Airports profiling fear and stress May 18, 2006
Posted by fmmh in : Ramblings , 1 comment so farAccording to today’s CNN article, airports now consider behaviors of fear and stress as suspicious traveler activity.
It states . . .
Officers are taught to look for abnormal behavior in passengers, such as people wearing coats when it’s warm in order to disguise bombs, or people acting fidgety or nervous.
Also . . .
The officers must be able to differentiate between nervous travelers and those having something to hide, he added.
I’m thinking about all the times I’ve felt scared, paranoid, and different. Often I wear inappropriate clothing (jackets when it’s warm) to hide or feel safe. I doubt airport security could differentiate my panic attacks from geniune suspicious behavior. I can’t imagine being confronted by security and having to disclose reasons for my behavior. Getting frisked or restrained for non-compliance (too scared to cooperate) would be very traumatic.
This is a sensitive subject with a potential increase of stigmatization of persons suffering with psychiatric disorders. Words of wisdom before the next flight . . . don’t forget the antianxiety meds!
