Hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving, and doesn't have to travel too far.
And speaking of travel, it doesn't look like the Internet campaign encouraging flyers to protest new security screening by boycotting body scanners at airports had very much effect. Not too many protesters showed up.
One passenger, Greg Hancock, 61, said "It was a day at the beach, a box of chocolates," after going through a body scanner Wednesday at the Phoenix airport. I don't know if he was being facetious or not. He was sent through because a golf ball marker in his pocket set the metal detector off. His wife, Marti Hancock, 58, who'd flown on Sept. 11, 2001, and feared there was a bomb on her plane that day, has been fully supportive of stringent security, saying "If that's what you have to do to keep us safe, that's what you have to do."
And Mrs. Hancock's point is something I really understand. Because I despise what security checks have done to air travel, and dread the thought of going through any kind of screening process at all. After all, I'm not a terrorist, have no desire whatsoever to harm anyone, except maybe teams playing against the Jets, yet I have go through the same cattle-herding process as everyone else whenever I need to board a plane.
Nonetheless, at the moment there doesn't seem to be a viable alternative to screening, and above all, aircraft must be kept completely safe, so if folks want to fly they've got to accept the procedures and go with the program. If not, they're going to be grounded.
So what it all adds up to is, lot's of folks are angry, upset, frustrated, put out and seething because of the onerous, intrusive and demeaning aspects of security checks. And I certainly agree with their viewpoint. But, I also think their hostility may be misdirected. Because the FAA and air safety people didn't cause this problem, they're only doing their jobs as they see fit under the circumstances. Therefore, I believe the anger should be directed at the ones who truly caused the problem...and that's the terrorists.
That's it for today folks.
Adios
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