Axel
10-25-2001, 10:39 AM
Increased airport security - increased safety - a more secure environment -
what a load of crap -
We now have more uniformed "witnesses", but essentially, very little has changed. Even most of the guardsmen and other military I've seen aren't armed with anything more than clubs.
In the past 4 years, I've traveled some 80,000 miles, mostly in the US, but also in Europe.
The only difference I've noticed is having to take my laptop out of it's case and placing it on the belt and I've been frisked exactly once in one major airport. I frequently go through smaller airports to out of the way destinations and wasn't touched in any one of those.
As far as showing ID's at every step - who's to say which ID's are fake or real - no real challenge for a well funded organization there. If the picture even comes close and the edges are frayed, who's going to stop you? No-one, because there are literally thousands of forms of "valid ID". You cannot train someone to know what is fake much less even current.
As for airport resturants, they now give you a plastic knife - almost as effective as a metal one and it doesn't show up on a metal detector.
I do have to wonder that they don't even let a disposable razor blade on a plane, but pencils and pens are a-okay - people, puncture wounds from a pencil are more deadly than a knife - they don't close and heal.....
The biggest two single "success" stories coming out of WTC are re-enforced cockpit doors and the awareness that airline passengers will no longer put up with hijackers because they can no longer have the expectation of surviving if they stay quiet little sheep...... Someone crazy or threatening stands up in the plane - they don't have to worry about the stewardess - they have to worry about being brought down and smothered by the other passengers..... It's happened already.
The overall reality of this is that flying is still the safest way to travel in most places. Extra airport security doesn't make a hoot over what we had just 3 months ago.
You are more likely to die of complications from having the flu than you are of ever being injured in an aircraft or getting anthrax....
You are more likely to be injured in a fire caused by a cigarette than you are of getting hurt within an airport.
One thing I'd love to see is the media dragged into court and charged for the panic they continue to spread and the economic effects it is having. Let the media support the hundreds of thousands who are losing their jobs. I'd say the strongest "ally" Osama has is the American media....
So stop panicing until there's something to truely be concerned about!!! But don't imagine that what's happening in airports has substantially changed in any way - it's just gotten a little slower and more annoying.
One other thing to ask. The vast majority of airport security guards - can you see them running down and taking down a determined terrorist? Get real! And that's why I call them uniformed witnesses - for the most part - that's all they are.
what a load of crap -
We now have more uniformed "witnesses", but essentially, very little has changed. Even most of the guardsmen and other military I've seen aren't armed with anything more than clubs.
In the past 4 years, I've traveled some 80,000 miles, mostly in the US, but also in Europe.
The only difference I've noticed is having to take my laptop out of it's case and placing it on the belt and I've been frisked exactly once in one major airport. I frequently go through smaller airports to out of the way destinations and wasn't touched in any one of those.
As far as showing ID's at every step - who's to say which ID's are fake or real - no real challenge for a well funded organization there. If the picture even comes close and the edges are frayed, who's going to stop you? No-one, because there are literally thousands of forms of "valid ID". You cannot train someone to know what is fake much less even current.
As for airport resturants, they now give you a plastic knife - almost as effective as a metal one and it doesn't show up on a metal detector.
I do have to wonder that they don't even let a disposable razor blade on a plane, but pencils and pens are a-okay - people, puncture wounds from a pencil are more deadly than a knife - they don't close and heal.....
The biggest two single "success" stories coming out of WTC are re-enforced cockpit doors and the awareness that airline passengers will no longer put up with hijackers because they can no longer have the expectation of surviving if they stay quiet little sheep...... Someone crazy or threatening stands up in the plane - they don't have to worry about the stewardess - they have to worry about being brought down and smothered by the other passengers..... It's happened already.
The overall reality of this is that flying is still the safest way to travel in most places. Extra airport security doesn't make a hoot over what we had just 3 months ago.
You are more likely to die of complications from having the flu than you are of ever being injured in an aircraft or getting anthrax....
You are more likely to be injured in a fire caused by a cigarette than you are of getting hurt within an airport.
One thing I'd love to see is the media dragged into court and charged for the panic they continue to spread and the economic effects it is having. Let the media support the hundreds of thousands who are losing their jobs. I'd say the strongest "ally" Osama has is the American media....
So stop panicing until there's something to truely be concerned about!!! But don't imagine that what's happening in airports has substantially changed in any way - it's just gotten a little slower and more annoying.
One other thing to ask. The vast majority of airport security guards - can you see them running down and taking down a determined terrorist? Get real! And that's why I call them uniformed witnesses - for the most part - that's all they are.