09.26.05

The dangers of carrying a backpack

Posted in Uncategorized at 2:52 pm by Haris

I usually try to stay away for mentioning all the absurd things that various agencies are doing in the name of security, but this time I could not resist. Here’s the story. You can also find a discussion on Bruce Schneier’s blog. Effectively, a man was arrested in London for showing what can only qualify in my world as normal behavior. He was stopped and searched because:

1. He went into the station without looking at the police officers at the entrance or by the gates. (I usually avoid looking at police officers myself.)
2. Two other men entered the station at about the same time as he did. (!!!!!!!!!!)
3. He was wearing a jacket “too warm for the season”. (The day was actually unusually cold for the season.)
4. He was carrying a bulky rucksack, and kept my rucksack with me at all times. (The loudspeaker instructs people to hold on to their belongings at all times, and of course a rucksack containing a computer and its peripherals, and possibly a book or two, is bound to be bulky. I know mine always is, and I always carry it with me.)
5. He looked at people coming on the platform. (!!!!!!)
6. He played with his phone and then took a paper from inside his jacket. (!!!!!!)

Now, if all this doesn’t qualify as very natural behavior, then what does? One thing is for sure. I am not visiting London any time soon. And I become exceedingly worried about what kind of world we are going to be living in for the next 10 years.

Later

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