That’s what I’ve always believed September 11th was about too. It wasn’t to kill people and show off the power they wield; It was to prove that the so-called freedom and power the western world were confidently and arrogantly taking for granted, are really an embarrassment.
So they just sat back and watched everybody panicking, with the satisfied sigh of proving how the arrogantly powerful are actually weak and vulnerable.
Talking to a travel agent friend at tonight’s New Years party – apparently the on-board maps showing the craft’s progress and current location have been turned off (flights NZ to US)… presumably to make it just that bit harder for the theoretical terrorists to know when the plane is over US territory and that now is the moment to set their genitals alight. 
Pity – I like the maps; I’m a nervous flyer and seeing the plane approaching the destination reassures me.
Even the dullest terrorist should be able to figure this out:
I flew from Sydney (SYD) to San Francisco (SFO) on Monday. Changes from previous times that I’ve travelled that route:
(1) I was allowed only one carry-on. I wanted to carry-on a backpack which is my camera bag, plus a small bag with a portable DVD player and a couple of DVDs in it, but I was only allowed one, so I stuck the bag with the DVD player into my checked bag.
(2) When going to the gate, there was more thorough screening of passengers to the US than there had been before, including patting down the body (presumably to see if you had explosives inside your clothes). We’ve had this extra screening for US-bound passengers for a while, but it was more thorough this time.
(3) The display of where the plane was still got shown in between movies, but according to the display we were stuck on the runway in Sydney for all the trip. I talked about that with a few fellow passengers, and we agreed it was stupid, especially since (if you looked out the window) you could still tell when we were arriving in SFO.
(4) We had to sit for the last hour with seatbelts on, and not access the overhead bins, for the last hour. Electronic items were banned then too, but several people were reading books or magazines, and nothing was done about that. We were warned about two hours before arriving so we could use the lavatories, etc. In the row behind me were a couple with three children aged under five, including one in nappies, and they survived the experience very well, but I can imagine some children wouldn’t.
Naked passengers. It’s the only solution I can see.
that is NOT a solution I have any desire to see.
Has your brother contacted the DHS Traveler Redress Inquiry Program? They’re the people to complain to when you’ve been incorrectly put on the No-Fly or Selectee lists.
I’m not sure, but I’ll definitely pass it on. Thanks!
Greyhound buses are looking better all the time.
They’d need to put in a few new roads and bridges for that to be an option for me going back to my home country – including a bridge over the Bering Strait and a bridge over the Torres Strait. I can’t see that happening really soon (i.e., before I die).
If a Greyhound bus looks better than a naked person to you, I’d say you’re travelling in the wrong social circles.
New full body scan technology to be mandatory at all airports.
I work at a courthouse. Every employee has to go through the metal detectors just like any other visitor…except for the judges, who are apparently immune from going postal.
The Israelis think we’re idiots about security. After reading the article, I’m inclined to agree.
Yes. As I heard an Israeli security expert say years ago, paraphrasing: You Americans have it all wrong. You look for bombs. We look for bombers.
That’s a nice thought, but the airlines just bend over and say “Please sir, screw me again!” The airlines have almost no power to say no to the government policies. Even when most of them were on the verge of bankruptcy, the government wouldn’t budge on any policies. (they did give them an ass load of money, but that’s another discussion)
Also, the point about the mail and freight inspection that was brought up is a very valid one. When I was in the freight business, we had to inspect 10% of all packages to ensure that they matched the description listed on the freight manifest. We didn’t look through 10% of the boxes, we just peeked at a portion to ensure that if it said “plants” we saw a plant, or if it said “berries” we saw a box of berries. Who the hell knows what was below that box of berries or ficus tree. That’s the place that will REALLY cause an issue if/when taken advantage of.
Mark
