Airline Safety

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OK, here's a few questions I've had for some time now. Maybe one of you is much more intelligent regarding airport security and can answer these questions.
  1. Why do you have to show a boarding pass as you go through the magnatometer in some airports but not others? Shouldn't it be consistent? Is there any actual security value to needing a boarding pass?
  2. Why do I never set off the detectors at some airports, but often at others? It's obvious to me that they are not all set with the same sensitivity. Does that mean that I'm safer at some airports than others? It's kind of like when taking off your shoes wasn't quite mandatory. Some airports thought you had to do it and others weren't as concerned.
I actually asked these questions a while back to a TSA guy at the airport. The answer was a cursory government-smokescreen response: "the TSA boss at each airport gets to choose." Reassuring.

If something is a threat, is it not a threat for all of us and at all locations? I have trouble with some of the silly things that we're put through now, all under the guise of heightened security. The truth is that many of the security protocols do very little to protect us from those who would do us harm. I believe they are mostly there for a cosmetic reassurance to help the traveling public feel more confident. If a guy really wanted to do something bad, needing to show a boarding pass, for example, would do little to stop him. He could either pay $500 for a ticket (big deal if you're on a mission to destroy) or play with Photoshop for 5 minutes.

I absolutely support what the TSA is trying to do, and their task is nothing small. These men and women are our first line of defense against too many crazy sociopaths who think airplanes are fun to destroy. I just wish some of the procedures were considered a little more thoughtfully. But after these comments, let's hope I don't show up on a no-fly list somewhere soon. :-)

On the upside, I'll be allowed to take more than 3 ounces of toothpaste on the plane again sometime next year. Small victories...
I like to share what I learn, and I like to learn from others.

Comments

Ryan said…
If you want to really enjoy traveling, try flying back from China. You go through customs and security in Shanghai. Then you have a layover in Tokyo, where you go through security again. Then you arrive in Detroit where you go through immigration and security again. I get so tired of going through security!

And Detroit is the only place of the three that makes you take your shoes off...
November 3, 2008 at 2:31 PM
Jolayne said…
Thanks heavens Amy isn't a frequent flyer having to remove her shoes! She'd clear the terminal.
November 4, 2008 at 12:27 PM
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