I must look like a bad guy

[Exterous]

At least to airport employees outside the US. After our recent trip its now 30% of our international trips where I have gotten pulled aside at an international airport for additional screening (About 20% of total international flights). I'm at maybe 2% domestically. My wife, who is standing next to me in all these security lines, has been pulled aside exactly 0 times. I wear the same clothes as a domestic flight, have the same luggage - just standing normally in line so I'm still trying to figure out why I look like a bad guy or if I am just filling some sort of quota

 

[Thebobo]

Pic of terrorist?

 

[cbrunny]

thread is useless with no pics.

also need pics of wife.

after 14,000+ posts, you should know the rules.

 

[renz20003]

You monster

 

[Ichinisan]

They just want a better look at you. You should be flattered.

 

[Exterous]

thread is useless with no pics.

also need pics of wife.

after 14,000+ posts, you should know the rules.

I know the rules - I also know better

 

[rh71]

It's random. They pulled my mom off one time. 60+ year old asian ladies are dangerous. Maybe they thought she'd be the one driving the plane.

 

[Ichinisan]

It's random. They pulled my mom off one time. 60+ year old asian ladies are dangerous. Maybe they thought she'd be the one driving the plane.

Racist!

 

[PottedMeat]

They just want a better look at you. You should be flattered.

this

OP is on multiple airports bang list. they circulate an internal calendar with nude scanner pics too.

 

[Exterous]

It's random. They pulled my mom off one time. 60+ year old asian ladies are dangerous. Maybe they thought she'd be the one driving the plane.

Its not really random. There were early leaked memos of various airline security programs that imply or outright tell them to focus on certain types of individuals but to be sure to select others so its 'fair' or gives the appearance of fairness. They are a bit more circumspect now but they definitely have a specific target in mind:

https://www.aclu.org/sites/default/files/field_document/dem17-tsa_detection_report-v02.pdf

If they really wanted it to be random they'd do it by computer but in most places its just a guy that pulls whoever out of line he wants to

OP is on multiple airports bang list. they circulate an internal calendar with nude scanner pics too.

The last one included a full pat down that grazed my balls so this is probably the likely explanation

 

[tynopik]

At least to airport employees outside the US. After our recent trip its now 30% of our international trips where I have gotten pulled aside at an international airport for additional screening (About 20% of total international flights). I'm at maybe 2% domestically.

amateur

i get pulled aside for 75% of my domestic flights, really annoying

 

[MrSquished]

I'm kind of middle eastern. I've flown a total of about 30 times and never been pulled over.

 

[deustroop]

I never worked for US Border Protection but I know the Canadian service picks very few at random. If you get pulled up for greater scrutiny there's a reason.
I once asked a question of one of the guards about why so many inspections and received a super inspection for my curiosity.

 

[NoCreativity]

Wife and I were racially* profiled flying out of Virgin Gorda. Exactly two white people on the flight and guess which two got the extra screening.

*it was probably because we were tourists.

 

[TwiceOver]

Post history got you probably.

 

[BxgJ]

There's a naughty list somewhere, and you did something to end up on it.

 

[sdifox]

Thyne atot infamy has spilled over to real life.

 

[Exterous]

There's a naughty list somewhere, and you did something to end up on it.

I never worked for US Border Protection but I know the Canadian service picks very few at random. If you get pulled up for greater scrutiny there's a reason.
I once asked a question of one of the guards about why so many inspections and received a super inspection for my curiosity.

I would think that if there was something I was consistently doing that looked suspicious or was on some sort of list the TSA would be all over me (And, in regards to a list, a decent amount occurs before anyone scans my BP or passport)

 

[sttubs]

Next time pick your nose and wipe it on your pants see if they still want to pat you down.

 

[who?]

Do you look like a drug mule? Don't look over the security area like you're wondering if you're going to get away with something.

 

[Red Squirrel]

The few times I flew I was often getting randomly selected too, had to laugh because out of the group I was with it was always me. I think it's because I'm a ginger. Racial profiling!

I have a beard now so would be interesting if it increased it even more.

 

[TallBill]

It's random. They pulled my mom off one time. 60+ year old asian ladies are dangerous. Maybe they thought she'd be the one driving the plane.

Part of it is random. Part is off or a list, part is based off of behavior.

 

[Rumpltzer]

I'm kind of middle eastern. I've flown a total of about 30 times and never been pulled over.

We've already got everything that we need to know about you in the database; you're covered.

I was pulled for additional screening about 12 years ago in a tiny (Santa Barbara) airport. It was a joke of a screening, and I didn't mind. It happened again in early January on an outbound from Taipei. Again, a joke. We went behind a screen, and the woman opened my laptop. She saw that it consisted of a keyboard and screen. She then looked at my phone; it has a screen. She did not power up either device; just looked at them as asked me to move along.

I felt so violated.

 

[Sonikku]

I flew Tuesday and after being scanned in the cylinder they pulled me aside for a thorough pat down because they claimed their scanner had problems detecting my crotch. I'm not even kidding.

 

[Rumpltzer]

I have scars on my body (not near my crotch) that probably look like a bomb belt to those cylinder scanners. I get the "back-of-the-hand" pat down pretty much every time I go through it.

Just once I'd like a little front-of-the-hand action. I'm not an animal!!