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I used to travel a lot all over the country before 9/11, and was never randomly checked by security. After 9/11, I have traveled about three/four times (Las Vegas, Conneticut/Mass, New Orleans, Clevland, Newark) and I was asked ONCE to take off my shoes (was wearing a pair of boots with zippers on them. Learned my lesson and never wore those to the airport again). I have not yet been randomly searched at the gate itself though.
What I've noticed most about airport security is its inconsistency--sometimes I'm asked to take out my laptop and turn it on, sometimes just to put it, and all my cords, on the conveyer belt. Sometimes my metals make the wand go off, usually they don't. Sometimes they search my entire purse to find my metal tin of Altoids, and other times the same tin sets off nary a beep. The mother's milk issue is just another example of a lack of standards (or common sense). This inconsistentcy does raise some concern for me.
On profiling--I don't know about most folks, but it's usually black folks (followed by Asian) in security roles whenever I travel, so to profile "black folks" by black folks is a bit odd, although I suppose they could have been instructed by their employers to do so. I have noticed that Muslim, Arab, Arabic, Jewish, Eastern Indian, Southeast Asian men and women are more likely to be on the side of the security checkpoint getting a "random."
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