Randy gets singled out, as he always does, for a thorough luggage search by the exclusively Anglo customs officials.

When they spotted it, they singled out that person for interrogation, a pat-down and a luggage search.

She is probably right that national identification cards would be less effective than rigorous luggage searches, but her fear that such measures could lead to a police state seems a tad extreme.

It isn't true that airports have no security at all; an honest citizen can hardly get into the men's room without a luggage search and a body frisk.

Even at overseas airports, El Al security agents conduct all luggage searches personally, even if they are supervised by government or private security firms.

(It also eliminated air travel's airport transfers, security checks and luggage searches.)

But immigration officials can ask those who look ill whether they are infected with the AIDS virus, and luggage searches can uncover AIDS drugs.

Officials also select passengers on some flights for extensive interviews and luggage searches.

With the advent of universal luggage searches in 1973 (see Airport security) the general incidence of hijackings dropped precipitously.