PreChecking Profiling

              With the holidays approaching, there are more people flying to see their families and friends. As the airports get busier and busier, the new TSA pre check policy is speeding up the long security lines. When I traveled to Washington DC for Thanksgiving break, I qualified for this prechecking. I did not have to remove my coat, shoes, or computer from my bag. While I waited at the other side, the majority of the other people had to go through the normal security procedures. I did not notice what other types of people were waved through aside from another white girl around my age.

              On the American Airlines website, they say that the people eligible are "a select group of known travelers." I found this to be very vague and suitable to whoever the selectors want to select. The TSA website says it is frequent flyers, members of the armed forces and members of groups such as NEXUS, SENTRI, trusted traveler program and others. To join these programs, a fee of $50 or more, time spent filling out applications and sometimes an in person interview is required. I did none of this; they simply waved me through. I think that as a 17 year old white girl from the north shore, they would assume me to pose any threat therefor, I qualify. The problem with this is that the TSA workers and airlines are profiling people.
          While I was on the TSA website, one of the photos presented with the one to the left. I found it very interesting for many reasons. First was the obvious race factor. There are two white men and the TSA worker is a black woman. I found this interesting because the african american woman is the one working in the lower paying job. I do not know this for a fact but considering one of the men is wearing a suit and the other is wearing a sweater and khakis, and they are traveling, they seem to be  business men. This was interesting to me because the african american portrayed in the picture is still the one in the lower class. Also, these two men seem to represent a big group of who qualifies for the PreCheck policy. White business men.
             I found this TSA PreChecking policy to add on to the inequality of race and a part of the new Jim Crow. It would be very interesting to see statistics of what type of people are being prechecked.