Safe
December 29th, 2009We can make travel safe. But at what cost?
Every time I bring up my slipperly slope argument, people accuse me of scaremongering.
Oh yeah? Wake up, everyone. My life as a traveller is now much worse than it was 15 years ago. Much.
Now it gets worse. The pilot has to approve bathroom visits, and “no luggage at all” on flights to the USA, Canada’s airport authority has announced, says The Globe today. And “there are increasing calls for full body scanenrs”, say the media. The average person does not, it appear, mind being scanned naked in order to “assure safety”. I have already said it’ll be strip-searches for all. That is coming closer.
Slipperly slope? We’re in the lake already.
And for what? Air ravel is safe already. The cost/benefit analysis is utterly missing from any discussion of “terrorism”.
“Security trumps all”. Yeah? That’s what Goebbels said, too.
If I sound more scathing about our own people than I do about Al Qaeda, that’s because that is exactly how I feel. We should know better.
How I will travel, I am not sure, My $20k of equipment will not be insured and may wel not arrive if I have to check it. So… from now on I drive.
December 29th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
I’d like to see Americans take this. I don’t think they will. Many of Americans and myself were angry at an extra TSA search after we had already cleared it another airport. We were very vocal. If people are going to be asking the pilot to pee, they just won’t take that for very long.
El Al is safe - they don’t do this - Israel has lots of experience fighting terrorists and they are probably one of the better airlines to fly. I would not hesitate to fly El Al.
December 29th, 2009 at 3:05 pm
Agreed. The Post had an article today on Israel, and from experience I can say they do it right. Intelligent and respectful. Both are lacking here, I fear.
January 13th, 2010 at 10:50 am
1) Well, you are allowed to wear clothes on the plane, aren’t you, whereas even naked people can be dangerous! Perhaps better fix them all to their seats with chains and handcuffs?
2) Security officers are the major weapon of terrorists, they make life quite easy for terrorists. One attack a year worldwide is enough!
3) Private fire arms and traffic accidents cause lots and lots of casualties every year. Terrorism hardly does anything compared to those two.
4) I collected a Hoodman Hoodloupe today and I’m really content with it!