A Stitch in Haste

Perhaps. Let's see whether you fit the profile. While traveling by air, did you / were you:

--Arrive late at night?

--Arrive early in the morning?

--One of first to deplane?

--One of last to deplane?

--Deplane in the middle?

--Use a one-way ticket?

--Use a round-trip ticket?

--Carry brand-new luggage?

--Carry a small gym bag?

--Travel alone?

--Travel with a companion?

--Act too nervous?

--Act too calm?

--Wear expensive clothing and gold jewelry?

--Wear black corduroys, white pullover shirt, loafers without socks?

--Wear dark slacks, work shirt, and hat?

--Wear brown leather aviator jacket, gold chain, hair down to shoulders?

--Wear loose-fitting sweatshirt and denim jacket?

--Walk rapidly through airport?

--Walk aimlessly through airport?

--Fly in to Washington National Airport on the LaGuardia Shuttle?

--Have a white handkerchief in your hand?

Each of those details was upheld, in federal court, as partial justification to detain someone at an airport. Each constituted, at least after the fact, part of "the profile."

Something to consider as you read news stories about how the government is now planning to deploy covert "Behavior Detection Officers" at airport security checkpoints: agents "specially trained" to detect facial expressions and other traits that — wait for it — "fit the profile."

Enjoy your flight.

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Via Dorf on Law (who got it from one of his readers, who got it from Justice Marshall, who got it from a lower court judge, who got it from a law review article).