Well, I for one do not think that the logic decision to eliminate random gate harassment compromises security in the slightest. You want so-called 100% iron clad security? Fly El Al. It's not 100% secure, but it is quite intrusive if that's your bag. It's not mine, nor is it many other peoples'. If you like the random underwear dumps (finally Gordo and I agree on something) feel free to turn out yours at the gate if you think it will make you any safer.
I am now pressing for an elimination of any kind of random harassment at the check points. There's no point in calling ourselves American if we are going to act in a decidedly un-American manner at airports, even if it is in the name of "security".
BTW: 11 Sept occured not because of lax security on the ground. It occured because pax and crew cooperated w/terrorists and because pilots opened cockpit doors.
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by anonplz:
The airlines know that neglecting security is a tried-and-true short-term method of increasing customer traffic. Prior to 9/11, the airline trade group lobbied Congress very hard NOT to adopt higher security standards (it will cost too much, will chase away time-pressed customers, etc.), despite news report after news report that security was not tight enough, and they won that battle. What we got was more flying convenience and more revenue for airlines, but that lack of security contributed to 9/11.
Now, there are some flyers clamoring for less security, and the airlines are going to give it to them. So the airlines have coined this stupid pseudo-scientific phrase, "hassle factor," to which they refer in every press release concerning poor revenue, as though onerous fees and penalties, rigid union work rules and excessive executive compensation are irrelevant to the bottom line. I've heard others refer to the "vast majority" of the flying public as "moronic idiots," and I feel certain that the airlines feel likewise, that they can throw around this rhetorical nonsense (like Bethune's "dumping underwear") and convince enough of the "moronic idiots" that everything's fine, and we no longer need to be doing all this.
I'm all for increasing air traffic but not at the expense of security, and I am not a moronic idiot. I am an idiot savant, thank you very much...
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"Give me Liberty or give me Death." - Patrick Henry
[This message has been edited by Spiff (edited 09-21-2002).]