Peggy Noonan: A Wing and a Prayer

Opinion Journal ^ | 11/30/2001 | Peggy Noonan

[Pokey78]

I flew this week. It was A-OK.

I flew from LaGuardia airport in New York to Chicago's O'Hare and then back, and it was good.

In New York, scene of three air disasters in six weeks, everyone asks everyone else, "Have you flown yet?" They don't have to say, "since Sept. 11." Up till today the answer for me had been "No." I had cancelled all business that required long-distance traveling and was happily at home, sitting with my son in the warm glow of the TV as I fielded calls from hardy souls who had, just days after Sept. 11, been up and flying to speeches in Miami and Massachusetts.

[Pokey78]

Ping for the PNPL.

[Stand Watch Listen]

Thanks for the post....appreciate it.

Please place me on your Peggy Noonan 'ping' list...thanks

[onyx]

Answering ping. Good column.

[A. Morgan]

Great post Pokey78. I sent it to my girlfriend, who at one time was a stewardess.

[Miss Marple]

I am a Methodist, but I think I would like one of those cards when I fly.

I think we should re-hire all the laid off people from the airlines to check bags as they are checked in. How hard is it to open a suitcase, make sure there isn't a bomb, and close it? Yes, it is time-consuming, but it would be far more effective and cheper than all those X-ray machines.

[Pokey78]

You have been added.

[Molly Pitcher]

Pokey, would you please add me to your list? Thanks....

[xm177e2]

But they have to show they are not profiling anyone, so they inspect grandma as closely as a 25-year-old man. But somehow it doesn't seem obnoxious; it seems OK.

We don't need a little old white granny from Albania to bring an arsenal onboard for a couple able-bodied swarthy-looking al-Qaida operatives.

[LadyDoc]

bump

For the early morning readers

[xsmommy]

thanks for the ping. peggy always allows one to experience what she writes about, in a very personal way. i feel that i made this flight with her.

[Psalm 73]

Finally, a positive essay on air travel. This is the first one I've seen, liberal or conservative. Thank you Peggy.
I travel for my company, haven't yet since, "you-know-what", but have a few comming up shortly.
We are given the option of rail or auto travel, too, but I looked into it and rail travel is just not that darned easy.
No wonder Amtrack is on the rocks - they aren't really geared for business travel.
I work in the aircraft industry, and I really should feel safe about air travel - thanks again, Peggy - you are a real restorer of faith.

[GretchenEE]

There is at least one pilot on every flight. Arm the pilots and we don't have to worry about a planeload of sitting ducks because we can't afford to have air marshals on every plane.

Peggers makes some sense about using troops on each flight. They're on duty anyway. Doesn't seem like it would take that much to train them in what to do while on a plane to ensure safety.

[Fiddlstix]

....Arm the pilots and we don't have to worry about a planeload of sitting ducks because we can't afford to have air marshals on every plane.

Amen!

[summer]

bttt

[Guenevere]

bttt

[Pokey78]

You've been added.

[BreitbartSentMe]

Good article (as usual) from Peggy. Thanks for the PING!

I agree with her point about having the military involved, but I think that airline safety should just be made a part of the National Guard (It seems a natural fit, given their name!)

[mamaduck]

Peggy Bump!

thanks Pokey!

[Amelia]

No wonder Amtrack is on the rocks - they aren't really geared for business travel.

They aren't exactly geared for tourist travel either. When my son was small, I made a few trips up the East Coast on Amtrak with him, and it was a good way to travel. We could get up & walk around, the views were more scenic than the interstate highways, and I could read him stories while we were underway, which I couldn't if I were driving.

We really wanted to take the train to visit my brother in California, but there were layovers in NYC, and layovers in Chicago, and then we'd have been going through some of the most scenic areas when it was dark...too much trouble & not enough of what we hoped to see.