you’re going to take it on an airplane, think again. TSA is on to you.

Personally, I’m going for a pat down if given a choice. There’s something about this machine creeps me out a bit. However, in this USA Today article, one official said that the body imaging capabilities are just being tapped.

Hmmm. Here’s an idea. Come up with a machine that also does health screening. While it’s searching out weapons it can search out cancer. People who pass through the machines would then get a free health report printout. Just think, eventually you might be able to take a flight a year and do without that colonoscopy, mammogram or prostate exam. It’s just a thought.

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