Airport screeners pick questionable targets

I do not write this thinking I can either add to or dissect the apparent debacle, which allowed an obviously murder-oriented terrorist on board an American transatlantic flight. Some reports continue to comment that he was the "alleged" bomber. I cringed at Ms. Napolitano's comment that "the system worked."

What I do know is the screeners will move a little old lady, maybe 82 years old, 4 feet 11 inches tall, in a white jumpsuit, out of line. They will take her transparent lexan cane and run it through the X-ray machine.

Meanwhile, they will make her remove her Velcro, diabetic-type shoes, slowly totter through the metal scanner and then make her walk over to and stand on the footprint pad while doing a full body scan. I fully expected her to be whisked away for a full body cavity search.

All the while a TSA agent was standing within my comfort zone, staring at me. I suppose he was looking for me to squirm or maybe break into a sweat. I cleared unchallenged.

When they finished with "Grandma Moses," I walked over and quietly whispered to her as she shakily replaced her shoes, "You are the most suspicious possible terrorist I have ever seen." Without hesitation she looked up and replied, " It takes one to know one."

West Marcus
Montgomery