ABSTRACT
This chapter exemplifies linguistic research which engages directly with a context where conflict is a palpable possibility: the airport. Airport contexts came to be recognised as sites for potential terrorist and other mal-intentioned activities following an increase in airliner hijacking in the 1960s (Ravich, 2007). Various security measures have been implemented in response, including the introduction of Air Marshals (AMs) from the 1960s onwards and Behavioural Detection Officers (BDOs) following 9/11. The primary role of an AM is to prevent an aircraft from becoming a weapon of destruction (Karber, 2002). Depending on the airport, some AMs are also tasked with airport surveillance. This means adopting a role similar to that of a plain-clothed BDO: namely, reporting instances of suspicious behaviour upwards to airport security personnel (Price and Forrest, 2012, p.160). As part of the decision-making process, uniformed security personnel, screeners, etc., can then make use of chat-downs. Chat-downs are a verbal equivalent of the pat-down (Swaine, 2011), and are akin to a (semi-)formal interview, where passengers are asked to supply details respecting their destination, purpose for flying, duration of trip, etc. AMs and plain-clothed BDOs do not have this kind of overt authority when determining whether to refer upwards, of course. Instead, they have to rely upon more subtle (usually, undercover) means of extracting information from a particular Person of Interest (POI).
