IP: two on first take you shoes off and then what else.

[David Farber <dave@farber.net>]

As you can tell, I have a real worry about the less than effective actions 
being taken to placate the public and make then believe all is well while 
the real problems are being kept quiet -- fake passports; bad 
intelligence  etc. None of what is being done would have prevented 911. All 
it does is to make airtravel less desirable and airlines loose more money.

Dave


> From: Russell Nelson <nelson@crynwr.com>
> Date: Sun, 23 Dec 2001 16:40:24 -0500 (EST)
> To: farber@cis.upenn.edu
>
> David Farber writes:
>  > Paris terminals had no plan to follow the example of Boston's Logan 
> airport
>  > and ask passengers to put their shoes through X-ray machines to check for
>  > possible bombs, Rouby said.
>
> Last time I flew I got the red S of shame on my ticket.  I was
> subjected to the intimate search.  As I was taking my jacket off, I
> removed my shirt as well, and started to drop my pants.  The security
> people got flustered and insisted that I should put my shirt back on.
> As Jesus said, if a man should demand your outer garment, give him
> your inner one as well.

and

Date: Sun, 23 Dec 2001 17:34:42 -0600
From: gep2@terabites.com
Subject: IP: A comment from your editor and more on -- do terrorists only
buy one-way airline
tickets?
To: dave@farber.net
X-Mailer: SPRY Mail Version: 04.00.06.17

> ....2. Ticketed passengers only: it dramatically cuts down on the length of
the long lines in security that would result if all the family went to the
gate
The lines weren't terribly long before (at least not at all airports). If this
is a problem, it should be approached on an airport-by-airport basis, not one
overall nationwide pronouncement which is inappropriate and unnecessary for 
many
airports.
Since the number of security personnel are hired so that lines don't get "too
long", what will happen now is that some security checkpoints will be closed
(since "we don't need as many") with the result that lines will be no shorter.
Also, many airports (such as DFW) were *designed* to accommodate AT THE GATE
(and shops, food courts, etc) those waiting for flight arrivals... especially
when arriving flights are delayed. Presently those meeting passengers have no
choice but to mill aimlessly about in checkin and baggage claim areas that 
were
never designed to accommodate them.
> 3. Curb side checking is operational at many airports like PHL
I'm glad to hear that there has been a reversal of what was ultimately a very
ill-advised restriction. Hopefully that restriction can be eliminated at every
airport where it never did make any sense.
> 4. The plastic knives are just stupid attempts to make someone think the
airlines are thinking
Except that (as far as I can tell) it's not the airlines who came up with this
stupid idea, but some nameless government bureaucrat somewhere.
> 5. The lack of food in coach on sometimes 3 hour flights is a stupid way of
saving pennies and making passengers even more unhappy flying I still
recommend bringing KFC extra greasy chicken aboard.
:-) Or maybe a fresh, ripe, durian fruit or something. :-))))


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