Tuscon’s lone wolf terrorist’s massacre brings to light the importance of Homeland Security’s latest campaign ” If You See Something Say Something. ” If people would not only have reported what they saw in terms of Jerod Loughner’s “off” behaviors to proper authorities and those authorities would have done something about it, perhaps this tragedy could have been avoided.
A lot of people saw something very strange and odd about Jerold Loughner and did nothing about it. While his junior college administrators told him not to return to college until he had a written letter from a mental health professional, it obviously was not good enough.
DISTURBING BEHAVIOR
Arizona is one of the few states where someone can be taken for psychiatric observation if their behavior seems disturbing.
One of Loughner’s math professors thought he was frightening after her wrote “Mayhem Fest” all over his algebra papers. A fellow math student who was in his algebra class at the community college though he was freaky after he shouted out ”How can you deny math!”
In fact, according to press reports, one of the students in his class wrote an email to a friend where she said” We have a mentally unstable person in class who scares the crap out of me. He is the one you see on the news who comes to class with an automatic weapon.”Hopefully he will be out of class soon and not come back with an automatic weapon.”
Then there was the neighbor who said to his own mother that that his hair stood up in the back of his neck as he thought Jerod was serial killer.
When your hair on the back of your neck stands up, it means that your body is telling you that something is terribly wrong. It is the body’s primitive response to letting us know that we are in danger around a particular person.
If you have ever have feelings like that, never ignore them. Say something and say it to the right people who can do something about it.
Perhaps the authorities at the school needed to have contacted Jerod’s family to let them know that they felt their son was in a mental crisis of sorts. Perhaps they could have helped his parents arrange for help for Jerod.
STRANGE BODY LANGUAGE
Most recently a friend who knew him from his poetry class said that he always seemed to walk around with clenched fists. Body language wise that means he was walking around angry. He also said that he would inappropriately laugh to himself. That may have been due to the drugs he was reported to have been taking.
Some of the neighbors reported that Jerod was a strange child and was kept isolated for most of his childhood. A neighbor reported that he would never come out to play and would only gaze out the window as a child.
Another neighbor reported that he would never look at anyone when anyone passed him in the street. He would just keep his head down andlook down and never gestured.
Perhaps his parents kept him isolated because they felt there was something wrong with him and wee ashamed of him or afraid of what he might so to other children.
Perhaps there was something wrong with them as well. One neighbor reported that the father seemed to be an angry and contentious person.
Where was the community in terms of assistance to this family? What was going on at school? Did Jerod’s teachers ever contact his family when he was younger?
If he wasn’t socializing with children in the neighborhood as was reported, what was going on at school? Did socializ with other children or he fall through the cracks?
PARENTS DENIAL
The terrorist’s parents said they did not understand what this happened. Perhaps they were in denial about their son all of his life.
How could they not see the skull alter shine they created in their backyard on too of shriveled oranges next to some candles?
To Dr. Dennis Embry a mental health experts it says that their son may have been suffering from schizophrenia and had thoughts of death and violence .
It was also reported by friends who knew Jared that Loughner had used marijuana extensively and has used hallucinogenic such as psyillisybum mushrooms and salvia . Jared confirmed that he smoked pot when he tried to sign up for military duty.
Did his parents not know that their son was smoking marijuana which may have exacerbated his already fragile mental condition? Did they not have a clue he was using other mind altering drugs?
PARENTS REALITY
They lived in the same house as their son and obviously had no idea what he was up to until they got a reality check several days ago.
A neighbor who visited the parents said that they father is devastated and can’t get out three words without crying as he is not only upset about his son but is devastated about what happened to the people who were hurt and killed.
His mother is reported to be so devastated that she has broken down and is a nervous wreck she has taken to bed.
THE GUN STORE THOUGHT HE WAS STRANGE
When salespeople at the gun store where Jerod purchased his weapons were interviewed they said that they thought Jerod was strange and that reluctantly sold him the ammunition and guns. They sold him a Glock pistol.
That is unacceptable! If they had any inkling that there was an odd person in their presence with odd behavior, they never should have sold him the weapons in the first place.
