An Element of Risk

Let's face it, we're always going to be at risk when we fly.  No amount of airport security will guarantee 100% safety from a potential terrorists once we're on the airplane.

Tonight I was watching Chris Matthews on "Hardball" debate the subject of enhanced airport security with the full body scans and the pat downs.  While I usually agree with Chris, on this subject I do not agree.  Chris, with the typical arrogance of most of the talking heads on TV and cable, says he travels a lot and "doesn't have a problem with airport security."  Well goody two shoes for Chris.  So he's not bothered.  That still doesn't address the problems of others who are humiliated by the new airport security with the body scans that show the nude body and the invasive pat downs.

Chris asks the question of the person he is bullying "What do you expect the TSA employees to do?"  I have an answer for that.  Have the public empty their pocket in a container to go through the conveyor belt and have them walk through a metal detector.  This is the procedure that was used before the Shoe Bomber and the Underwear Bomber.  This security check will catch anyone carrying a concealed weapon.

If someone acts suspicious or airport security has reason to suspect the customer, pull them aside and interview them to get more information.  Do the work.  Don't go through the kubaki dance of airport security.  What we have now is Security Theater.  This version of airport security is ineffective.  All it does is annoy, humiliate and delay the customer. 

Using the logic that TSA is using now by gradually uping the ante of airport security with ever more invasive procedures, the day is not that far off that customers passing through airport security will be the same as prisoners being stripped and subjected to deep cavity searches before they enter prison.  Think I'm kidding?  Think about it.  Under the guise of protecting us from terrorism, the TSA thinks they have unlimited power to do whatever they deem necessary to "protect us" from the terrorists. 

The best security has been proven since 9/11.  All attempted terrorists have been thwarted since 9/11 by passengers on the airplane.  The Shoe Bomber was caught by fellow passengers.  The Underwear Bomber was caught by fellow passengers.  The only reason the 9/11 terrorists got away with what they did was because our airports and passengers were operating under the old way of thinking for handling airline hijackers.  On 9/11 they caught us by surprise.  That won't happen again. 

As far as stopping weapons from coming on a plane confiscating finger nail clippers isn't going to do it.  What about a terrorist with long finger nails?  Grab an airline attendent by and threaten to gouge her eye out with a long fingernail, isn't that a weapon?  How about fingers?  They can be used to strangle. 

There is an element of risk in airline travel.  We can only do so much for airport security before the line is crossed and the general public loses all of its right to privacy.  Let the Chris Matthews of the world go through all the body scanners they want to.  Let them go get the enhanced pat down.  However, we citizens of this country still have a consitutional right to decline such demeaning and ineffective methods of airport security. 

The terrorist threat exists.  That's what terrorism is all about, they terrorize.  They have been successful so far.  Remember when suicide bombers tried to stop the Israelis from going about their business?  The Israelies refused to change their way of life and hide.  No matter how many were killed in a suicide bomber event in an Israeli market place, the Israeli's would clean up the bloody mess and return the market to activity immediately.  That is the way you deal with terrorism, refuse to be intimidated.

Up in the Air

I haven’t flown since 9/11. The reason I haven’t flown isn’t the one that might come to you mind at first. No, it isn’t that I am afraid to fly. The reason I haven’t flown is that I refuse to be subjected to the ridiculous security measures that are now the norm for the average airline passenger.


Flying before 9/11 was an ordeal. At 6’3” I was usually stuffed in a middle seat. Even though my weight is only about 160 pounds, I was always physically uncomfortable flying. It was just an ordeal I had to get through to get from point A to point B.

Most of my flights were between Philadelphia and Boston’s Logan Airport where I would switch over to catch the local commuter flights to Provincetown, Massachusetts. Again, the whole procedure was an ordeal. From making sure my luggage was transferred (make sure you tip the airport skycaps in Philly or else that luggage doesn’t even get on the plane) to getting a seat that wasn’t right behind someone smoking.

I’ve only made three other flights to different destinations in my life. One flight I made to San Francisco, California for a lost weekend. Another flight I made to Cleveland, Ohio for another lost weekend. The “lost weekends” were both gay related. Don’t ask.

The third flight I made to visit my brother and his family in Greenville, South Carolina. That wasn’t a lost weekend like the other two. That was a legitimate flight that I would like to make again.

My Mother now lives with my brother in South Carolina. I would love to visit her and my brother and his family. However, I will not do it as long as I have to go through this ridiculous routine of taking my shoes off before I board a plane.

As I have mentioned in previous blog postings, I’m not the smartest person in the world but there are certain things in which I am an absolute genius about. My biggest claim to fame was that I saw through was this whole “weapons of mass destruction we must go to war with Iraq” fiasco. I also knew from the get go that George W. Bush was a fraud (but I was far from alone in figuring that out. I had a lot of company.) Of course I also knew that most of Congress, both parties are corrupt and care nothing about the average American but only their chances of getting reelected and perpetuating themselves in power. Again, I wasn’t alone in this statement of the obvious.

Oh every now and then I slip. For instance I did believe in Barrack Obama and “Change that you can believe in.” Since he has been in office he has shown himself to be nothing more than George W. Bush Light. The only positive thing he has accomplished is lowering the level of hatred of the United States by the rest of the world. While important he has done nothing that directly affects my life. But this is a subject to another blog posting that I won’t go into here

On Christmas Day a Nigerian man attempted to blow himself up on a plane bound from Amsterdam to Detroit. He did not succeed. All he succeeded in doing was setting him self on fire and being subdued for a few brave fellow passengers. Now there is your real airline security. It is the vigilant eye of the fellow passengers and their willingness to subdue any potential terrorists.

All the millions of passengers who removed shoes didn’t prevent this terrorist trying to blow up a plan. What did this terrorist do? He put the package of explosives next to his package. So now what are the “experts” on airline security going to do? Pat everyone’s “package” before they board a plane? Are you looking forward to going through that security check? That sounds very much like what used to go on at the New Year’s Eve celebrations at the “packed to the gills” gay bar in Philly I used to frequent in the 70’s.

Folks, I think it is time to announce the obvious. The terrorist have won.