22 year old law student fails FBI polygraph

[em_te]

Went from wired to anti-polygraph and saw a link from the http://antipolygraph.org/ site to http://antipolygraph.org/cgi-bin/forums/Ya...;num=1139616935 and found this:

Let me start out by saying that I am so relieved to have found this site. My dismal experience with the FBI polygraph was a mere 7 hours ago. I am so shocked and upset that I haven't had a bite to eat all day and feel physically and emotionally drained.

I am a law student at a top 100 law school. On a career services day, they said the FBI had an "honors" internship program. I was thrilled, and thought it sounded great. My first summer after law school would be the FBI! I submitted my application, and out of about 80 applicants, I was one of 15 to be called back for an interview. Eventually, I was selected as the candidate from the field office to attend the program. Again, I was very happy, and had complete faith and respect for the FBI.

Well, today I had my scheduled polygraph test. My friends had joked with me earlier saying, "Every answer is going to be a lie because you are so nervous." This is the truth, I get nervous very easily, but I had faith that I would get through the polygraph with no problem as I've never done anything. I don't smoke, don't drink, and have never even seen drugs.

Special Agent A, as I will call him, introduced himself to me in a kind of unfriendly way. I don't know how to pinpoint it, but I was even more nervous at that point. He led me to the polygraph room which had a two-way mirror, the polygraph chair, a regular chair, and his desk with the equipment. He told me what the polygraph was for - to make sure liars, cheaters, and theives are not admitted into the FBI. I shook my head in understanding - I, of course, was none of those things.

He hooked me up and I was feeling my heart beat accelerate. He then did a "practice exam" which consisted of me writing the number 4 on a piece of paper, he then wrote the numbers 1,2,3,5,6. He then told me to lie about me writing the number four. The equipment was started, and the blood pressure sleeve tightened around my arm - making me yet more uncomfortable. I answered all the questions and he told me that he could conclude I was lying about writing down the number 4. I smiled and said, "ok," as I thought that was pretty nifty that the machine was so sensitive.

I went through the first part of the exam ok (dealing with terrorist organizations), and I proceeded to the second phase - this is where things took a turn for the worse. He asked me several times, "Have you violated the FBI's guidelines regarding illegal substances?" I said No each time, as it is the complete God's honest truth. I am 22 and have never seen, smelled, or done drugs. I was raised Catholic, and it is very deeply ingrained in me never to do anything like that. Not only that, but severe asthma runs in my family, and I would never risk putting my health in jeopardy.

After the second phase, he told me he would be back, and left the room for a while. It had to have been 10 mins or so. He then came back in and unhooked me. He made me sit directly across from him, and he told me, "you failed the polygraph." According to the polygraph, I had used drugs. I was crushed, and immediately started to get emotional. I said, "I've never done anything, that is the truth." He then started saying, "you're lying, just admit it and then we can move on, you're only applying for an internship position, we make allowances for young college students, just admit it." I had tears in my eyes and said, "I'm not going to admit to doing something that I have not done." He said, "I can tell by the way you're acting that you're lying to me."

He asked me if I ever "smelled" marijuana. I said, no, never (which again is the truth - I have lived a kind of sheltered life, and none of my friends ever did anything either). He raised his eyebrows and made a face, "Now I know you're lying," he said with his voice rising, "no college student goes through life without smelling marijuana." I said that I didn't know what else to tell him, I never smelled, smoked, drank, or did anything.

I was a straight A student in high school and college, having graduated near the top of my class from a mid-atlantic university, and am now in law school on a scholarship. I am, if anything, deathly afraid of drugs as I know they are such a bad thing. One of my employers committed suicide a few years ago after an addiction to pain killers. I never knew what possessed people to even try drugs in the first place.

Anyway, he kept on pressing me for an explanation - one which I could not give. He said, "What about taking things to make you stay awake for studying?" Again, I was shocked. I never pull all-nighters in school, and I have never ever taken anything to keep me awake. I always try to have my work done ahead of time.

The interrogation lasted for a while, how long exactly I am not sure - probably an hour. I told him, "I'll take a drug test right now and prove that I don't do drugs." He replied, "No, you're not taking the drug test, the test is over. You're going to throw away your internship because you can't be honest." He then led me out of the building. I called my mother, hysterical crying about what had just happened.

I have very strong principles and values and have always prided myself in the fact that I uphold those values. I had never been accused like I was today, and he really made me feel as if I was a criminal. I am told my letter from HQ will come in 2-4 weeks. I will appeal, but I will never take this internship. I can't believe that the FBI relies on this machine. After working my whole life to avoid drugs, smoking, drinking, it was all for nothing. I know now that the FBI is certainly not for me, I will just get a regular summer internship at a law firm. But for anyone about to take the FBI polygraph, be careful, it has been one of the worst experiences of my life. I know the truth though, and so does my family, and I suppose in the end, that's all that matters.

[Evilpig]

Poor guy, if he is telling the truth.

[Joni_78]

Polygraph is like hypnosis, unreliable.

[em_te]

suck it up who gives a ****

Which is why we have a corrupt system. How can our country ever get better if everyone is too busy to stand up for injustice.

When the Nazis arrested the Communists,

I said nothing; after all, I was not a Communist.

When they locked up the Social Democrats,

I said nothing; after all, I was not a Social Democrat.