STRANGE AND DISTURBING BODY LANGUAGE
When you look at the mug shot you can see and feel something is not right. He has a Joker- like smirk that is inappropriate based on the situation at hand.
Eyewitnesses even reported that during the court proceedings he smirked when the judge read the counts against him.
No doubt in his mentally disturbed mind, he is most pleased with himself. He is most pleased that he has accomplished his terror laden mission.
JEROD’S MENTAL SICKNESS CAUSED HIS TERRORIST ACTS NOT THE MEDIA OR POLITICAL POSITION
Besides Loughner’s disturbing behavior what is equally disturbing is all the name calling and finger pointing and political positioning and news media hosts and politicians using this tragedy to get their 15 minutes of fame This needs to STOP RIGHT NOW!!!! It is ridiculous! the only one to blame is the person who shot Gabriel Giffords and maimed and killed so many others- Jerod Loughner.
If anyone needs to be blamed it is those who observed this mental mess and said nothing or did nothing. If that is the case we can spread blame to the junior. college administrators, his math instructor, to his parents, his fellow students, his neighbors.
I am certain that mentally sick Jerod was not spending his time listeningto Rush Limbaugh or Sarah Palin or Barack Obamaor anyone for that matter. He has his own opinions and very disturbed ideas as you can clearly see from his youtoube ramblings. They make no sense.
So to hold him up as the poster boy for the Tea Party politics, Republican politics, or Democratic politics is ridiculous! It is giving this extremely mentally sick and disturbed terrorist way too much credit.
STOP POINTING FINGERS AT ONE ANOTHER TO GET YOUR NAME IN THE MEDIA!
How ridiculous of columnist Howard Fineman to blame Palin for what happened. While may have been poor judgment for Sara Palin to put out a map with cross hairs she is NOT the one who is directly responsible for the killings and for Gabriel Gifford’s becoming a potential vegetable and perhaps never being able to speak coherent sentences again.
How ridiculous of TV host Chris Matthews to blamed radio host Mark Levin . I doubt Loughner was even in his car long enough during the day to even hear Mark Levin’s radio broadcat.
How ridiculous that Sherriff Dupnik said it was Rush Limbaughs fault. If Loughlin is in his room getting high all day, I dount he is getting up early on the morning to listen to Rush’s boradcasts and savor every word Rush says. He probably can’t even process what is going on.
Joe Scarborough was also ridiculous as he blamed it on FOX and said they need to be toned down. Once again I am almost certain mentally sick Jared wasn’t organizing his day so he could listen to Rush, Mark Levin, FOX, or even Keith Olberman who said that left wing rhetoric is not equivalent to right wing rhetoric. Al Shapton was also ridiculous when he blamed the media and said they need standards on the airwaves.
LONE WOLF MENTALLY DISTURBED TERRORIST JARED IS THE ONLY ONE TO BLAME!
Most likely terrorist Jerod was getting high and listening to music and not talk radio over the airwaves. No doubt he wasn’t even in contact with the airwaves as he was listening to the music he downloaded on his ipod all day
Chances are this terrorist didn’t even listen to the media pundits or spend time in his car listening to conservative radio show hosts or liberal radio show hosts for that matter.
Jerod Lo9ghner is a very mentally sick and disturbed person .
There is no evidence that t he was influenced in anyway by Sarah Palin, by the Tea party, opposition to health care or Rush Limbaugh or Mark Levin,”
IT’S UP TO EVERYONE OF US TO LEARN TO SPOT POTENTIAL TERRORISTS AND IF WE SEE SOMETHING SAY SOMETHING!
An incident like this makes us all see the importance of learning how to spot a potential terrorist well ahead of time before it is too late.
It is essential to recognize when a person’s body language is so off that it makes you feel sick to your stomach or makes the hair on the back of your neck stand on end.
It is important to observe and report what you observe to someone who can do actually something about it. In Jerod’s case with Arizona being one of the few states you can have a person sent to a mental health facility to be checked out, he needed to be reported as soon as he wrote the word “mahem” on his math paper.
Perhaps this incident will encourage people to do what Homeland security said to do in their recent campaign “If you see something say something!
Apparently so many people observed the terrorist’s off behavior and body language and didn’t say or do anything about it.
