If it’s a problem that Sikhs are “randomly” asked to remove their head garments, why not get smart about airport screening?
I’m not opposed to good security, but TSA and regulations seem to be more bureaucratic and invasive than strategic. If Dr. Edwards Deming assessed TSA for “quality per time and cost”, the agency might turn up wanting.
No offense intended at all. Actually, Sikhs are quite a peaceful group, but head turbans are a place where something dangerously non-metal could be hidden. Why not have a rule that “all head garments” be removed, including beanies and Dick Tracey hats. The rule should also go for three-piece suits and bulky jackets—any excessive clothing for that matter.
What about super baggy pants? If you wear them, mandatory frisking from mid-thigh on down… everyone. None of this crotch grabbing. Just have people hoist their trousers so security can see that there’s nothing suspicious up there.
Rather than racial, religious, or gender-based profiling… how about psychological? Get a shrink in uniform to talk to people as they go though.
But, for me, I refuse to travel on TSA-screened flights. It’s not so much a boycott as it is for my own safety. TSA doesn’t seem to care that they have an image of being obsession with bureaucratically-flavored political correctness. In my personal opinion, just the fact that they don’t seem to care about their public image could invite a real threat to think that their priorities are on the innocent instead of the real bad guys. I don’t want to be on a flight that I feel could attract the wrong people. Besides, if our government truly believes that this level of screening is necessary, none of us should be flying. But what do I know. I’m just me.