Originally Posted by
SAT Lawyer
Hijacking an airplane. Blowing up an airplane. Using an airplane as a flying missile.
You know, just the type of things that terrorists have long demonstrated a penchant for doing.
Some of us apparently think that the 9/11 play book will not be revisited since it has been used before. But those that fail to learn from the mistakes of history are doomed to repeat them. That there are other vulnerabilities in our transportation infrastructure should not lead to the dangerous and potentially errant conclusion that those who wish to harm us have no further interest in doing so by way of commercial air travel.
I don't see anything wrong with the government asking some questions and verifying the credibility of the answers given when a unusual itinerary is flagged. I agree with you that the feds should conduct their investigation in as expeditious a manner possible. And the transporting airline should assist the traveler in remedying any resulting disruption in his or her itinerary, rather than exacerbating the aggravation and inconvenience.
Blowing up an airplane - why is cargo unscreened? That is where bombs are denotated from, the Philippines Airlines incident years ago notwithstanding.
Hijacking an airplane - with what? Doesn't the TSA ensure passengers enter the sterile area free of weapons? Even with weapons, no pilot in his right mind is ever going to surrender his/her aircraft again, nor will passengers allow things to escalate to that level again. There have been incidents of hijackings overseas in foreign countries - and those pilots who permit hijackers to enter the flight deck or otherwise control the aircraft should be permanently barred from ever operating an aircraft in US airspace regardless of who they fly for.
Using an airplane as a flying missile - we still can't just let go of 9/11. Again, 9/11 was an independent incident. While we continue to focus on what happened in the past we permit other more tangible threats to go unanswered. The same can be said for the TSA dog and pony show.
I don't doubt that there are terrorists who continue to see commercial aviation as a worthwhile and dramatic target. What I doubt is the effectiveness of focusing on "9/11 is the template for everything", "all threats are from passengers", "the screening process and checkpoint handles 99% of all threats", etc. - while totally and blissfully ignoring more pertinent and valid threats which go unanswered while the public continues to be comforted by the cosmetic value of the TSA's efforts.
We are stuck in a pool of security stupidity instead of taking action where its warranted. So besides an innocent mileage runner being harassed by federal agents, just this week we can add:
The TSA refused to allow Denver Air Traffic Controllers from bringing their own lunches through the checkpoint, while also refusing FAA demands that their ATC staff be treated the same as air crews for screening purposes
Today, the TSA refused to allow Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith from taking the prized trophy on the plane with him, assuming it's a threatening weapon with which the quarterback might use to hijack the plane or attack fellow passengers or crew
