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what the real security looks like today
I'm all for more security. El Al has few flights, and it's obviously
easier to provide the air marshalls on each of their flights. It's an
issue of degree. In any one normal hour during the week, there can be
10,000 flights in US airspace. Quite different than in other
countries, including Israel.
I finally flew Sat., and the enhanced security was simply a joke. It
was a facade, and was purely for show. The only outcome of the some
of these checks was to delay each flight I took for up to 3 hours.
(1) I checked in at the ticket counter, using my E-ticket and a faxed
flight receipt from American in about 5 minutes.
(2) I couldn't get through security screening since they told me that
I could only go only go to the gate 1 hour or less from the scheduled
departure. No big problem. Of course, if security was effective, it
shouldn't matter HOW long I was sitting at a gate, since I would have
already been cleared. However, no big problem. Of course there
weren't enough seats for all of those who were waiting.
(3) When I did go to security screening, everything wa taken out of
the pockets, including a wallet. Well, if there were no metal in the
wallet, what the point of that was, I'll never know.
(4) They checked my briefcase which had a cassette player and my
camera (always have a camera, you know). They didn't turn either of
these on. They did NOT check my suitcase, which had a computer,
electrical plug, 2 battery chargers, phone cord, mouse and 2
adaptors. I would have thought that they would at least make me open
up the suitcase and TURN them on. No .. they didn't want to look at
anything in there.
(5) Finally got on the 1st plane, after 4 hours, and then we sat
there for another hour. Why, they were doing a background check on
everyone. What were they doing for the previous 4 hours??? Finally
took off, and repeated this on my next flight from Dallas.
NOW, what could they have done??? I would have felt more secure
knowing that everyone and everything was checked, instead of he
fantasy check that they actually did perform. I would like to see
every carry-on opened and checked. I'd like to see everyone that
walks through the metal detector, have a hands-on frisk. I'd like
them to question someone who meets a profile, JUST like they do on El
Al. Cockpits need to be secured from the rest of the cabin. On El Al
a pilot will NEVER leave the cockpit, no matter what is happening in
the cabin. This is what must be done. I'd also like to see some of
the recent tax refund rolled back, and use the $$ for something
useful, such as govt. run trained security checkpoints, and, at least
1 marshall on every flight where there are more than 30 seats. Can't
have a marshall on some of the smaller commercial flights, unless the
funding is there.
What did I learn from this experience, as well as some of the others
I spoke to? If this is the way they are going to manage flights in
the US, then I will most likely not take as many of the trips as I
used to. I will only travel when absolutely necessary. I am flying to
Ft. Lauderdale this Sat. (I hope). If the same treatment occurs
again, where I am constantly re-booking flights, just to see them
cancelled without warning, my next 3 trips weill be cancelled. Air
traffic will cease, and the airlines will go belly-up. The flying
public, the flight crews, need real assurances. My brother is a
United Captain. He has stories, and he is also unsure whether or not
he'll fly in the near future. When the crews don't want to fly, that
should make us all sit back and take notice.
One last thought .. the govt., the FAA, the Congress, all were warned
about the lax security,. for years .. and as early as the end of
August. Nobody cared to do anything. We always seem to wait for a
tragedy to take action. Why? Is it too difficult to be proactive for
a change, when it comes to american lives? The next attack..
probably not going to be an airplane, but some other form of
sensationalism. IS anyone else brainstorming where that might happen?
Probably not. Guess we need it to happen before we take serious
action.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sandy Perle Tel:(714) 545-0100 / (800) 548-5100
Director, Technical Extension 2306
ICN Worldwide Dosimetry Service Fax:(714) 668-3149
ICN Pharmaceuticals, Inc. E-Mail: sandyfl@earthlink.net
ICN Plaza, 3300 Hyland Avenue E-Mail: sperle@icnpharm.com
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Personal Website: http://sandyfl.nukeworker.net
ICN Worldwide Dosimetry Website: http://www.dosimetry.com
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