Selling arms to a person you feel reluctant about selling it to is a perfect example of what I am talking about.
Apparently Arizona Sherrif Dupnik observed that Jared made death threats against others in the past and that that those threats had been investigated by police. So why was’nt there an eagle eye on Jerod at all times? Why didn’t Jerod have to suffer some consequences for making those death threats?
If school officials suspended Jared after they found a rambling incoherent youtube posting he made, why didn’t they contact his parents or send him to a mental health facility?
For anyone who is upset about the If You see something say something concept violating anyone;s freedoms of First Amendment Rights, I will ask you where are Rep. Gabriel Griffith’s rights are or where are the rights of a Federal Court judge and a precious 9 year old girl who are now dead at the hands of this terrorist. www.drlillianglass.com
While screening procedures in the US and Europe are stringent, 23 year old terrorist Abdul Farouk Abdulmutallab still managed to fall through the cracks as he was allowed to board the flight where this Al Qaeda terrorist almost blew everyone to smithereens.
As a result, airlines around the world have issued notices that there will be heightened screening, more bomb-sniffing dogs, officer units and an increase in all Behavioral Detection Officers (BDO’s) at some airports.
But he problem is that that are not enough Behavior Detection Officers to go around. In fact, there are current estimates that BDOs are currently at less than 200 airports around the US.
That is why I feel compelled via this blog. I want to share with you the importance of body language and how it is a science and an art used by law enforcement and the FBI.
I will share valuable body language information with you about how to detect a potential terrorist. Hopefully, this make you feel safer the next time you have to fly. The information may even end up potentially saving your life!
NEVER LISTEN TO ANY “NAY SAYSERS’ REGARDING BODY LANGUAGE – KNOWLEDGE OF BODY LANGUAGE CAN POTENTIALLY SAVE YOUR LIFE!
Anyone who poo poohs the area of body language or makes disparaging comments about it, such as calling it a “pseudoscience’ is to be ignored in my opinion like a certain blogger recently did by the name of Leslie E. Packer, a Tourette Syndrome psychologist and author of http://www.pogowasright.org and Chronicles of Decent who goes by the moniker “dissent. ”
Leslie E. Packer, by the way, is the person, who without even knowing me, has had an obvious personal axe to grind, ever since I wrote a blog about Britney Spears back in 2008 when dear Britney was in so much trouble and people wondered what was wrong with her and why she possibly behaved as she did.
LESLIE E. PACKER, TOURETE SYNDROME PSYCHOLOGIST, AUTHOR OF POGOWASRIGHT.ORG AND (“DISSENT”)CHRONCILES OF DISSENT –BODY LANGUAGE IS NOT A PSEUDOSCIENCE!
Leslie E. Packer, “dissent” of pogowasright.org and Chronicles of Dissent, of North Bellmore, New York, admits she also has issues with “media psychologists, ” including Dr. Phil and Dr. Laura, along with the work which I do in the media as a commentator, in addition to my work as a body language expert. She has even resorted to making disparaging remarks concerning Nancy Grace, a show on which I appear regularly as a commentator.
My personal opinion is that perhaps the reason Leslie E. Packer has lashed out at so many in the media, is due to “professional jealously” and her own envy at wishing to appear in the media.
It is ironic that Leslie E. Packer has called the area of body language a ‘pseudoscience,” when it was my use of my body language analysis techniques that uncovered this once “anonymous “ blogger who made farfetched and ridiculous claims about me concerning a blog I once wrote on Britney Spears back in 2008, during the time everyone was so concerned about dear Britney, who thank God, has turned her life around.
It is so ironic that Leslie E. Packer has called the area of body language a ‘pseudoscience,” when it was my use of my body language analysis techniques that uncovered this once “anonymous “ blogger who made farfetched and ridiculous claims about me concerning a blog I once wrote on Britney Spears during the time everyone was so concerned about dear Britney,who has now thank God, turned her life around.
Liskula Cohen and Rosemary Port
Since I am obviously on Leslie E. Packer’s radar so often, in my opinion, her behavior smacks of nothing other than “professional jealousy.” or envy. As a very famous psychotherapist, Sigmund Freud once said , “envy seeks to destroy.’
