Privacy International
Stupid Security Contest
Most Counter Productive Security
Nomination 7
Universal Studios. For looking underneath with a mirror and opening the trunk of every single car entering the property, but then not caring one wit about the contents.I've carried removal boxes in and out, and I've been behind people taking in multiple computer boxes, and station wagons so full anything could have been concealed.
Nomination 14
Don't Attack Us...At Least Not Until After 4pm...
At the University of Texas at Austin, like at many universities in this country, we have "guard booths" at the major entries to most of the campus (though, curiously, the perimeter areas and major structures like the football stadium are not "protected" within this zone). In light of recent heightened security, the guard booths have suddenly become rather vigilant about stopping any cars without proper university permits and not letting cars go around the side of a car detained at the guard booth. The ironic part is this heightened security only exists from 8am-4pm, even though there are numerous campus courses and events that happen well after 4pm daily. After 4pm the guard booths quickly empty and the campus is accessed by anyone. It is as though the university is suggesting that they might want to protect the interior of the campus prior to 4pm...but after that, we're fair game for whoever might want to drive into campus to do whatever it is we are presumably worried about them doing.
(I'm submitting this, even from my university email account, because I teach about information/communication privacy issues where we talk about such issues, and I'll be curious to read about your top submissions! This is a great idea to collect some of the purely symbolic efforts that we engage in to presumably provide a sense of security. Recognizing these types of actions is important so that people don't develop a false sense of security that can be even more dangerous than a known lack of security.)
Nomination 19
Shortly after Richard Reid's attempt to light his shoes, I boarded a flight from San Francisco to London on British Airways.Travelling alone, I was singled out by the computer for further inspection. The polite inspector informed me that he had to check my shoes for explosives.I dutifully removed them and handed them to him. He picked them up one by one and slammed them down on the floor with full force.Apparently, as they hadn't exploded, they were not dangerous, and he handed them back to me to put back on.
Let this be a warning to future terrorists. Your explosive shoes may go off in the crowded departure lounge instead of on board the plane.
Nomination 21
The guards on the ground floor of the Prudential Building, Boston's most prominent skyscraper demand a photo ID of persons entering. The guard writes down the surname of the person entering and lets him or her pass. If a group approaches, the ID of one person is sufficient.
Nomination 24
I recently tried to pay my Verizon phone bill online but was not able to since I didn't have my account number and other information only found on the paper copy of the bill mailed to my residence.I am traveling for work so called customer service to get the numbers or pay by phone but got the same run around on the phone. I was told it is "impossible" to pay your bill unless you have the paper hard copy of the bill. Two operators and a "supervisor" said this was for security reasons to protect me!I guess there have been a rash of people calling in to pay other people's bills or something so they have had to tighten payment security. When I asked the first operator to let me speak to her supervisor she flat out refused (I quote "This is not a management issue" ) and she hung up on me. When I did get a "supervisor" on the second call I was told that was the policy and it couldn't be changed.
On about the 5th call to customer service someone finally broke down and gave me my account number so I could pay my bill.
Nomination 28
Hi,
I hear you're looking for examples of pointless and intrusive 'security'.
Post 9/11 San Francisco General Hospital, the primary (and for many homeless or poor San Franciscans the only) emergency and critical care facility in San Francisco instituted a new security regime.
Basic behavior included putting armed security guards on the front doors of the hospital, who (for several months) would not let anyone without photo ID enter the building.
San Francisco has a large homeless population (>15,000), most of who either a) do not have photo ID; or b) are wanted for probation or parole violations; or c) are in fear of arrest for some other reason.
End result - hundreds of homeless people in search of urgent medical care turned away either directly by security guards or indirectly when they chose not to 'run the gauntlet' out of fear of possible arrest. Cost of healthcare to the city goes up as people later need ambulance and emergency room care for conditions that could have been dealt with earlier, more humanely and more cheaply. It is also possible, but unproven, that specific individuals died.
Now for the funny bit. While the security goons were harassing those seeking medical care at the main entrance in the name of 'terrorism prevention', all side entrances were left completely unguarded.
Hospital staff, rather than having to constantly fish for ID started using the side entrances in increasing numbers, as did those seeking medical care. So instead of people fronting the triage desk to be most appropriately directed to whatever service they need, the corridors of minor side departments started to fill with people stumbling around lost, looking for *anyone* who might be able to help.
The 'must have photo ID' phase only lasted a couple of months, however the armed guards remain at the front entrance to this day, continuing to deter those in need of medical care from getting it. And side entrances remain open to any who care to wander in.
Nomination 32
Shortly after the Columbine massacre, my son's school (Eastridge Community Elementary, Aurora CO) was locked down. Visitors had to stop at the front office and pick up a name tag.We wrote our own names on the tags.During the first week, while one would expect interest to be at its peak, I got away scott-free with the following: