The TSA, 1914

JF Ptak Science Books   Quick Post

Years ago, around 1995, I was at Washington's National Airport, flying at a time of much laxer security precautions in the history of air traveling the U.S., when you were able to walk right up to the gate from your car by passing through only one metal detector, and then not having to show a boarding pass.  I went through the detector just fine; the person behind me set it off.  I was only paying a little attention to the scene as the metal-man was asked to stand to the side and be inspected by a detector wand.  In my peripheral vision I noticed that the man raised his arms parallel to the ground while still holding his attache, which was a little odd, so I turned to watch what was going on.  The person turned out to be Mike Wallace, who stood their stoically, as the security personnel went over his entire body, very thoroughly, for perhaps a minute, perhaps a little more.  He never said a word, never moved after raising his arms.

Here was a person who spent perhaps more time in the public eye, who had been on television more often than almost anyone in history, being given a metal detecting bath without uttering a word, which I though to be splendid behavior.

In that entire procedure, the security officers didn't wand his briefcase.

The Illustrated London News ran this print in their 28 March 1914 issue, entitled  " 'Any Arms, Revolvers, Ammunition?'--a New Customers Question!" with the sub-title "In search of weapons destined for Ulster Volunteers¹, customs officers are asking passengers if they have any arms to declare on their arrival at Greenore" [75k north of Dublin, on the coast]. 

Notes:

1. "The original Ulster Volunteers were formed by Edward Carson and James Craig as Unionist militias in the tensions surrounding the potential success of the third Irish Home Rule Bill. At the start of 1912, Unionists and members of the Orange Order started drilling and on 9 April (Easter Tuesday) Carson and Conservative Andrew Bonar Law reviewed 100,000 Ulster Volunteers marching in columns.^[1] On 28 September 237,368 men signed the Ulster Covenant pledged to "using all means which may be found necessary to defeat the present conspiracy to set up a Home Rule Parliament in Ireland", with the support of 234,046 women.^"--Wikipedia.

 

Comments

[Joan Eisenstodt]

Fascinating! Wonder if my grandfather was searched on his way from Russia to America. Bet he didn't have an attache or much of anything. As I recall, his immigration papers said he arrived with less than $20.