In their attempt to destroy others through their vitriol , they end up destroying themselves with stress related illnesses like cancer and heart disease.
They even end up destroying themselves like what happened in the case of an obviously jealous and envious “Non- Model, ” Rachel Port, who anonymously called “Vogue Model,” Lisukula Cohen, a “skank” in her blog. Subsequently, Rosemary Port’s ‘ anonymous “ identity was outed by Google, so she could no longer hide her nasty posts under the cloak of anonimity.
I didn’t need Google to discover the identity of Leslie E. Packer, PhD, who made what I believe to be ridiculous and far fetched claims about me. All I needed was my body language analysis skills to detect her identity which I did successfully.
So in my view, it is rather ironic that I used the exact same body language skills that Tourette Syndrome psychologist, Leslie E. Packer, author of pogowasright.org and Chronicles of Descent, refers to as a ”pseudoscience” to uncover her identity after she made her farfetched claims about me, while hiding behind the cloak of anonymity.
Even if someone has psychology training or is a licensed psychologist or even a Tourette Syndrome psychologist, like Leslie E. Packer, this does not mean they necessarily know anything about body language. In fact, most psychologists do not. They have not been specifically trained in this area or studied it intensively or had the practical experience it takes to understand the subtleties of this very important field of endeavor.
BODY LANGUAGE IS BOTH A SCIENCE AND AN ART
So the bottom line here is to never listen to anything negative a psychologist or anyone else may say about body language. It is a science based on research that has been replicated time and time again. While there are indeed cultural differences and nuances, there are universal behaviors that all human beings have, regardless of ethnic background.
There is also an art to the study of body language, as it takes years of experience to become very skilled at it in order to accurately read others.
In this day and age, as you will see in this blog, understanding certain body language “tells” can potentially save your live, especially when dealing with a potential terrorist.
WHAT DOES A BEHAVIOR DETECTION OFFICER DO?
A BDO basically observes a person’s body language to identify potentially high-risk passengers to help detect people exhibiting behaviors which indicate they could be a threat to aviation and/or transportation safety.
The program these officers undergo is a derivative of other successful behavioral analysis programs where ‘body language’ analysis has been employed by law enforcement and security personnel both in the U.S. and around the world.
In a nutshell, they screen travelers for involuntary physical and physiological reactions that people exhibit in response to a fear of being discovered. No matter how much people try to main train their cool, they are only human. So there is a response elicited deep in the brain – the limbic system, that translates the feelings of fear into autonomous nervous system responses. This can be seen in the form of uncontrolled eye and pupil movement to uncontrolled perspiration and respiratory response.
There are also associated body language movements and vocal as well as speech changes. So in essence, people convey emotions in subconscious gestures, facial expressions, speech and voice patterns in answers to simple questions such as what flight they are taking.
WARNING!
It is important that I bring out the point that even though a lot of these signals are exhibited, it doesn’t automatically mean a person is a terrorist or has criminal intent.
It does mean that this particular person needs to be watched carefully, as they would be determined to be a higher risk than those who don’t exhibit these signals.
So, to make sure these higher risk individuals who exhibit certain behaviors are well screened, they are referred for additional questioning and screening at the checkpoint.
But the problem here lies in the astuteness of the screener. Some screeners may be more lax than others, while other screeners may look at the wrong behavioral cues and misdiagnose the situation. Thus, they may allow those who shouldn’t be allowed through the screening process. As well they may misinterpret certain behavioral cues whereby they focus on the wrong person.
So because of the unpredictability to the security screening process some ‘terrorist types” may get through the security process as the Nigerian Northwest airlines flying terrorist just did.
That is why I am writing this blog for you so that you can feel a bit safer when you travel. I will share with you what signals you can look for to help you determine who may be suspicious as you travel. Who knows, the information I may be sharing with you may even end up saving your life.
THROWING POLITICAL CORRECTNESS OUT THE WINDOW WHEN IT COMES TO DETECTING TERRORISTS
While I don’t particularly like the notion that people are profiled because of their race, religion, or ethnic background, I believe that if it comes between a person’s hurt feelings and upset that they were singled out because of how they looked and our safety, I say, single them out!
