It seems like they just keep getting worse and worse all the time. Will they ever get better? In what scenario would they improve, and what’s keeping them from improving now?
When the actual/perceived threats are eliminated, the security might decrease.
Don’t hold your breath in your lifetime.
Well, it’s administered by the government, and it is not the nature of government to shrink itself or abdicate control over its subjects.
This is particularly true for issues having to do with security (or, “security”). Being constantly vigilant for bad guys tends to make you think there are a lot of bad guys, and that everyone’s presumptively suspect. This even applies to those who question security policy – you get a “what are you worried about if you’re really innocent/you must not care about the war on terror” response.
However, sometimes expense and inconvenience get to be too much and the government acknowledges that the cost benefit proposition isn’t there. If, for instance, facts emerged that showed significant declines in airline or tourist revenues were being driven by the security hassles, the government would have to think seriously about which ones really accomplished anything, or to consider alternatives like the body sensors, random patdowns, and yes, profiling.
In Northern Ireland they used to complain about the “securocrats” – the entire bureaucracy that had grown up around all forms of “security” during the Troubles. The gripe was that the police establishment had taken on a life of its own and was serving as an excuse for just random hassling and inconveniencing of everyone. (This mentality is related to the reason London has so many CCTV cameras, which AFAICT have prevented few crimes). There are still complaints that the PSNI isn’t inclusive enough, is insensitive, etc., but things certainly have scaled back dramatically in N.I. (partly because it’s felt safe, partly no doubt because London got tired of paying for it). Borders that once had fortified checkpoints are now effectively unmarked crossings that I sailed through last time I crossed. Ideally, something can similarly be worked out for the air travel system.
We recently had a slight windback in Australia.
Someone finally realised that, no, a potential terrosit is not going to try and hijack an aircraft using nail clippers or a knitting needle.
And those super sharp metal butter knives used in inflight catering? They’re OK now too.
That’s true, even in the U.S. there has been a slight pullback on this issue. I remember in 2002 even nail clippers were not allowed. They are now.
They no longer ask you if you packed your own bag or if someone asked you to take a bag for them.
^
They did the last few times I was there.
Since this is a speculative question, it’s better suited for GD than GQ.
Colibri
General Questions Moderator
The trend seems to be that every time there is a new type of threat, there is a reaction to screen for that threat, regardless of the cost of additional measures in dollars to the government, or in inconvenience to the public. So that if someone today tried to blow up a plane using a new technology that yielded a textile explosive shaped like a tweed suit, we’d all by flying naked from now on.
The U.S. has relaxed some requirements but we’re still taking our shoes off because of a single incident; no gels or fluids allowed because of a single conspiracy; and now we’re about to get body-scanned because of a nut with something in his underwear. I do not see that trajectory ever reversing until all significant terrorist organizations have been eliminated, and that doesn’t seem feasible.
Well, we could get competent politicians and administrators and bureaucrats running organizations like the TSA who understand the concept of security theater vs actual security, but I don’t think that’s likely to happen any time soon.
Yes, if the USA stops invading countries on bogus pretexts, as well as trying to influence the internal and external politics of independent Muslim nations.
So the answer is almost certainly no.
Three times in the last few months, a major terminal at one of the New York airports has been evacuated. That’s a tremendous disruption that has repercussions world-wide.
The most recent one was a guy walking through a door he shouldn’t have. The one before that was a guy trying to kiss his girlfriend goodbye.
If we’re going to freak out every time something like that happens, SOMETHING is going to have to change.