[general_re]

Two posts I can't resist. ;)

Actually, the way to begin is by getting the federal government out of the process altogether, and allow the airlines themslelves to have full and absolute discretion over: - who gets to work for them, and who doesn't; - who's allowed to carry a weapon on board, and who isn't; - who's allowed on board at all, and who isn't; - and who gets intensively searched, and who doesn't.

Suppose for a moment that came to pass, and you were in charge of an airline. Would you screen passengers for weapons before boarding? If so, would it be more or less stringent than current requirements? Would you search everyone, certain types of people, or just random folks?

TIA.

[inquest]

I'm not a professional when it comes to these things, but in general, I'd keep in mind what someone at El Al once said about our practices: "In America, you search for weapons. In Israel, we search for terrorists." Their approach seems to have served them well for the most part. As such, I'd go heavier on the profiling side (not just ethnically, either, but on all aspects of a scientifically valid profile), and probably go a little easier on weapons in general. If it means that a terrorist slips by with a weapon, it would also mean that the other passengers are armed as well, and so his effectiveness would be, shall we say, diminished.

But like I said, I'm not an expert.

[RGSpincich]

Would you search everyone, certain types of people, or just random folks?

And what if suspected terrorists had just been arrested in the same area?

This "touching" incident is alleged to have occurred on October 26th at Portland International Airport, just a couple of weeks after several suspected terrorists were arrested in Portland. I'd say screeners were showing due diligence and being thorough in their duties. The husband could have smoothed things over with his wife by explaining the need for screeners to be thorough. Instead he acted in the "infantile" manner that he's known for.

Suspected terrorists arrested in Portland

[iconoclast]

Would you search everyone, certain types of people, or just random folks?

I'd give that some thought AFTER I armed the pilots.