Let’s face it, how many little old ladies or four year olds or tall blond women have blown up a plane? Every single terrorist thus far in terms of airport security have men male’s in their 20’s and 30’s of a specific ethnic group. While there have been women suicide bombers in Palestine. It is usually the exception rather then the rule.
Even though the TSA and BDO will never publicly admit to it, it does go on. Unfortunately it is upsetting to those who would never even dream of committing any terrorist act. I have spoken to enough people who mentioned to me they are repeatedly singled out, which they believe is the result of their skin color and how they look. Many with whom I have spoken to have even said they become used to it. Even though they don’t like it, they understand it- that it is all about safety.
They are even more upset that a few fanatics had to ruin things for the rest of their ethnic group.That is how most people feel about shoe bomber Richard Reid. He ruined it for everyone becuase now you have to inconveniently remove your shoes at the airport just because of him!
But no matter who is more scrutinized, it has to be the ones who fail the behavior analysis test- a recognized by legitimate law enforcement tool used worldwide whoa re scrutinized the most.
If someone look like they may be walking strangely because they have a device strapped to their leg or is doing a lot of bending down, or fiddling with chemicals, or they obviously need to be looked at more closely than others.
TRUST YOUR GUTS!
A day before shoe bomber Richard Reid tried to light his shoes on fire and blow up a plane, other lives were also spared. On an earlier flight the shoe bomber was refused boarding because the airport personnel’s instincts said something was amiss. But since he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was amiss, the shoe bomber boarded a flight the next day and tried to do his dirty deed.
Using your “gut instinct” is your key to survival and can greatly help in your identifying a potential terrorist. Essentially, it is your body telling you that something is just not right! Maybe you see something in someone’s eyes, or the way they move that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand on end. That is something to never be ignored! It is nature’s way of telling you something is wrong with this picture.
In looking for terrorists, the New York Post reported that “New York police officers are taught to be on the look out for men who appear freshly shaven with cuts or nicks — which could indicate a beard has just been removed or unfamiliar identification. It’s the little things like that which may set off alarm bells in your system. So listen to them!
I remember having those alarm bells going off in my system years back when a client was referred to me to help him with perfecting his communication and speaking skills as he wanted to appear on television as a financial analyst. Even though he was dressed well and wore an expensive, well tailored suit, there was something about him that literally made me sick to my stomach- so much so that I told him I wouldn’t be able to help him. There was something about his mask like smile and creepy stare that made by body feel sick. It turned out my instincts were right! Today he still sits in a federal penitentiary for his nefarious financial dealings.
Your instincts MUST be trusted. If someone seems suspicious to you, there is usually something you are picking up in their body language that just doesn’t seem right!
Maybe it was a sudden flash if anger you saw in their face or maybe their lack of movement bothered you. Maybe they were sweating on their forehead and upper lip when the temperature was cool inside the airport. Whatever it is, they rubbed you the wrong way- trust it!.
PERSPERATION
If you notice a person is sweating when the temperature indoors is climate controlled, that may not be a good sign. This is especially true if you see sweat above their upper lip or on their forehead.
This is usually a signal of nervousness. It can easily be spotted a red flag during the screening process at the airport. If they are asked more detailed questions, they will perspire even more , to the point they will have to wipe their foreheads or upper lip with their had or forearm.
SHAKING
When the terrorist gets a sudden flash of reality they are about to die as well when they commit their final act of terrorism, their whole body reacts in the form of uncontrollable shaking. This is due to the brain’s knowledge that something horrible is about to happen. It is the body ultimate response to fear.
The body undergoes a temperature change when it knows something harmful or scary is about to take place so it creates a shaking vibratory motion in order to help regulate the temperature change.
In fact one of he things that the hero, Jasper Schuringa, the Dutch tourist, who saved the flight mentioned during his CNN interview was that the terrorists shaking.
THE WALK
They will usually walk with a purpose and often walk as fast as possible. They are people on a mission and are focused to get to that mission. As a result you will never find them walking at a slow or leisurely pace.
