Airline Unescurity

'My New Year Airline Security Plan'

Okay so we end the new year with some guy lighting his underwear om fire on an airliner. Sure it could have been a catastrophe. But it wasn't, thanks to some alert passengers. The government had been warned about this man but no one thought enough about it to put this guy on the 'no fly' list. Thanks to alert passengers neither they nor the airliner were grievously injured.

I think the safeguards put into place at airports around the world after 9/11 were well intentioned. But costly in time, money and inconvenience to 99.9 % of those who fly. Especially since it seems to be the passengers who catch these people, not the safeguards put into place. (Of course to be fair we seldom hear about those who never get aboard the planes in the first place, thanks to these inconvenient precautions. They don't have the same front page flavor as 'alert passenger thwarts terrorist' headlines, so lacking that information I may be all wet here. But I've got my towel handy just in case).

According to Time magazine I read recently that about a half dozen hijackings have been prevented in recent years by 'alert passengers'. This makes me wonder if it wouldn't be more prudent to do away with most precautions taken after 9/11 and simply spend that time at the airport training all passengers in self defense moves and how to be on guard for would-be terrorists. No more x-raying purses and diaper bags, emptying pockets of small change and nail clippers, no more removing shoes and belt buckles and on and on. No more considering shampoo or hand lotion as contraband.

Want to bring a knife or a gun on board? Fine, but first you must know how to use it. Sure there would no doubt be a few horror stories and a downed plan or two but I think maybe it would work out for the best in the long run. It would make the bold statement that we are not afraid and we can take control of our own lives. Either that or do away with those in uniform at the checkpoints and let the passengers examine each other before boarding. Maybe they would have found 'underpants man's' firecrackers before he got on board.

Is this a realistic plan? No. But neither is the current plan we use. As with much government intervention, we tend to aim to err on the side of caution. Sometimes we miss and err on the side of insecurity and insanity making things, if not worse, then at least unnecessarily dense and complicated.