B1

Unlike the rest of you, I think the NYT didn't think this through far enough - it is too moderate and gentle to be a solution - they will see the holes - I needn't point them out for the terrorists. The obvious complete answer is to have neither checked nor carry-on baggage on any flight. This simplifies everything. Special cargo flights will go on the major runs once a day and locals will hop around in a clockwise east to south to west to north to east and then a criss-cross pattern nothwest to southeast and so on, stopping at every airport that has passenger flights. If you need anything right away, buy it when you get there - Walmart will open airport exit branches. If you have work to carry - don't - just email it ahead. There will be computer rentals and you can keep one memory stick - but it must be locked up in the secure padded area that was going to be used for laptops. If it wasn't so simple, I could understand why it was overlooked at the Gray Lady's editorial committee. It would stimulate business and there would be no need for screeners as long as you make it through the metal detector and the soon-to-be-available liquid detector. I understand that one has been developed but it has not been able to distinguish breast milk from RDX. Until then, status quo. You read it here first.

justageek

I can't tell if you're serious or kidding. Either way, I wouldn't be surprised if the TSA were to implement your plan!

Stripe

Unbelievable. This editorial has all of the naivete, distorted logic, and juvenile writing style of your average high school newspaper editorial. If draconian measures like this are needed to keep us "safe" then we can indeed say the terrorists have won.

Unimatrix One

Now THAT's funny!!

Yes, the NYT gave Clinton such a free pass during Lewinsky / the impeachment.

rexb

http://www.ryanair.com/site/EN/notic...=060822-ASP-EN

...is already thinking in that direction!

GeorgiaRebel

I've already cut my air travel by almost 60% since the Terrorist Support Agency instituted their stupid bans and shoe removal carnivals. I normally fly twice a week, but am now down to about once every other week and I drive or do con calls. If Delta and US Air won't speak up for me (although they seem to defend the exceptions for their employees), they can go down in bankruptcy for all I care.

- Alan

GeorgiaRebel

How is GA a major hole in air security?

- Alan

B1

Both. Extrapolating...

knotyeagle

Because the TSA has a phobia about anything they cannot control (or at least get away with). Don't worry they have a rule where they direct the FAA to suspend an airman's pilot certificate under "emergency authority". They also like people to jump thru hoops when undergoing training for an additional rating for their certificate (proof of US citizenship, if non-US citizen proof of approval by the TSA).

I'm very thankful each time I drive to the airport, park my truck (heavens!) about 50 yards from the aircraft, and 15 minutes later I'm on the runway. I did not have to take off my shoes, I personally put the baggage in the baggage area, and I had a choice of 5,400 airports rather than only 479. Oh and I also bring as much water onboard as I want to. Coffee as well.

But I do look forward to the day when a TSA screener thinks he can ask me questions as I'm walking out to the aircraft. I'm required to present my certificate and government issued ID. He'll be lucky if I'm civil to him.

Global_Hi_Flyer

There have been circumstances where TSA gets into screening GA. Certain major airports (Logan comes to mind) have screening for GA. TSA also imposed, off and on, screening for GA flights to the DC area, especially the three airports inside the no-fly-zone. And take a look at the requirements for flying GA into DCA....

It is futile to think that they'd screen ant every possible GA airport, even though some politician would like to see that....

TierFlyer

If you can do your business with 60% fewer travel days then you are a lucky lucky man, and must be wondering why you squandered all that time and money when you could have been home.

At Gigantic Co. we've been justifiying our travel for years, and I certainly don't get on a plane unless I have to. That certainly describes all the people I know in Corporate America.

JS

Actually there were some politicians who wanted TSA at every general aviation airport! Some Democrat from Brooklyn if I remember correctly.

JS

Is everything so black and white in your world? I would say that 99% of the people on a plane don't HAVE to be there. Air travel is merely a convenience, and the TSA is making it more and more inconvenient.

I guess you don't count business travelers on FlyerTalk as people you know.

I'm glad I don't work for your employer where every single business trip is crucial. What if I wanted to take a vacation? What if I got sick? Presumably I would be fired.

bocastephen

Obviously an idiot needing a slap upside the head - and another reason for people to not blindly elect Democrats next November. You won't necessarily like what you get.

When you get legislators with no aviation background or knowledge getting mixed up in aviation rulemaking, you get a mess. No aviation bills should be allowed from any legislator who is either not on the requisite sub-Committees, or did not serve at least one term on one of the sub-Committees.

PD

I am a long-time suscriber to the NYT, and have found their editorial slant increasingly irritating over the years, but this really takes the cake! Nothing but idiotic propaganda, and not even internally consistent. After pointing out that the "bomb ingredients" - liquids - are already being kept out of the cabin by the ban, they go on to propose a ban on nearly everything else. Why? I don't get it. I'm asking myself why I would want to continue to pay good money for this kind of nonsense.