They will walk as fast as possible without being noticeable and when they are walking their eyes will be fixed ahead. They will not be looking around . If they do it will be somewhat quick nervous glances- looking for authority figures or escape routes.
If they are in a group and walk behind one another in a single file as though they are on a mission. You need to pay attention to that. Most people walks side by side and not in single file.
BREATHING
You may see a lot of upper chest breathing and a lot of sighing behavior whereby they quickly take in a breath of air, and forcefully release all he air in a sudden burst. This often indicates a highly emotional state. It is their autonomic nervous system kicking in, over which they have no control.
When interviewed by security, changes in breathing such as a rapid rate, can also be a tell that the person is up to no good.
FACIAL EXPRESSION OR LACK OF IT
One of the things that passengers who were interviewed who were on the recent Northwesr flight said was that the terrorist appeared calm and showed no facial expression. This is consistent in what we know about the facial animation of terrorists.
According to those who have studied them like famed body language expert and Stanford University researcher Paul Ekman, who the show Lie to Me is based on, has discovered is that these terrorists lack animated facial expressions.
Thus, their facial expression will be consistent and not change. This is not normal behavior as our facial expression consistently changes. In essence, there is a mask like appearance. They appear to be focused on their mission and it show in their lack of facial animation.
LIPS
You will often see tight or pursed lips. This indicates that they are holding something back (like the fact they are about to blow up a plane).
The mouth is very tense and doesn’t deviate from that position. This is one of the first things Israeli officers observe when then are screening people for possible terrorism. Once again, it is the function of the autonomic nervous system operating and muscularly bracing the terrorist for what is to come.
When they are interviewed by security and asked a lot of questions, there will usually be a lot of lip licking and lip biting and continued lip pursing, to indicate they are lying to authorities.
EYES- AVOIDING EYE AND FACE CONTACT AND BOWED HEADS
When researchers have studied body language of terrorists, the one thing they notice is a common denominator- all terrorists or potential terrorists have terrible eye contact.
In looking back at the security tapes of all of the 911 terrorists, not one of the men looked at the security guards. They all had their heads bowed down.
So this is a hue red flag indicating the kind of behavior that could reveal someone is planning a terrorist attack, as those from the TSA- Transportation Security Administration have reported.
The bowed heads often reflect a fear of discovery, So in their attempt to get under the radar, they will often bow their heads and not look at anyone. Therefore, avoiding eye contact with authorities is the kind of behavior that could indicate someone may be up to no good.
Because they know that their end and your end is near, another autonomic nervous system reaction is for them to widely open the folds of their upper and lower lids, thus giving a wide eyed appearance. In essence, what they are doing is taking in every detail of their last minutes.
When they are interviewed by airport security and asked a simple question like ‘where are you going?’ or “Where have you been?” you will often see a lot of eye “tells. ‘”
They may try to act as though they are in control and stare directly into the questioner’s eyes.This is a huge warning sign and an indication of deception.
Or they may be thrown off guard and look around to the left and right in their attempt to manufacture a response. This is also a huge warning sign.
Another “tell” is if their eyes continually art around as though they are looking for an escape route.
A final tell which indicates they are lying and fearful is rapid eye blinking.
NOSE
There is often a lot of nose scratching and scratching in general. Once again, it is due to the increased blood flow, which is the result of the autonomic nervous system taking over. The capillaries expand. As a result, it causes you to itch and then to scratch.
GESTURES
Just as there is a serious lack of facial expression, there is often a serious lack of gestures . This is another huge red flag!
Often you will see unnatural hand movements that appear awkward.
Usually you will see their hands will be balled up in a fist like position. This represents a subconscious display of anger- anger at the enemy they are about to annihilate. This internal anger, which is revealed externally through their hands, helps them justify their upcoming egregious act.
If you see them with one hand is in a pocket and the other is not (and you see other intensity signs, know that you are in immediate danger!)
If their body is turned to the side it is also a signal that they are ready to attack!
When interviewed the security officer will notice a lot of foot shuffling and nervous hand movement such as hand picking, wringing, and pulling. These are all red flags, especillay when these gestures are being done while they are asked pointed questions.
