Personally, I'm not flying again until they sort out the security theater. It's become too much of a hassle to fly. I told my friends after the shoe bomber incident, where the response was to force everyone to remove their shoes, that it wouldn't be long before we lost all dignity.
I flew with my children to California a few times after 911, and it was hell. In 2003, I had the opportunity to fly private jet with the company I was working for at the time. Man, what a difference. I arrived at the private terminal, showed my ID to the gate guard and he logged me in. I parked and brought my bags up to the door, where an attendant took them to load on the plane. They knew everyone who was flying that day, and we waited in a nice lounge talking until everyone arrived and was ready to go. Then, the pilot came out to the lobby, talked to us for a few minutes and we boarded the plane and took off. Same on the return flight. I was safe. Why?
My contract to fly is with the airline, and not the government. The airlines should handle pre-screening their passengers to ensure the safety of the flight. They should also only have to do this once per passenger every once in awhile (even if it required a full criminal background check). If you are a pilot, or crew, or even if you are a regular passenger, why should you have to begin at "criminal" every time you fly? We have the technology (ID card, plus pin, plus biometrics) to ensure that a person is the person permitted to fly. So, rather than a poorly enforced, vague "do not fly" list. Every flight should have a "permitted to fly" list. Then it's as easy as checking in, proving you are the person who's on the list, and boarding the plane.
Of the millions of people who've flown since 911 in the US, how many has the TSA caught who intended to disrupt the flight? Yes, they caught some bad guys who didn't intend to do anything on the plane, but so do random traffic stops. The answer as far as I've seen has been zero. They've never stopped a terrorist yet.
I guess I'm one of those who is not willing to give up liberty to presumably purchase the illusion of some security.
I flew with my children to California a few times after 911, and it was hell. In 2003, I had the opportunity to fly private jet with the company I was working for at the time. Man, what a difference. I arrived at the private terminal, showed my ID to the gate guard and he logged me in. I parked and brought my bags up to the door, where an attendant took them to load on the plane. They knew everyone who was flying that day, and we waited in a nice lounge talking until everyone arrived and was ready to go. Then, the pilot came out to the lobby, talked to us for a few minutes and we boarded the plane and took off. Same on the return flight. I was safe. Why?
My contract to fly is with the airline, and not the government. The airlines should handle pre-screening their passengers to ensure the safety of the flight. They should also only have to do this once per passenger every once in awhile (even if it required a full criminal background check). If you are a pilot, or crew, or even if you are a regular passenger, why should you have to begin at "criminal" every time you fly? We have the technology (ID card, plus pin, plus biometrics) to ensure that a person is the person permitted to fly. So, rather than a poorly enforced, vague "do not fly" list. Every flight should have a "permitted to fly" list. Then it's as easy as checking in, proving you are the person who's on the list, and boarding the plane.
Of the millions of people who've flown since 911 in the US, how many has the TSA caught who intended to disrupt the flight? Yes, they caught some bad guys who didn't intend to do anything on the plane, but so do random traffic stops. The answer as far as I've seen has been zero. They've never stopped a terrorist yet.
I guess I'm one of those who is not willing to give up liberty to presumably purchase the illusion of some security.
”There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy." - Hamlet (1.5.167-8), Hamlet to Horatio.
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