RE: query on "riding shotgun" in the cockpit

["Strickert, Rick" <rstrickert@signaturescience.com>]

Bernard Cohen wrote:



>Can someone explain why, instead of all the extreme measures with

>air travel and closing Washington National Airport, they don't simply

>require that cockpit doors be locked and perhaps someone in the 

>cockpit have a gun? 



What would the armed person (pilot?) do if terrorists threatened to

start killing a passenger every 30 seconds?

Would he (she?) open the door of the cockpit, six-guns ablazin'?   



What if each passenger were given a large knife (to be turned in at the

destination).  Unless you're on a flight where most of the passengers

are headed to a Quakers' convention, it might work just as well.



If the airport can effectively (whatever probability that means) keep

guns and bombs off planes, I think it's going to be up to the passengers

to stop by whatever means they have terrorists or wackos who try to take

over a plane.  Of course, now that the FAA has banned law-abiding

airline passengers from having knives, I'm sure any terrorists will also

abide by such rules, so the problem, by fiat, is now "solved".   



BTW, forget the nice steak dinners in 1st and business class (no knives

allowed) -  it'll be parsley-garnished oatmeal.



And if that plan doesn't work, no long fingernails will be allowed.



Rick Strickert

Austin, TX





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