Good solutions are beautifully simple
At this point, it is exceedingly well established that the procedures for “ensuring” airline security are really about providing passengers an illusion of security to keep air travel volume up. It is a matter of security theater as opposed to actual security. In the aftermath of the Nigerian man who attempted to blow up a flight to Detroit (however was too incompetent to do so), one new security measure was that passengers were not allowed to use electronics or have anything on their lap for the last hour flight. So… I guess terrorists are dramatically more likely to blow up a plane when it is 59 minutes from landing than when it is 61 minutes from landing?
The other main frustrations I endure at the airport are the painful security screening line and trying to get on and off the plane when 300 people are trying to stuff their suitcase in the overhead compartment. So we have three essential problems here: 1) people are bringing bomb parts onto a plane in a CARRY-ON BAG, 2) going through the security line is a nightmare because Grandma Mildrid hasn’t flown since 1967 and doesn’t know you can’t put liquids in a CARRY-ON BAG, and 3) the big fat guy in the aisle won’t sit down because he can’t find a place in the overhead for his CARRY-ON BAG.
So, I know this is complicated, but why don’t we solve three problems very quickly and just ban carry-on bags? Require people to check all bags. Much easier to find bomb parts in security screening, much faster to get through security screening, and much more pleasant airplane cabin. Done. Good solutions are always beautifully simple.
Funny thing is that El Al (widely regarded as the most secure airline on Earth), I discovered, already beat me to this idea. Figures though since they are also the only airline to discover that profiling passengers in screening is also a good way to identify security threats. That one may not be real politically correct but I really can’t remember the last time I heard a 14 year old suburban white girl from Jersey tried to blow up a plane.
