This forum is in permanent archive mode. Our new active community can be found here.

Security Theater

RymRym
edited August 2010 in Everything Else
So, I went to that Mets game last week. They had the usual bag searchers at every gate, and also metal detector guys. The checked every bag, and ran the metal detector over every person.

The bag check consisted of the guy literally unsnapping one of the buckles, snapping it back, and then handing me the bag. He made no bones about the fact that he wasn't actually checking any bags.

The metal detector was hilarious. I set off the detector, so the guy had to manually sweep me with the wand. Said wand went off like five times! Loudly. At both front pockets, my breast pocket, my waist, etc... He quite literally ignored all of the alarms, having done his duty of uselessly sweeping me, and told me to go on in.

I understand it's just security theater, but even the theater portion of it is starting to break down.

Comments

  • Poor acting, would not go again.
  • Poor acting, would not go again.
    We should clap every time we pass through security. Ask for an encore. Leave and re-enter (I just wanted to see the act again! Engaging!).

    This, a movement, could be.
  • edited August 2010
    They had the usual bag searchers at every gate, and also metal detector guys. The checked every bag, and ran the metal detector over every person.
    I think, pretty much, those bag search guys are less there for security, than for "Is your bag full of liquor? Nope. Cool, carry on."

    Edit - I mean, independent of whatever terror security blah blah blah they're on with, that's the main purpose of those guys.
    Post edited by Churba on
  • Security is a joke everywhere, except airports. Jesus H. Tap Dancing Christ do you not want to fuck with airline security.
  • Security is a joke everywhere, except airports. Jesus H. Tap Dancing Christ do you not want to fuck with airline security.
    They're the best joke of all. They take themselves seriously!
  • I think, pretty much, those bag search guys are less there for security, than for "Is your bag full of liquor? Nope. Cool, carry on."
    Thing is, I could easily have had liquor. Lots of it. He didn't actually check. More importantly, liquor isn't metal, is it?
  • Thing is, I could easily have had liquor. Lots of it. He didn't actually check. More importantly, liquor isn't metal, is it?
    Nope, But I'd say if you had a super-heavy bag, he'd have given it more of a cursory glance.

    Also, Liquor isn't metal - But many people put it in or buy it in metal containers - Cans, Flasks, so on - and the metal fittings of most bottles will set off a metal detector.

    That's beside the point, though. Yeah, you could have had lots of liquor in your bag. But the lack of diligence of one guy doesn't mean that's not what he's there for. It just means he's bad at his job.
  • Thing is, I could easily have had liquor. Lots of it. He didn't actually check. More importantly, liquor isn't metal, is it?
    Well he held your bag, yes? He was seeing how heavy it was. Liquids are dense.
  • Well he held your bag, yes? He was seeing how heavy it was. Liquids are dense.
    Actually, on that point, a bottle of liquor also concentrates the weight into a small-ish area, which you can tell by the heft of it.
  • Actually, on that point, a bottle of liquor also concentrates the weight into a small-ish area, which you can tell by the heft of it.
    My bag was heavy and with a bulge.
  • Actually, on that point, a bottle of liquor also concentrates the weight into a small-ish area, which you can tell by the heft of it.
    My bag was heavy and with a bulge.
    Did you stuff it with socks beforehand?
  • My bag was heavy and with a bulge.
    I'm sure that's what he said.
  • My bag was heavy and with a bulge.
    Bollocks, I can't quite convey the idea without using my hands. Hm.

    Well, essentially, if it's heavy with a bulge, then that's different to if you're lugging, say, a 700 ML bottle of Jack, and hardly anything else. It's hard to be able to get the point I'm making across without a demonstration, but you can figure one of those out for yourself. Essentially, Yeah, cool, your bag was heavy, and had a bulge. But the point I'm making is that a bottle of liquor changes the heft of the bag perceptibly, unless you're cunning about it. That's all.

    Not disputing that if he was there for security, rather than security theatre, or trying to stop people smuggling liquor in, he would have checked your bag. I'm not disputing that he wasn't doing his job right. I'm not disputing anything about your bag, nor that it was heavy, light, smooth as a freshly shaven crotch or lumpier than a condom full of walnuts. None of that, you dig? I'm just saying, the main purpose that they are there for - no matter how successful they are or are not - is to attempt to limit the amount of liquor being smuggled in as much as they can, so that you buy their shitty, warm 12 dollar beers in plastic cups.
  • The bag wasn't the issue I was amused by. The metal detector was.

