Tuesday, June 17, 2003

FEAR FACTOR

"Oh boy! Here's another David Nelson"

BBC News reports the extraordinary story of four David Nelsons, suspected terrorists.

"If your name is David Nelson, be prepared for a long wait if you're catching a flight in the US."

It seems that David Nelson is a name that sets off alarm bells in the security profiling software used by airlines and the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA). You might say that the TSA - set up after 11 September (firstly under the Department of Transportation, now part of the Department of Fear, also called the Department of Homeland Security - is a dog's breakfast (now know as a Cabinet Reshuffle) after they admitted recently that 1208 screeners have been "terminated" because of "suitabiliy issues"; 503 of those "had failed to say that they had been arrested or convicted of a crime - including 85 convicted felons" (from the 9 June edition Aviation Weekly & Space Technology - subscription required)

We always knew that airport security in the US was crap. I remember well the congressional hearings, before 11 September, when it emerged that security screeners where paid less than McDonalds staff and most never served out there probation period. Of course, it better now that the screeners are government employees under the TSA. Er, not.

Me, I'm changing my name to David Nelson to piss them off.

:: Posted by pete @ 10:18