Thursday, June 27, 2013

Security checks

Its been kind of interesting to see when we are subjected to security checks in our travels around the country.  It has not been limited to the airports, but also to various museums and even some of university and business visits.  I found the university ones particularly surprising.  The business ones I can understand a bit better.  Boytek did not have any particular security.  Zaman paper did.  The Jewish synagogue  has a city policeman on duty 24/7, but did not have a metal detector.  The Jewish museum had  a private security guard and a metal detector.  Even our hotel in Istanbul had a metal detector, although it went off no matter what and the guards paid little attention to it.  We basically passed through with all our backpacks etc every day without anyone looking at us twice.  Guess we didn't fit the profile of anyone remotely threatening (and as US academics I'd say we are 'mostly harmless'.)

Police box in front the the Jewish museum

One difference in the airport is that women don't have to take off their scarves like they do in the US.  I had one around my neck which would have had to come off in the US.  Not here.  

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