VOCAL TELLS
Oftentimes when a person is nervous, you will hear their voice crack or go up an octave in pitch. The reason for this is due to the body’s defense mechanism that something awful is about to take place.
When being interviewed by security ,if the person is lying, their voice will give it away as their throat may often close up due to all the muscle tension as they have to clear their throat.
They may also speak at a rapid rate as to hurry up and get it over with.
They may even pause and hesitate, with a lot of like um and ums.
They may also speak loudly as if feign confidenc. But if they die off at the end of sentences when they speak, or speak too softly there is a good chance they may not want you to hear what they have to say. It is often a tell of deception.
SIGNALS OF FEAR
Even though they may think they believe in their mission and in what they are doing intellectually, the terrorist’s body is telling them a completely different message.
Their body is screaming “ Are you crazy? Are you really willing to end your life and the lives of others for some promise that might not exist like having 40 beautiful virgins at your disposal? After you blow your body to bits how are you even going to enjoy the virgins you were promised?”
SKIN TONE CHANGES
So besides the fear “tells” I listed earlier , you may also see changes in the color of their skin. Depending on their skin tone, it may become red and flushed if they are ligher skinned or grey and ashen is they are darker skinned.
WIDE EYED FEAR
As As they become more realistic that they will soon die you may see a flash bulb appearance to their eyes, as they open wide to take everything in one last time.
SELF SOOTHING
There may also be a lot of self touching or self grooming , brushing things off of them in a vigorous manner, which is a self comforting mechanism.
DON’T KEEP IT TO YOURSELF! SHARE YOUR OBSERVATIONS WITH THOSE WHO CAN DO SOMETHIN ABOUT IT!
Being vigilant and observing all of the “tells” described in this blog when you encounter a fellow traveler who may rub you the wrong way or cause your hair to stand on end, may save your life!
If you feel something is amiss, don’t let it go. DON’T KEEP IT TO YOURSELF! Share your feelings with those in authority positions so that they can take a second look and save innocent people’s lives. http://www.drlillianglass.com
Screening travelers at the airport for weapons or dangerous items is definitely a necessity these days. Perhaps even taking off one’s shoes, albeit inconvenient, is acceptable if it prevents a terrorist from lighting up his shoes like the shoe bomber was planning to do mid flight. But what is NOT acceptable is the generalized hostile behavior and the rudeness of TSA screeners at the airport towards innocent travelers. After seeing this up close and personal, I decided to do something about it and contacted the TSA.
On my recent trip to Orlando, Florida and back I did some research and studied the body language and vocal tones of ALL of the TSA workers I observed and found that 98 percent exhibited hostile body language and vocal tones. There were only a small 2 percent who said“ please” or thank you to passengers or had a smile. I also witnessed that the hostile attitudes of the workers often resulted in some type of angry tone and hostile interchange with various travelers.
Because I was feeling so bad after I finished passing through the airport security line as opposed to my feeling so good when I entered the line, I decided to see if other passengers were feeling as badly and to objectively observe what it was in the screeners actions and body language was making passengers feel so bad.
In my particular case, I was happy, chipper and excited when I entered the line because I was going to the other “happiest place on earth” besides California’s Disneyland. I was going to Florida’s Disney World to see Epcot and most important of all, to take my precious, wonderful and adorable mother on a surprise to see her favorite singer in the world, Argentinean performer Daniel Bouchet. He happened to be performing in Orlando on a Saturday night, so I decided to surprise my mom with a weekend trip to Orlando to see him. I was also feeling good because I just completed writing the last chapter of my latest book so it was a kind of reward trip for me as well.
But as soon as I took off my shoes and placed them in the container where I placed my laptop, I was jarred by the barking hostile loud staccato tone that said “don’t put your shoes there!” “Laptops have to be separate!” I then took the shoes out and stuck them on the conveyor belt to which I was barked at in a disgusted hostile tone “ You have to put your shoes a container!” Now I had to get a container even though other people were in line. So I did what she said. I passed through the line, but her tones left me a little shaken.
