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Atlanta trip

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JPSmit

JPSmit

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Drove to Buffalo this am and flew to Atlanta. Very interesting trip. Some more vigilance at the border judging by the conversation we had with the border guard. As former green card holders he wanted to know a ton O details especially as SWMBO & I have new Canadian Passports and the old stamps are gone - the link to our info remains. At the airport one more layer of someone in green wearing a gun checking ID. Racial profiling is against the law but it sure did seem like a lot of people of the same ethnic background got the random search. All slower reflecting a higher alert level. Was sitting in the airport waiting for our flight and first off notice a bright orange helicopter landing - and then a Navy jet. Now I have never seen a military jet land at a civilian airport except at an airshow. all very interesting, Lovely warm in Hotlanta though.
 
JPSmit said:
Racial profiling is against the law but .
Click to expand...

Is it? I thought it was just a PC thing.

I aint got no problem with it, and I'm Lebanese (part).

If hooking a car battery up to a suspect's testicles yields results, I've only got one thing to say....


.....red is positive. :devilgrin:
 
kellysguy said:
JPSmit said:
Racial profiling is against the law but .
Click to expand...

Is it? I thought it was just a PC thing.
Click to expand...

If it is, then a lot of Leo's consistently break it.

I've been profiled and I'm caucasian. I was flying out of Miami about 10 years ago and was pulled out of line at the airport and my bag was wiped down with a chemical sniffer pad. I asked the security person if I fit a profile and they answered that I did. A single white male, late 20's, flying out of Miami with a single piece of carry on luggage. It met the profile of a drug currier. News to me and since I wasn't a drug courier I wasn't really bothered by it. I was not accused of being a drug courier (fitting a profile IS NOT an accusation) and since I was not concerned about them finding anything I wasn't really concerned or offended. They didn't find anyhting and I was on my way with no more issues. Interesting experience though.
 
It would have been if it had happened. The profile was enough to check myself and my bag with a non-invasive sniffer test. Beyond that probable cause would be needed which a positive hit on the sniff test would have given. At least PC to search the bag anyway.
 
Profiling is practically impossible to prevent, for obvious reasons. With a direct correlation between some racial attrubutes and crime, it's only natural for some LEOs to pay more attention to some folks than others.

I try to give cops/LEOs a break whenever I can. It's a tough, often thankless job. Some of my best friends are LEOs, some of the stuff they have to witness is awful.

The airport security thing is cumbersome, but we've got to do it. I travel often and have never had a really bad experience. I've wanted to tell a couple screeners off at times, but I hold my tongue because I know it's all for the common good.

There's a lot of whining about airport security nowadays, much of it rather childish, selfish.

Generally, they're doing the best they can. :yesnod:
 
swift6 said:
kellysguy said:
JPSmit said:
Racial profiling is against the law but .
Click to expand...

Is it? I thought it was just a PC thing.
Click to expand...

I was not accused of being a drug courier (fitting a profile IS NOT an accusation) and since I was not concerned about them finding anything I wasn't really concerned or offended.
Click to expand...

as an aside, there is a fascinating book I recently read called "Mistakes were made but not by me" talks about how we justify wrong or foolish behavior. One example was that 80% of people convicted of crimes and later proved innocent had waived their Miranda rights because they were so convinced that their innocence would be self evident that they never demanded a lawyer. This at the same time as evidence was being interpreted to fit the suspect.
 
I understand what your saying there and what the book was getting at. Not being bothered by a chemical sniffer wipe down because I knew there were no drugs or explosive residue is one thing. Waiving my rights would have been a whole different kettle of fish. Afterall, asking for a lawyer is your right, not an admission of guilt.
 
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