    He swept me, but ignored the alerts. He'd might as well waved a stick.
  • Well, essentially, if it's heavy with a bulge, then that's different to if you're lugging, say, a 700 ML bottle of Jack, and hardly anything else. It's hard to be able to get the point I'm making across without a demonstration, but you can figure one of those out for yourself. Essentially, Yeah, cool, your bag was heavy, and had a bulge. But the point I'm making is that a bottle of liquor changes the heft of the bag perceptibly, unless you're cunning about it. That's all.
    Come on, every highschooler should be taught how to smuggle alcohol!
  • Come on, every highschooler should be taught how to smuggle alcohol!
    Don't know about that in the states, their legal drinking age is higher than ours. They might only learn it in college, and by then, you don't have to be as cunning about it, nor is it exactly in short enough supply that you feel the need to be terribly cautious about it.
  • edited August 2010
    So does this mean I can lecture Alcohol Smuggling 101 at RIT?
    Post edited by ElJoe0 on
  • So does this mean I can lecture Alcohol Smuggling 101 at RIT?
    Only once you finish and present your thesis defence as the final part of your PHD in sly boozing. Don't worry, I'm very lenient about deadlines, I'll just grade it when it comes in, take your time.
  • The bag wasn't the issue I was amused by. The metal detector was.

    He swept me, but ignored the alerts. He'd might as well waved a stick.
    If someone smart reeeally wanted to get alcohol in, they could have accomplished it trivially. It's all just useless stick waving.
  • If someone smart reeeally wanted to get alcohol in, they could have accomplished it trivially. It's all just useless stick waving.
    By the sound of it, this would be my method of choice for smuggling beer into the stadium.
    image
  • edited August 2010
    Bonnie got flagged at LAX security for having glow sticks in her bag. Instead of just confiscating them like they were supposed to, they proceeded to waste time arguing about whether they should take them or not, and eventually based their decision to let her keep them soley on the fact that the packaging didn't say they were flammable, since none of them had ever even heard of a glow stick before.
    Post edited by Sail on
  • Bonnie got flagged at LAX security for having glow sticks in her bag. Instead of just confiscating them like they were supposed to, they proceeded to waste time arguing about whether they should take them or not, and eventually based their decision to let her keep them soley on the fact that the packaging didn't say they were flammable, since none of them had ever even heard of a glow stick before.
    Wow. Was the phrase "I know not of this witchcraft" uttered? Because with some of the TSA guys, it would not surprise me.
  • I used to work various security jobs when in flight school, from housing authority patrol, to ship based security to guarding a downtown federal building and an underground power control center.

    Working unarmed security is a crappy job attracting fairly unmotivated and crappy people. Armed security range from crappy to so-so.

    The level of actual security all depends on the upper management and how willing they are to enforcer their own rules and deal with the inevitable complaints. The Naval security job was the biggest joke ever, which was at odds with our appearance, we were truly security theater. We carried rifles, wore cammo, had a patrol boat, tac vests etc etc. Of course the bullhorn didn't work, the boat had a leak, we weren't allowed to carry a round in the chamber, etc etc etc.

    On the other hand, working at the federal building was very srs business. You couldn't get in without a metal detector check on the highest setting. After that you were wanded down and everything was checked, literally if your under wire in your bra was setting it off, it got checked. In addition I went through every pocked on a purse (after warning the other person that I was going to check everything and they could take their purse back to their car if they wanted. We had to tap the badge of every employee at every security checkpoint, even if they had been working there for 20+ years. It was very secure and the management followed their own rules.

    Which one was more secure in the end? No idea, since nothing serious every happened at either place.


    Either way, security is a sucky job.
  • If someone smart reeeally wanted to get alcohol in, they could have accomplished it trivially. It's all just useless stick waving.
    You don't even need to be smart. My winter coat is an military surplus navy coat, long big pockets near the bottom, and I went to a football/soccer game with 3-4 beers in the pockets. The security, blatantly there just to stop contraband, patted me down to the waist-ish and never noticed the beers in my pockets.
  • Relevant.

    They also have the Wine Rack, which is basically a sports bra with an integrated Camelbak.
Sign In or Register to comment.