Originally Posted by
artemis
There's that silly "logic" stuff again!
What does logic have to do with security theater?! Government policies aren't supposed to actually make sense!
A part of me almost hopes this DOES spread to affect domestic US flights. I've always been struck by the reality that those who defend airport security theater the most are generally the least-traveled - but even those folks may occasionally want to fly to Vegas or Disney World. If they had to check their iPads in their suitcase only to have them stolen or broken with no compensation forthcoming from the airlines, that might just wake them up. (Not to mention that even those who don't fly would be greatly affected by the total havok such a ban would cause in the US economy.)
Honestly, from what I've seen of the public's reaction to airport security in the past, there may be some grumbling, but more than a few will stand up and say, "Hey, can't be too careful."
Originally Posted by
JoeBas
Seriously. Our entire security scheme now seems to be depending on the
terrorists not realizing that the Earth is ROUND...
It's official: Kyrie Irving can't be a terrorist.
Originally Posted by
FliesWay2Much
The ban as it stands right now, or even the EU ban, has little impact on the U.S. airline industry because everything is happening overseas. As others have stated, the real impacts and push-backs will occur if or when the ban is instituted on outgoing flights and domestic flights.
Having said this, I think the entrepreneurial spirit in the U.S. and like-minded countries will simply invent ways around the ban:
- Widespread use of loaner laptops. There will be kiosks at most major airports where you can rent one for your flight and drop it off at your destination.
- Insurance companies rushing to promote and sell theft policies
- Mailing services at airports, just like what exists now for pocket knives
- Tracking devices and a location service to find missing/stolen hardware
- Airlines themselves might even rent you a laptop for your flight -- free for premium passengers
I came up with these ideas in about 5 minutes, and I'm not that good. Business travel cannot and will not stop or even noticeably decrease. Businesses and airlines will simply adapt. The TSA will adapt. When enough people in the right positions complained about draconian screening, the TSA invented ExtortionCheck and a lot of you climbed over each other to be the first in line and gladly pay the $85.
If enough people complain about a domestic laptop ban, the TSA will simply invent something else to placate the important people. For example, all they would have to do is to invent some sort of additional screening gadget only for ExtortionCheck participants. They wave the magic wand, declare your laptop to be wholesome and good, place a special sticker on it, and you're happy as a clam.
For leisure purposes, that might work, but it won't help business traffic.
First, even if I could save all my data into a thumb drive, or whatever they're called, and plug it into a loaner, my company would never let me. Not in a million, zillion years. They'll say (correctly, I might add) that they will have no way of knowing what spyware is on the loaner.
Second, I couldn't even check my laptop if I wanted to. My employer wouldn't allow it. Too much of a chance of damage, theft, etc. That policy won't change.
Originally Posted by
susiesan
Will you have to pay $25 to check in your devices like you have to do now for a suitcase on domestic flights?
Why $25? They'll likely be able to charge you $50. They'll promise to insure you or whatever, and use a tiny portion of that $50 to pay an insurance company.They'll keep the rest as profit. As an added bonus, when your electronics inevitably get lost, they'll just hand you a piece of paper with the insurance company's phone number and say, "Call them. It's not our problem."
Fortunately, I don't think that this laptop ban will go into place or, if it does, that it will only last a short period of time. And I realize that I'm in the minority on this opinion. Copy this paragraph now so you can repost it and laugh at me in a year.
Why do I believe this?
This measure would be an unmitigated disaster for airlines. Business travel would die overnight. Poof, gone. Sure, some of it would survive or recover. But the impact would be an extinction level event for these guys. Their margins aren't great on a good day; lose more than a few people from the front of a plane on an airline and they're bleeding red ink over the Atlantic.
Ready to invest in Air Canada? Not so fast, mes amis. No way that the US doesn't bully Canada, not to mention Mexico, into joining us.
But it won't just be the airlines. With business travel coming to a halt, business itself would soon follow. Again, we're not talking 100%, but let's look at who this would impact. Some of it's easy. Hotels, rental cars and large theme parks with a mouse would feel it immediately. It would flow through to restaurants, telecom, etc. Do I need to go on?
There's no way that the airlines or, for that matter,
any member of the business community could let a laptop ban survive for more than a few days. They've gotta be up in somebody's grill right now. My guess is that MSP has it right: There will be a miracle security device that will make some contractor a lot of money.
But let me ask one question: A mid-air explosion would obviously be tragic and result in hundreds of deaths. But are we stopping people carrying laptops on the street? In movie theaters? In hotels? How about Amtrak? Because if a terrorist blew up an explosive device under Penn Station, the catastrophe would dwarf that of a mid-air explosion.
Mike