A Random Selection

"Sir, your bags have been selected for a random security screening"

"Sir, could you please step to this side? You have been selected for a random security check prior to boarding"

Ask anyone who has traveled within the US since September 11, 2001, and chances are that you would find a knowing nod when you mention the above, and depending on the person's natural pre-disposition, either a burst of righteous anger or a shrug of resignation.

Anger from those who think it an infringement on their personal freedom, maybe even a travesty of their Bill of Rights. I mean, does anyone of them look like one of Osama's cohorts? Upright humans, with nary a thought of bombing other individuals out of existence, they would describe themselves as.

Resignation, from those with less aggression in their mental make up, but with the same basic feeling. This is such a waste of time. Why can't the airport authorities just get better equipment, rather than putting us through this embarrassment and delay?

Now that I have described the two categories that make up the majority of today's travelers, let me state my position. I am in the minority of (self-proclaimed) rational human beings, who think that a delay of 5 minutes is worth every one of those 300 seconds, if my plane could be made to land by the airline designated pilot at its scheduled destination. No issues with the process.

But then, the same mathematical streak that makes me rational starts its analysis. I would think 10%, maybe 20% of the passengers are frisked and their bags opened or X-rayed. Now, if I extend that process, I should be selected by the computer 10% - 20% of the times I travel. Give a margin of error … 100% fine? So, if I get selected upto 40% of the times, the process can be assumed to be in control.

In last 7 weeks, I had taken 19 flights within the continental US…. and guess what? I was "selected" for the "random" check no less than 15 times!!!! That is a “random” selection average of more than 75%!

Thinking with my statistical hat on, I can only say that someone is drastically trying to cut down on the type 2 error…. albeit not through statistical means!

Now, I am a marketing professional and fully understand the significance of sugarcoating bitter pills … I mean I would feel far worse if they said "You brown character…. we think you could be one of the meanies and want to make sure you don't blow us good fellas up"… but someone needs to give a geography lesson to the programmers of the “random” code.

I am an Indian, and we have been facing the heat of this terror since long before 9-11. 9 11, though a despicable, reprehensible, too-bad-for-words incident, is still an isolated incident of an act of terror in the mainland US. We Indians have learned (sadly) to not get affected by one more incident of a bombing here, a shootout there. Indian stoicism? I wouldn’t think so. Inurement by profusion? More like it.

But then, when I a rationalize a bit more, I remember a wise old statistical saying "Only GOD can make a truly random selection"

And for all the delusions of being E pluribus unum, America and her computers are not GOD … altleast not just yet. Amen.

April 12, 2002: Sacramento, CA, USA