Israelification of airports?

[crj567]

If only we were as smart as Israel... They don't screw around. They also don't have to deal with idiots at the ACLU, CARE, and all the other goons who seem to get taken seriously in the U.S. only.

I don't think things will improve, given the wussies in charge in D.C. these days. I am optomistic that the Israelis will soon take care of Iran, however. It is just a shame that they will have little international help in solving a very clear and present danger.

 

[HomerJ]

We are far too pc in this country to ever be totally secure. You have to be willing to step on some toes and hurt some feelings now and then to really make a difference.

 

[ILOVEBEER]

Clearing security in 30-40 minutes at LLBG? HAHA, now that's funny! Expect at least 2 hours if you don't have a handler.

 

[Dan Roman]

If only we were as smart as Israel... They don't screw around. They also don't have to deal with idiots at the ACLU, CARE, and all the other goons who seem to get taken seriously in the U.S. only.

I don't think things will improve, given the wussies in charge in D.C. these days. I am optomistic that the Israelis will soon take care of Iran, however. It is just a shame that they will have little international help in solving a very clear and present danger.

Sounds like someone has been reading a little too much Tom Clancy!

 

[Dan Roman]

The reality is that we are a free country, which does have it's problems. But it far outweighs being a police state.
FWIW, it seems to me Our Constitution protects us from the very behavior Israel has had to resort to.

 

[b707guy]

FWIW, it seems to me Our Constitution protects us from the very behavior Israel has had to resort to.

Not sure if you're making a simple observation, defending our Constitution, or excusing the Israeli MO (or all of the above or something else entirely...), but as you said, Israel's hand was forced in how they run their state. Thing is, their state was carved out of a land in relatively modern times where centuries of ideological difference among the inhabitants made it such that their current way of life isn't (or shouldn't be...) terribly surprising to anyone there. We, on the other hand, have a mere two centuries of Constitutionally-protected freedom, liberty, etc. Well, the third world has caught up with us using our own technologies, and their ideologies which do not jive with ours. Non-extremes have to adapt to the extremes to survive. So we need to adapt.
I don't think that our forefathers foresaw what we're living with today. But they did have the foresight to make our Constitution amendable.

 

[Motown]

Last time I went through Tel Aviv (in 2003) it took me a heck of a lot longer than 25 minutes. My bags were completely unpacked and every thing I'd purchased were separately put through the x-ray machine. I was interrogated for five full minutes about where I'd traveled. All this -- and I wasn't even a selectee for special screening. I was just a typical American Jewish tourist.

Not sure why, but something you said or some way you behaved or some stamp in your passport or something they found in their intel gathering before you arrived at the airport triggered their response. Certainly the vast majority of passengers don't have their bags unpacked, so there was some reason why they checked you more carefully.

I'm not saying you did anything wrong; I'm sure you didn't. But maybe you told them you were coming from an area they has security concerns about. Maybe you looked down and to the left instead of up and to the right when they asked you a question you had to think about. Who knows.

The vast majority of the time, I've spent less than 20-minutes from airport entrance in TLV to passing through the security line, not including the hour I have to wait with the Non-Revs for my name to be called (that is, 20-minutes of all security combined, including time waiting standing in lines, but not including the time waiting at the check-in counter while they release the standbys).


To address other people's comments--

• I'd venture to guess that the majority of the screeners to NOT have a college education yet. Many of the initial layer of security are doing their mandatory public service in lieu of active military service, and that is done pre-college. Many of the security specialists asking you questions are right out of the army (often military intel officers) and have not gone to college yet. Don't confuse army officers with college graduates; most of their officers go to university AFTER their military service.
• I'm not sure how Israel's security of lifestyle in general would be a violation of our (US) constitutional freedoms. I'm not saying it is or isn't... I'd need to think about specific details, I guess. Having spent a fair amount of time in Israel and comparing lifestyles to the US (and to Europe), I'd have to say that I feel that I have as much freedom overall there as I do here; more in some areas, less in others, so it averages out to be about equal. Walking into a mall or restaurant I have to pause while they ask to look in large bags or hand-wand people, but I've never been asked for ID or hassled in any way. They certainly aren't afraid of good guys with guns; more than once when asked if I was armed I answered yes and was waved right through. Passing the security checkpoints as I drive out of the territories or into the airport property is simply a matter of rolling down the window and saying hello as I roll past... I have never even had to come to a complete stop or show any sort of ID. Compare that with the US where security checkpoints always involve coming to a complete stop, answering questions, showing ID which often gets entered into a computer... hell, even entering the FedEx parking lot for a jumpseat involves checking for my name on a pre-printed checklist at the guard shack, but I've attended events on Israeli military bases by simply showing my invitation (no ID). So, have I given up constitutional freedoms there that I have here? I'm not so sure. I know I sure "feel" more violated here than there, but I think that's because I feel that their security there serves a purpose while ours here is an ineffective power trip.

 

[ACL65PILOT]

I just did a trip to LLBG. There screening is second to none. Fact is that most of it is totally transparent to the passenger. If you know what you are looking for then yes, you see it. The way that the airport is designed and coodons off each step of the process is evident.

It took us 20 minutes to go from the van to the line at the McDonald's. That was with an escort. For the customers it takes about 40 mins to an hour and a half depending on the lines.

We need to stop saying why we can't and start asking how we can.

 

[another cfii]

I just did a trip to LLBG. There screening is second to none. Fact is that most of it is totally transparent to the passenger.

Agreed. If you travel to UK, especially the riding the tube (subway), you'll find yourself always covered by CCTV. A lot can be done behind the scene, and can be of huge significance to deterring any possible incidents. I think it is one of the "cheapest" steps we can take right away to increase our vigilance level. We need more behavior profiling, right away. The random cavity search that TSA is handing out is fine and all, but for the most part, it's just wasting time. It's almost like playing poker with a magic 8 ball in your hand telling you what to do next.

 

[Dornier 335]

Agreed. If you travel to UK, especially the riding the tube (subway), you'll find yourself always covered by CCTV. A lot can be done behind the scene, and can be of huge significance to deterring any possible incidents. I think it is one of the "cheapest" steps we can take right away to increase our vigilance level. We need more behavior profiling, right away. The random cavity search that TSA is handing out is fine and all, but for the most part, it's just wasting time. It's almost like playing poker with a magic 8 ball in your hand telling you what to do next.

I disagree about the CCTV usage in the UK. Yes, there are cameras everywhere, but it doesn't mean someone is watching. As a matter of fact, the additional cameras that were installed by the Labour government didn't do anything in reducing crime.

When I worked contract in the UK, I took the train back from the airport. In it were a couple of drunk lads (guys) who had picked someone to fight with. Things turned ugly by screaming and pushing each others around a little bit. I didn't do anything since I was in uniform and those a**holes were just looking to fight someone. When I got out of the train I asked the train conductor if someone had seem the fight and notified police. He denied, and said that the cameras record in a 30 or 45 minute loop. So, CCTV use has nothing to do with crime prevention, only aids in solving it. It's like the TSA - just for show!