Pagenkopp1

SaraPagenkopp
Mr.Conrad
ERWCperiod3
18October2015

AirportSecurity
Airportsecurityhasbeenimprovingovertimeandbecomingmoreadvancedalmost
everyday.After9/11theyhaveprovidedmoresecuritytopreventanythinglikethatfrom
happening.OnSeptember11,2001theterroristmainpersonthatorchestratedtheattackwas
OsamaBinLaden,whichtooktenyearstohuntandresolvetheproblem.NineteenIslamics
boardeddifferentplanesaspassengerswithslippingbysecuritywithsmallweaponsandseized
controlofthefourplanesandredirectedthembacktowardNYCandtheWashington,DCarea
(911Attack).Peoplewillrememberthisday,thetragedythatshockedtheworldandtookmany
lives.Thisisoneofthemanyeventsthatleduptothepointofairportsecuritytoadvanceand
expand.AnunsuspectedattacktowardTheUnitedStates,thatinmanywayscouldhavebeen
preventedfromhavingbettersecurityatthetimebutsecurityhasgonetoofarinthewaythey
havebeenincreasingcheckinsandinvadingpeople'spersonalpriviciatiesorisitarealbenefit
towardsothers.
Otherthanprivacyitseemstobeagoodideatohavemoresecurityjusttohelpthe
individualsfromhavinganythinghappenonflights.ManymightsayIt'sinconvenient,time
consumingandfrankly,ridiculous.Butifthenationthinksthesepatdownsaregoingtokeepus
safer,thenIsupportit.It'stheworldweinhabit,wherethreatsareunpredictable,andnonstate


Pagenkopp2
actorskeepusterrorized,andguessing,andonourguard.I'lladmitthatIcan'tunderstandthe
logicofbeingabletotravelwithfivedifferentelectronicdevicesandtheirchargers,butnotmy
foundationmakeupormyfacecream.Butifoneday,someonetriestosmuggleanexplosivein
herbra,theauthoritieswillbeprepared(PassengerScreeningPolicies).Thatonebodyscanor
onepatdowncansavenotonlyonebutitcouldbemillionsthatarebeingsavedbyjustone
patdownorscan.Bodyscannersaretimesaving,efficient,andnotnearlyas
invasive(PassengerScreeningPolicies).Theyarenotthattimeconsumingjustalittletediousto
gothroughyettheyareefficient.
Somemaysaythattheemployeesseemtobeasourceoftheproblemonpickingthe
wrongpeopletopatdown.Employeesthatworkaboutapproximatelyfortyfivethousand
employeesworkingaspassengerscreenersinmorethanfourhundredairportsaroundthe
country.Asidefromxrayscreeningsofbaggageandmetaldetectorscreeningofpassengers,
TSAofficersareempoweredtoperformpatdownscreeningsandbaggagesearchesforany
passengerthattheyfeelrequiresadditionalscreening.Baggagethatislockedcanbeopenedby
cuttingorbreakingthelockifitsownerisunavailableorunwillingtoopenit.Someairportsalso
installedpufferscanners,whichusepuffsofairtoanalyzepassengersforparticlescommonin
explosives(AirportSecurity).Employeesputtheirlifeonthelinealmosteverydaytotryto
protectindividuals.Notonlythattheyareenforcingtherulesoftheairporttheyarealso
enforcingthegovernment.
Notonlyairportsaretryingtohelppreventnyeventslike9/11fromhappeningagainbut
governmenthasmadelawssosomethinglikethatneverhappensagain.TheU.S.government
respondedbytakinganactiveroleinairportsecurity.CongresspassedtheAviationand


