Pofiling in poker vs airline security

Profiling is a very useful thing that we all use in poker and in life in general. It is not 100% and it is not fair but for the ones using it is highly beneficial.

In poker we use it when playing at a table of unknown players. If you get check raised by 65 year old woman on day one of the main event you might consider laying down second nuts where as in the same situation you might consider calling a twenty-one year old “northern european” with second pair in the same situation. This is profiling and if you don’t use it at the WSOP you are a very weak poker player. Of course you adjust as you gather info, but you use the info you have when you get it.

What makes me bring this up is, of course all the crying about it in airport screening as a result of the latest attempt to bomb a plane.

Look. if you come from suspect areas, have certain backgrounds, even have certain names, ages, male vs female, should all factor into the likely hood of extra attention when boarding a plane.

As far as body scans being an invasion of privacy, get over it if you want to fly. If violates your religion then you are a religious fanatic, that’s the one group I don’t want on a flight with me. Only one person sees the image, its immediately erased, and I doubt they even know who they are looking at.

A lot of the wasted theatrics at the airport, making travel a nightmare, seem like they could be eliminated with a few good dogs at each check point, as well. They are very efficient and work cheap. Have them sniff shoes and we might not have to remove them.

Yeah what I am saying is, as an example, I would want the 19 year old President Obama screened every time he flew to or from Indonesia, and more frequently when he came from Hawaii than a 65 year old Grandmother from Nebraska. It’s not fair, it’s not 100%, but it is effective and there is a lot on the line. Also, it’s not like anyone is suffering anything more than a little extra scrutiny.