Security Theater

Regular readers know that I travel a lot, and that I have definite opinions about the absurdity of the security theater that passes for the real thing in airports today.

As Bruce Schneier writes in his blog, "What we see here is class warfare on the security battleground. The reaction to Sept. 11 has led to harassment, busywork, and inconvenience for us all ­ well, almost all. A select few who know the right people, hold the right office or own the right equipment don’t suffer the ordeals. They are waved around security checkpoints or given broad exceptions to security lockdowns."

He's reacting to Double standards in security hassles.

Here's a snip: "Security in America is a dangerous farce; it’s busywork for tens of thousands of Transportation Security Agency officials, harassment for innocent Americans and full of holes that any slightly determined terrorist could drive an explosive-laden truck through. We are worrying about the wrong things."

IMHO, if Bob Sullivan (the author of that MSNBC piece) hadn't veered off into general aviation, his thesis would have been more coherent. Cory Lidle's small plane accident in Manhattan has little to do with terrorism and even less to do with security.