Airport security

C

Cheesesteak

Veteran XX
The thread about the french journalists got me thinking about airport security...

The day that the war in Iraq started I flew to Turkey from JFK airport. You would think they would have stepped up security a bit but, it was pathetically lax. You might have to take your shoes off so they can check em out, but besides that and the metal detectors, thats as intrusive as it gets. 2 check points and you were good to go. I didnt think much about it at the time (prolly cause I was too worried about terrorists :lol: ).

But the security at the Ataturk airport in Istanbul was something completley different. There were 4 security checkpoints (one of them being at the front door, the first security checkpoint in JFK was right before the gates) where they not only had the walk-thru metal dectectors, but the wands (where they would make you take off your belt and hand over any metal items, JFK wasnt as secure as this). They also had me open my bags so they could look through them. they ran my bags thru the scanning machines 2-3 times using different imaging processes to make sure nothing was in there.

There is alot more that makes it stand out but it left me thinking...

Why is the security so much worse at JFK? I mean, its New York's busiest airport (as well as most prominent). Hasn't 911 taught us anything? Yeah, a couple things have been secured better. But overall its very dissapointing, we have to get more agressive with airport security.

/rant off
 
Because Americans don't like waiting and are offended when people think they might be dangerous. Other countries know better and are less naive.
 
Oh I forgot to add that there were a pair of national gaurd guys patrolling JFK, but wtf are they supposed to do? make you feel secure? :shrug:
 
Turkey is also a country where the police carrying real assualt rifles shoot kids for pick pocketing.


Once wlking down the streets in Istanbul. A young kid probably about 13 or so lifts a wallet from a shipmate. We alert a nearby police and point the kid out. The Police utters something out loud, The crowd parts like the red sea. The kid kept running. The police raises his rifle and shoots the kid in the back. Walks over to the corpse and retrives the wallet for my buddy. The people then go back to whatever they were doing.

I think I'll take the lax airport security, and not take a step towards the police state the Germans claim we have.
 
actually the best security i have ever seen was when i was in Niamey, Niger (thats in africa folks, heh)...the airport security itself was a joke...metal detector and that was it...so Air France brought their own security people (HUGE guys) and you had to lineup outside on the tarmac and they did the wand, patted you down, went through ALL you luggage first with a xray machine then they hand searched EVERYTHING. took freaking forever..but damn i felt safe, heh.

only thing that startled me was when i was sleeping and they walked down the aisle spraying some sort of insect killer..
 
Code4 said:
Turkey is also a country where the police carrying real assualt rifles shoot kids for pick pocketing.


Once wlking down the streets in Istanbul. A young kid probably about 13 or so lifts a wallet from a shipmate. We alert a nearby police and point the kid out. The Police utters something out loud, The crowd parts like the red sea. The kid kept running. The police raises his rifle and shoots the kid in the back. Walks over to the corpse and retrives the wallet for my buddy. The people then go back to whatever they were doing.

I think I'll take the lax airport security, and not take a step towards the police state the Germans claim we have.
Click to expand...


I'll admit that Turkish police are a bit harsher than the US. But I have never heard of anything like that. My cousin is an Istanbul cop and I hear stories from him all the time but nothing like what you described. Anything is possible though, not like American cops have never shot an innocent person without reason

....btw Turkish cops use mp5's, not exactly an assault rifle
 
I was traveling through the US last week and LAX had more secruity checks that JFK, they searched check in bags at LAX where they didn;t at JFK. Still everywhere we went in the USA there where metal detectors, bag searches, ie statue of liberty all the museums. i didn;t.
 
Because they're not worried about you leaving the country with something.... They're worried about you coming back with something.
 
not necessarily so...

Ive noticed much more security when leaving a country. Prolly cause they want to make sure nothing happens on the plane. Once you've arrived, security is pretty light since you've already been checked out at the departure airport.
 
I had my ID and boarding pass checked 4 times at Minneapolis Intl. yesterday. That, and like every other time I travel I find a note in my suitcase saying it had been inspected. The last two times I flew JetBlue out of JFK, they had me come over to the side and inspected my checked luggage right before my eyes. This was in March and then in April. I am your average looking white guy too, so no profiling. I am comfortable with all the airport security I have seen and I travel quite a bit.

Just because everyone doesnt go over to the search table or x-ray machines with their bag doesnt mean it isnt searched behind the scenes - there's a reason they ask you if your bag is unlocked... ;)
 
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