Reactive Security
|Most of you have heard the news about the Nigerian guy that attempted to take down a flight from Amsterdam to Detroit on Christmas Day. I’m not going to go into details about badly this guy burned his ball sack or how we had some intel on him before the actual attempt. Nope. This post is about how security misses the point while adding extra steps for all of us non-wackos that are just interested in getting from point A to point B in one piece and on time.
New Rules
It seems that every time someone decides to pull an act of religious extremism or wants to make their agenda known on an airplane, TSA reacts by adding new rules to follow. A shoe bomber hops a plane? Now we have to take our shoes off when going through security. Using liquid explosives? Now we can’t carry on more than a single bag of 3 oz. containers.
Reactive. It’s after the fact. Things are banned after they are discovered, which makes it seem more like grade school than technical intelligence.
What I want to see is proactive. You know. Where instead of waiting for each and every little act that these wackos do next, we find and implement a solution that will provide the best level of safety without forcing all of us travelers to change what we do and what we can or can’t take with us on the plane after each incident.
And what do you know… they have something like that. It’s called a full body scanner.
Ok, it’s not like what was in the movie “Total Recall”… at least not yet.
This is more like what we have.
This is what airport security should be using.
But My Privacy
But it seems there are a lot of people that don’t want the full body scanner for fear their privacy is being taken away. One such person is U.S. Rep Jason Chaffetz-R [pronounced Shove-its]. He created a TSA incident at Salt Lake International not too long ago, which prompted an investigation. And this is a guy who wants smaller government.
He felt violated by being asked to go through the full body scanner. And being frisked and felt up in the name of security is not? Please. Sure, some naughty bits can show up. That can be embarrassing. But having someone go through each and every intimate article of clothing is just as embarrassing, even more so. Nothing like someone physically fondling your thong panties or seeing your leather banana hammock in your suitcase to make you comfortable. At least with the scanner, it’s a quick view. If you are hiding something under your scrotum, you are going to get pulled. Otherwise, enjoy your flight.
Simply put, I would much rather have something that can catch most things before they happen then be subjected to constant changing rules that not only impact the travel of law-abiding individuals, but are a drain to the industry as a whole. Before too long, we’ll have more bankrupt airlines because people are choosing another form of travel.
C’mon, USA and the rest of the world. Let’s be smart about this. Implement full body scanners. That way, we can catch the freaks and what they are packing near their taints before they get on the plane. And avoid the constant unknown and unclear rules that change every time these freaks want their 15 minutes of fame or their 72 virgins that don’t exist.
Ditto. If I am going to give up my privacy, let it AT LEAST BE FOR SOMETHING THAT MIGHT ACTUALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!
I still think that everyone should take a Viagra before going through the body scanner to give them something to really enjoy. Just a thought.
You have thong panties??!!! And I thought I knew you……
dave2 – You are so right. Let’s hope the TSA will someday get proactive.
kapgar – Ha! That would be cool. It could be a new trend for people going through security.. well, just the men. We need to come up with something clever for the females to walk through with/on.
beth – My secret is out. Just hope not too many more TSA people need to see and touch them in my suitcase.
Agreed, agreed, agreed!!!
But since it makes too much sense, I can’t see it happening.
GAH!
I’d happily submit to a full-body scan.
In other news … a woman I work with said that terrorisits would never have tried anything like this under Bush — they see Obama as week. I can only assume she’s forgotten about The Shoe Bomber. I don’t know how she categorizes 9/11.
I’m ok with full body scanners, as long as *I* don’t have to see the screen! I don’t want to see everyone’s junk in line ahead of me.
sybil law – GAH is right. You make a good point. It makes too much sense, so it can’t be implemented. There must be more confusing methods of checking passengers.
delmer – Body scanner just make more sense, unlike the woman you work with who isn’t very good at matching dates to presidential terms.
lisa – I think the screen is more discreet, much like the current line scanners for luggage and carry-on.
Agreed 100% on the reactionary vs proactive approach. And to be honest, I have no problem with the full body scanner either. Having to take my bloody shoes off, mind you, pisses me off royally.
kevin – The removal of shoes bugs me, too. Would be nice to be able to leave them on when going through the body scanner. One can hope they will remove that rule. It would be nice to enjoy flying again.