I looked Middle Eastern. And then, later when I began to fly to Fort Lauderdale to help with my dad when he was sick, it was because I looked Latin American and I was traveling alone. That's the profile for drug mule, I guess. -A nice black man who searched me in Fort Lauderdale suggested I select a rewards program with one of the airlines, and when I did, the "random" searches stopped.

And lately it's probably because I have criticized the local good ole boys one time too many. One of them had direct connections to the airport.

and I came to the conclusion, it usually happens when I travel alone.

If you go by that factor, then we have an 80% chance of being selected.

I used to show my TWIC card and they would send me through the aircrew line which was empty. One time I turned and saw a lot of angry faces looking at me. I called out, "This is the line for Democrats!" Nobody moved.

...not just at airports. If you find a solution other than "grin and bear it", please post.

I'm saying that they should monitor the number of times that someone gets targeted and be prepared to compensate them, because it is racial profiling. That's the only happy medium I see. I don't think it will stop, but I do think that they should make a person whole again, because it does feel one gets diminished each time it happens.

I have a pair of comfortable travel shoes that do, and they always make me go back to go through the scanner again without them. Sometimes es, when I remember, I just take them off to begin with.

I wouldn’t be too paranoid about it.

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He didn't get selected.

I’m not understanding your idea you’ve been “targeted.”

Kinda cute you and your hubby wear matching boots.

A TSA screener told me standing with my legs further apart might help.

Not one bit.

I have Clear and TSA pre-check. I see the machines pick "random" passengers regularly, sometimes 3 in a row. I get pulled out of line about 10% of my trips.

White, male, middle aged, and I pack well.

I'd say your skin tone has nothing to do with it. It's just a shitty process.

Skin tone has everything to do with it. They can't pull out six elderly white women then choose one swarthy-complexioned male to make it look random. I used to travel by air at least twice a month for years before I retired. I'm caucasian, of British parents, and it was patently obvious to me that the VAST majority of people pulled were people of color, often my colleagues. You claim to be a white male, having been pulled out of line 10% of the time. When that increases to 80% of the time, THEN you might have an idea what it feels like to be a member of the flying public AND a person of color.

Also, every time I land at Sea-Tac, I get red-carded. Usually they hand me a literal red card and walk me over to "secondary screening", which just involves waiting in a little room for about half an hour while they check things out. It used to bother me, because they never tell you what it's all about and they used to separate me from my wife.

I'm clearly on some kind of list, but they always deny it and tell me it's random.

That is NOT a common experience.

If I remember correctly, you can call/write your senator or state representative and ask them why you're on The List. If they're handing you that red card, you are definately on some kind of list.

Personal note: I have a dear friend who is an academic, a scholar who has published a dozen acclaimed books, a brilliant man, known and respected internationally in his field. About a dozen years ago or so, he applied for a VISA to enter the US and used me as his contact and someone who could vouch for him. We thought my previous history with the military and federal government would have made it a slam dunk for him. No. They denied him a VISA because he had been to Iran years before to deliver a lecture at university. He'd been in Tehran for all of 72 hours. How ridiculous. He travels all over the globe, has to get a new passport every 18 months because they fill up so fast. Not one single tie to any questionable organization. Not one blot on his record. Not even a parking ticket. This is how ludicrous this nation has become.

And until you become one, you cannot identify with what they experience on a regular basis by flying.

Coming back through Miami last December from out of the country, at the rescan after clearing customs and immigration and rechecking luggage, I was pulled out of the precheck line to wait to go through the body scanner because it wasn't manned. I waited and waited and finally demanded they send a woman TSA agent over--loudly demanded--because my handbag and laptop and carry-on were sitting unattended. Anybody could pick them up. One time traveling with my husband, someone else picked up his bag and he theirs. It was a nightmare getting the bags back.

The whole thing is a giant scam. I hate flying. I will only fly now if I can't get there on the train or driving.

I am confused what the problem is.

You're paying a premium. You provide all your details up front so they can eliminate things that they profile for. In my case, they know ahead of time that I'm not a foreigner from a Middle Eastern country, nor do I have the profile for a drug mule.

I paid for TSA Pre-check to make international trips a little easier and it has done that. I just paid for it for my son who is 14 because the TSA doesn’t guarantee that kids over the age of 12 will get pre-check even if their parent has it. Anyway, we fly quite often for my work with my staff (who all have pre-check themselves) and more often than not, one guy on my staff gets pulled out of the line for a search. It’s become a joke amongst all of us and we’ll place bets before a trip whether Tyler will get yanked out of the line or not. It isn’t funny, however. He’s 36, college educated, married, two small kids, no arrests, stable as can be. You’re right, people pay for a service and give up their details up front, including fingerprints to not have this happen. Frustrating and not okay.