Ok, we are led to believe that danger lurks around every turn and we should be living in constant fear of many things/people/groups that aim to destroy us and our way of life. “Therefore,” says the powers that be, “we need to erect ridiculous and often ludicrously complex security measures for everyone in order to protect ourselves from these villains.”
Ok, that sounds pretty good! I don’t like villains, so whatever we need to do to stop them seems reasonable. The problem is that I’m not convinced that our excessive security is stopping the bad guys. In fact I think its only annoying us non-villains.
At work I’m required to carry and ID badge. Ok, that’s fine. If I forget my ID badge at my desk when I go out to my car, I’m not permitted back into the building without filing out a form and wearing a Visitor badge. Now, the guard knows me, and saw me leave. So after wasting both of our time can we say that anyone is safer? No. If I were a criminal I think I would just wait to follow someone else in and bypass the guard altogether. “Policy,” you say! “*#%@s Policy!”
Policy only serves to annoy those who choose to follow it, and you can bet that criminals won’t! In this case what are we doing? We’re lulling ourselves into a false sense of security by submitting to these inconvenient policies that protect no one.
Another experience was at the airport. We all know now that terrorists want to use liquids and gels in their vile schemes (but only if they’re more than 3oz)! Sure, whatever you say… It’s policy after all. I pack my bags and head to the airport. I take some toiletries and some Indian food I prepared. I get to the end of the line and they inspect my toiletries and food. “Oh no! This is a big problem,” exclaims the woman. My deodorant was actually 3.25 oz… oops. So she takes it. What she didn’t take was my 16oz Tupperware of Indian food.
Now you tell me, is it easier to make a bomb look and smell exactly like a stick of 3.25oz partially used Old Spice deodorant OR look and smell exactly like a one pound tub of home-made Indian food?
So what happened here? Clearly the TSA woman should have taken my food as well. However, this mistake is the norm! ‘Airport security person’ is not a great job. These people aren’t “vigilantly looking for terrorists,” they’re casually looking for scissors, pocket knives, nail files, and toiletries and bottles of water over 3oz. That’s all they find, so that’s all they look for. I’m quite sure that if terrorists decided to try to sneak 100 ‘curry-and-vegetable-bombs’ onto planes next 9/11 that 90 of them would succeed. So once again, we’ve protected no-one and annoyed everyone!
When will the insanity end?
The tree of us on a rock.
Me in front of Jack’s River Falls.
Yikes! 25 Foot jump!
Mmmmm. Hot soup after a long day.
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