I recalled another incident I observed a month earlier when I flew to NYC a I heard a TSA officer yell at an attractive young woman wearing a jogging outfit to take off her jacket .which was actually not a jacket but the other half of her jogging outfit. Politely I heard the young woman say with a smile that it wasn’t a jacket but her top“ Then I heard “You have to take off all jackets!” The girl once again pleaded and told the TSA worker she had nothing underneath just a bra.” In a robotic reply in a hostile tone was “ All jackets have to be taken off” as she made the girl a glass booth after she called a supervisor. Then a supervisor and a team of other TSA worker, let the young woman pass. By this time the young woman was clearly visibly shaken up.
It was not only humiliating for the young woman, but it was an upsetting thing for passengers to see because “there by the grace go them.” It could happen to anyone based on the whim of a TSA security worker or their ignorance as it was in this case or their robotic blindness to follow the rule of “no jacket wearing,” without using their common sense or a modicum of flexibility.
But back to back to my experience after I went through the security. After collecting my bags I stood at the end of the line just to examine the faces of other travelers who may now be feeling as bad I was after going through the security check. I decided to specifically look for specific facial “tells” on their faces to determine tension and upset. Almost everyone I looked, until I had to leave to catch my flight, shared the same expression of having some degree of facial tension.
Although I didn’t hear any altercations between passengers and TSA security workers at this juncture, I thought back to the countless times I did observe an alteration between an upset passenger with a hostile and rude security guard. In recalling back, there is no doubt that tone of voice and body language were the contributing elements to the upset.
On my way back from Orlando I clearly observed these aggressive hostile body language and facial language and hateful tones by most of the TSA workers. One in particular a large morbidly obese woman of color spoke to an elderly woman in a wheelchair in such an ugly tone that it upset the woman to the point she was visibly shaken. The woman complained about the TSA officer running her dirty gloved hands through the woman’s hear twice. The woman assured her that there were no weapons of mass destruction on her hair and the security worker responded in a hostile manner.
There was absolutely no need for this and I clearly let this be known by contacting the with the supervisor and sharing with him what I had seen his employee do to the innocent woman. He made note of it and said he would speak to the TSA worker about it.
It was then and thee that I came up with a better idea. I thought that I should be speaking to ALL TSA workers about it. I should be giving the seminars in how to Communicate the passengers in a respectful manner and not create unnecessary hostile reactions and upset innocent people all day long. I needed to show them how to comport themselves not only using the right tones and words but the right Body Language as well so that they won’t create defensive reactions.
I also needed to show them what to look for in screening those who may be terrorists. I needed to teach them the specific “tells” that terrorists and others who wish to commit nefarious acts do with their bodies, faces, and tone of voice and speech patterns. I needed to show them we what to look for so that they don’t harass innocent passengers and treat them like terrorists.
The horrific behaviors of the TSA Screeners have essentially turned them into terrorists who terrorize innocent travelers. After speaking with several stewardesses I was informed that business is down. They shared that many people simply aren’t flying as much anymore and they lost a lot of business Why should they fly? If they are treated so poorly and harassed every time they fly, many feel, why bother? The airlines have lost a lot of business because of the improperly trained and hostile behaviors of the TSA Screeners. I am convinced of that.
TSA can still catch terrorists or potential terrorists with verbal honey rather than vinegar. They can still catch “evil doers” with a smile and a kindwords as opposed to treating every one as if they were ready to blow up a plane. Through their hostile and rude actions, they are blowing up the travel industry with less people flying.
When pilots with their proper identifications and security checks aren’t allowed to carry on their standard tool boxes onto a plane to fix things on the plane in flight, that is a huge problem. If TSA worried about the pilot’s identity why not do what they did at Epcot where they take everyone’s fingerprint as they go through the turnstile? Why not match the pilot’s fingerprints with a pilot fingerprint database. If he passes the check, give him his box of tools so he can fix something onboard mid-flight that could save a passenger’s lives.
Instead of moaning and groaning, I did something about my observations. This morning sent an email to TSA offering up my services to train security workers how to a. treat passengers with respect and b. how to screen for real terrorists., not innocent men, women, and children. Hopefully they will respond. Hopefully they will allow me to provide them with a seminar that can result in making a difference the next time to decided to go to the airport and take you next trip. http://www.drlillianglass.com
Dr. Lillian Glass Body Language Blog 