Pagenkopp3
TransportationSecurityActinNovember2001,whichcreatedanewagencythe
TransportationSecurityAdministration(TSA)responsibleforprotectingU.S.transportation
fromhijackingandotherpotentialattacks.Therationalewasthatasinglegovernmentagency
couldoffermoreeffectivesecuritythananassortmentofprivatecontractors(AirportSecurity).
Thegovernmentishelpingenforcesafetyonplanesandatairportsbypassingthislaw,itmight
notstopitfromhappeningbutnowthatthegovernmentisinvolvedforpassengerssafetythe
employeeswillbemorelikely.Eventhoughsomeemployeesmaynottakesecurityseriousthey
havemadetechnologyhelpthemoutasmuchaspossible.
Yetbecauseofthesecomplaints,thefullbodyscannerswerepulledfromairportswith
thegoalofbeingremovedfromallairportsbythesummerof2013.Theywillbereplacedwitha
newtypeofscannerthatusesradiowavestocheckfordevicessuchasexplosivesorweapons.
Thescannerswillproduceagenericavatartypeimageonascreenmuchdifferentfromthatof
theoldfullbodyscans.TSAalsotestedanewsystemcalledPreCheck,inwhichfrequentflyers
cansignupforbackgroundchecksinexchangeforspeedierservice.Asof2013,thisservicewas
freetofrequentflyers,butothertravelershadtopayafeetouseit.Itwasalsoonlyavailableby
fiveairlines(AirportSecurity).Manytravelersfeltuncomfortablewithhavingvisualimagesof
theirbodiesshowntoairportsecuritythattheairportmadeadecisiontotakeawaythebody
scannerstogivethensomemoreprivacy.
Bodyscannersareusedtohelpdetectpotentialrisksofanattackandgivesusasenseof
protection.Yet,doesitinvadepersonalprivacythatinnocenttravelersshouldhave.Alotthink
thatfullbodyscannerssaythatthedetailedimagesproducedaretoorevealing(SecurityShake
Up).Apublicoutragethatmostpeoplebelievethatinknowwaythatthisisrightforpeoplewho


Pagenkopp4
areinnocent.Bodyscannerscannotprotectusfromallthebadthingsthatcouldhappenbecause
PETNcannotbedetectedbyfullbodyscannerorinvasivepatdowns.Insteadofinvestingin
machinesthatarelittlemorethansecuritytheatermeasures,Schneierargues,theTSAmust
focusonemployingsuperiorintelligenceandinvestigatoryworktocatchterroristsattacks
(SecurityShakeUp).Notallthingscanbefoundedbythe150,000dollarbodyscannersso
havingmoreintelligentworkerstopreventandcatchitfromevensteppingfootintheairport.
Intheendafter9/11helpedprotectmoreindividualsandcreateasaferenvironment
airportsecurityhasbecomeamajorconcernforeverynationengagedincommercialairtravel.
Whilenoterroristattacksonsuchalargescalehaveoccurredsince2001,numerousattempts
havebeenmade.Thishasledtomoreadvancedscreeningproceduresforpassengersandhasalso
resultedinincreasedcriticismfromtravelersandfromcitizensrightsgroupswhoconsidersuch
enhancedscreeningstobeaviolationofanindividualsrightto

privacy(AirportSecurity).Yet
fromallaspectofthisitseemstobeanefficientwayofadvancingandprotectinghumanlives.
Airportsecurityimprovingmoreandmoreeachdayanditmaybetediousatsometimesbutat
leastyouwillmostlikelyhaveasafeflightandarriveatyourdestination.


Pagenkopp5
WorkCited
"Securityshakeup:shouldairportsusefullbodyscannerstoscreenpassengers?"
CurrentEvents,aWeeklyReaderpublication
18Jan.2010:7+.
OpposingViewpointsinContext
.
Web.27Oct.2015.
Pistole,JohnS."PassengerScreeningPoliciesAreEffective,Safe,andRespectfulof
Privacy."
USAirportSecurity
.Ed.MargaretHaerensandLynnM.Zott.Detroit:Greenhaven
Press,2013.OpposingViewpoints.Rpt.from"Counterterrorism,RiskBasedSecurityandTSA's
VisionfortheFutureofAviationSecurity."
TSA.gov
.2012.
OpposingViewpointsinContext
.
Web.27Oct.2015.
"AirportSecurity."
OpposingViewpointsOnlineCollection
.Detroit:Gale,2015.
OpposingViewpointsinContext
.Web.27Oct.2015.
"9/11Attacks."
OpposingViewpointsOnlineCollection
.Detroit:Gale,2015.
Opposing
ViewpointsinContext
.Web.27Oct.2015.