Spy on your neighbor

You may recall that shortly after 9/11 the government began planning to line up people, including postmen, UPS drivers, and others including ordinary citizens to spy on their neighbors and report any "suspicious" activity to the authorities. That idea sort of disappeared after it was criticized as being Hitleresque.

"Sort of" is the operative part of that last sentence. The idea has now reappeared.

They are now training school bus drivers to be on the lookout for such things as cars parked on streets where they aren't usually parked. These cars will be considered "suspicious." There is also talk of training postal deliverymen to spot "suspicious" mail they deliver.

So, you'd better be careful if you drive to visit a friend outside your neighborhood. If you park your car on a street where it is not usually parked, some school bus driver may turn you in. The next thing you know, you might well end up on the "no fly list."

As you know, the problem with the "no fly list" is that no one will tell you why you're on it, and there's no way to get your name removed from it.