When they arrested the trade unionists,

I said nothing; afterall, I was not a trade unionist.

When they arrested the Jews, I said nothing; after all, I was not a Jew.

When they arrested me, there was no longer anyone who could protest.

-Martin Niemoller (1892-1984)

[kjordan2001]

That's bull****...

"no college student goes through life without smelling marijuana."

Then how come I've never smelled marijuana (at least that I know of).

I've also never smoked or done drugs. I did get drunk a few times, but not that often. So I don't find it that hard that there's people who have never done drugs or even been near drugs, since I know I haven't.

[Colin-uk Veteran]

That's bull****...

Then how come I've never smelled marijuana (at least that I know of).

I've also never smoked or done drugs. I did get drunk a few times, but not that often. So I don't find it that hard that there's people who have never done drugs or even been near drugs, since I know I haven't.

Same here, never gone near the stuff.

lol @ your avatar :whistle:

[kjordan2001]

Same here, never gone near the stuff.

lol @ your avatar :whistle:

lol, forget I had that as my avatar :rofl:

[quigley0]

well, i've taking the full-scope poly. I failed three times. I seriously doubt they told him he wont be offered the Job. I admited to smoking pot once, and was told that seemed like a lie. After three tests, I was proven correct. I think they have random people fail, to see if they continue to want the Job. He shouldn't give up.

ALso, the truth is, they may have had no reading on him, and everything was smoke and mirrors to get him to tell the truth. Which he may have.

I really believe that if he sticks with it, he'll get the Job. FBI, or any Job that requires a clearance is tough. If you can't handle the poly, then you can't work there.

[mAcOdIn Veteran]

Well he might have had a chance until he showed weakness. I mean, if it's true they allow people who have done drugs in the past do internships, he might have been able to good whether the gut believed him or not by the way he acted, but it's hard to hire someone who you just saw cry. Something I think that's not stressed enough when looking for a job is that while strength of character is important sometimes you need to have a little strength of personality and faith in yourself. If you're going to cry the second they say no, you're not going to go that far.

[Raum]

Agreed. He must of come off as an insecure ###### to cry like that, and over something like that. Crying because someone won't believe you? Rofl. Some people.

[quigley0]

I can understand his emotional response. I mean, maybe the FBi was a life-long dream.

But, he's not getting the Job because he is giving up. I know that they would schedule him another poly. They wanted to rattle his chains, and he fell apart. Not because he cried, but because he feels it is the end of the line. 'The FBI's not for me".

The funny thing is, everyone gets hung up on the lifestyle polygraph. The counter-intel part is the part they really care about. No one cares if you smoked a little pot in the past, only that you wont do it again. (If you toked every day in college, well, you just may not get the Job. Of course, if you did that every day for 4 years, you may not be getting any Job) :rofl:

I've had friends tell me that the polygrapher threatened to have him arrested, etc. But, he made it.

Bottom line, if you are applying for a high-clearance position, dont give up until they send you a rejection letter. If they keep offering to have you retake the poly, go take it

[Black Hawk]

He sure would've sucked for undercover work :rofl:

[mAcOdIn Veteran]

He sure would've sucked for undercover work :rofl:

This isn't JAG, I don't think the FBI sends their lawyers in on covert assignments like the Navy does. :)

[Osiris]

hehe imagine if you had of failed on the first part of the test in regards to terrorism, I somehow suspect things would have been alot worse for you.

[Jelly2003]

Why do you Americans rely so much on a test that is so damn inaccurate that no other country in the world uses it?

I have read that it's apparently very very easy for someone who knows what they're doing to fool a polygraph.

Apparently the CIA's worst ever spy passed a polygraph and got into the organisation. For years he was able to send out secrets without raising suspicion because he passed his initial polygraph test, and that was justification that this person could be trusted. They apparently knew that there was information being leaked but didn't bother to quiz anyone who had already passed the polygraph test. Eventually they caught him.

It blows my mind that a world super power still relies on such a stupid test for screening people that it is recruiting into it's high level organisations, they may as well just ask "Are you a bad guy?" when interviewing someone.

[DrunkenMaster]

He shoud have know better before going in for the test. The polygraph is not about defeating the machine - and it isn't all that accurate most of the time, esp for people who get nervous. Its about defeating the interviewer.

There's probably less than 5% that can completely pass with lying. They either have severe mental problems or they're George Kostanza (from Seinfeld). They're the type that have lied so much they don't know the truth either.

Answer yes, no. But when they challenge don't be dodgy. Say, I know you feel that this is what I have done because the machine tells you this. But, all the data you purport as saying all college students have smoked pot is untrue. I know that all my close friends have not smoked pot and nor have I. You can verify that. They aren't about to bust your friends either.

Seems he doesn't have the personality to work there. And neither as a lawyer (or at least not a crooked one!!). Hey, looks like a good one to hire.

[SomeAzn]

I wouldn't hire him if I just saw him crying because I said that I didn't believe him. Maybe the whole thing is a trick to see how someone responds underpressure.

[SimplyPotatoes]

what a whining pathetic applicant, im glad he didnt make the fbi.

"I called my mother, hysterical crying about what had just happened."

He needs to grow some balls then he can be in an american anti crime organization.

Special Agent A made a good call.