Mon
Aug 14 2006
08:22 am
Thought Police
By: Justin

The Thought Police Invade Knoxville...

 

At airport security checkpoints in Knoxville, Tenn. this summer, scores of departing passengers were chosen to step behind a curtain, sit in a metallic oval booth and don headphones.

With one hand inserted into a sensor that monitors physical responses, the travelers used the other hand to answer questions on a touch screen about their plans. A machine measured biometric responses -- blood pressure, pulse and sweat levels -- that then were analyzed by software. The idea was to ferret out U.S. officials who were carrying out carefully constructed but make-believe terrorist missions.

Topics:
bizgrrl's picture

This is the first I have

Submitted by bizgrrl on Mon, 2006/08/14 - 9:50am.

This is the first I have heard about this new invasion of privacy. I wonder if you can refuse and still fly. IMO, this is grotesque. I have a friend who flies out of TYS nearly every week. I will have to find out if she has been subjected to the "thought police" and what she thinks about this invasion of privacy.

Thanks for the heads up!

F-Stop's picture

Thought Police? Justin, the

Submitted by F-Stop on Mon, 2006/08/14 - 10:02am.

Thought Police?

Justin, the Department of Justice would like you to report in person at their office in Washington, DC, for "repurposing".

SayUncle's picture

Another canary

Submitted by SayUncle on Mon, 2006/08/14 - 10:06am.

Another canary dies.

---
SayUncle
Can't we all just get a long gun?

DM's picture

Blood pressure, pulse and sweat levels

Submitted by DM (not verified) on Mon, 2006/08/14 - 12:18pm.

Just a question came to my mind: What will happen to the travel plans of middle-aged female passengers if they happen to suffer from occasional hot flashes?

R. Neal's picture

I thought this was something

Submitted by R. Neal on Mon, 2006/08/14 - 12:30pm.

I thought this was something from the Onion. So now we're going to be subjected to random lie-detector tests if we want to fly?

---
Don't ping my cheese with your bandwidth!
(C) Dilbert

bird jam's picture

I wish we could get visited

Submitted by bird jam (not verified) on Mon, 2006/08/14 - 4:21pm.

I wish we could get visited by the Dream Police.

Old Hickory's picture

This is East Tennessee's PorkBarrell Expenditure

Submitted by Old Hickory (not verified) on Mon, 2006/08/14 - 4:39pm.

I think some of Jimmy Duncan's old cronies run the "SafeSkies Alliance" which test all these new gadgets and thingamabobs which are supposed to keep the terrorists at the airport and not on the plane.

Out at McGhee Tyson, the closest thing to a full blown terrorist going through the terminal are some rascals from Cocke County with moonshine on their breath, winnings from the night before stuffed into their pockets, long hair and long fingernails, headed to Walt Disney's big carnival right there in Orlando.

Eleanor A's picture

Um

Submitted by Eleanor A on Tue, 2006/08/15 - 10:15am.

The idea was to ferret out U.S. officials who were carrying out carefully constructed but make-believe terrorist missions.

I think ol' Justin's been funnin' with y'all.

R. Neal's picture

Nope. Says it right there in

Submitted by R. Neal on Tue, 2006/08/15 - 10:30am.

Nope. Says it right there in the WSJ article. Doesn't sound like a very good test to me.

---
Don't ping my cheese with your bandwidth!
(C) Dilbert

Up Goose Creek's picture

New Gadget

Submitted by Up Goose Creek on Tue, 2006/08/15 - 3:58pm.

Of all the jetsetters among us has anyone actually encountered this device?

I didn't notice the puff'n'sniff device until after I read about it but this wouldn't be so unobtrusive. Could WSJ have the airport wrong? Are we a red herring?

Old Hickory's picture

I've Seen That Puffer/Dryer

Submitted by Old Hickory (not verified) on Tue, 2006/08/15 - 4:40pm.

When taking the little switch out to Las Vegas.

Personally, I thought it was her breaking wind, but the aroma was kind of refreshing.

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