Logan's SPOT

From The Boston Herald:
"TSA to put Hub fliers on the spot"

Boston’s TSA screeners — part of a security force whose competency has come under fire nationwide — soon will be carrying out sophisticated behavioral inspections under a first-in-the-nation program that’s already raising concerns of racial profiling, harassment of innocent travelers and longer lines. The training for the Israeli-style screening — a projected $1 billion national program dubbed Screening Passengers by Observation Techniques — kicks off today at Logan International Airport and will be put to use in Terminal A on Aug. 15. It requires screeners to make quick reads of whether passengers pose a danger or a terror threat based on their reactions to a set of routine questions. But security experts wonder whether Transportation Safety Administration agents are up to the challenge. “I’m not convinced that the TSA has good enough people to make the Israeli approach work on a large scale,” said Glenn Reynolds, a University of Tennessee law professor. Under the SPOT program, as passengers hand over their boarding passes and identification, specially trained agents will ask three to four questions — from “Where have you been?” to “Do you have a business card?” and “Where are you traveling?” — while looking for “micro expressions,” such as lack of eye contact, that might hint at nefarious intent. Suspicious individuals will be pulled aside for more questioning, full-body scans and pat-downs. If the encounter escalates, agents will call in state police. At Logan, about 70 agents — all with college degrees — are undergoing training by an international consulting firm that includes a four-day classroom course and 24 hours of on-the-job experience.

^ I have my doubts that this program will work - especially at Logan. I have flown in/out of Logan many times and have dealt with very stupid TSA people including supervisors - especially in Terminal E (the International Terminal.) I don't really think a 4 day course is long enough to make these people experts in following the proven Israeli method. As to my answers to the 3 questions I could be asked: "Home", "No" and "Outta here." I wonder if that would get me extra screening. On a serious note: I will try and keep an eye on whether this program works or not. Hopefully it will work and the security at Logan (and elsewhere in the US) will be improved along with Customer Relations between the public and the TSA. ^

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1355725