Atlanta area consumer advocate Clark Howard is speaking out in support of a trusted traveler program, following the recommendation of Tom Ridge, former Secretary of Homeland Security. I’m 100% behind this! As a nation, we’re spending 8 BILLION dollars per year year on the TSA, and they’re spending the vast majority of their time and resources searching business travelers, 6 year old boys, and elderly women. We need to adopt a system that will allow travelers to submit to a thorough background check, then be allowed to move through security much more quickly, with none of the invasive body scans, pat downs, etc.
A “trusted traveler” should be able to put all their stuff on the x-ray belt and walk through a magnetometer. If you don’t set the thing off, there’s no need for further scanning the person. Their luggage should go through a scanner (with liquids still in the carry-on and laptops still in their case), and if they don’t see anything alarming, off you go to the gate.
The reality is that even if Joe Business Guy did put a pocket knife in his luggage, or smuggled along a full size can of shave gel *gasp*, you still don’t need to worry. He’s not a terrorists, and isn’t going to do anything with those items.
Here’s a link to Clark’s video. What do you think?
If we would only profile, it would be oh so much more efficient.