I don’t know what would happen to business travel if they prohibited carry-on electronics because I’d never trust my gear to the cargo bay.
In response to recent revelations of a suspected bomb plot targeting some UK flights travelling to the US, transport and security agencies in both countries have issued strict new guidelines, which international airlines such as Qantas must observe.
The UK has already banned all electronic devices such as MP3 players, mobile phones and laptops from hand luggage on all flights departing from the country, while the US has taken the more conservative step of only banning liquids, gels and beverages from in and outgoing flights.
However, given the nature of the threat uncovered by British security agents, which is believed to involve liquid explosives that could be triggered by an electronic signal, tight restrictions for carry-on luggage might spread far beyond UK borders, said an Australian security expert.
At what point does it become too inconvenient to fly? Does that mean the terrorists win?
Drake, I’ve wondered that public gatherings (parades, gala events, professional sports) would be an even bigger risk. OK, time to put on my tinfoil hat and move to the woods in Montana…
#25 — Yes you will miss the Pakistanis.
Drake, I’ve wondered that public gatherings (parades, gala events, professional sports) would be an even bigger risk. OK, time to put on my tinfoil hat and move to a shack in the woods in Montana…
“Even with the September 11 attacks included in the count, the number of Americans killed by international terrorism since the late 1960s (which is when the State Department began counting) is about the same as the number of Americans killed over the same period by lightning, accident-causing deer, or severe allergic reaction to peanuts.”
http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/index.html
A very wise man once said, pre 9/11…..
“Airport security is a stupid idea, its a waste of money, and its only there for one reason, to make white people feel safe…. The authorities know they can’t make an airplane completely safe, too many people have access…”
and I like this part the best….
“The odds of you being killed by a terrorist attack are practically zero… you have to be a realistic about terrorism. Certain groups of people, Muslim fundamentalists, Christian fundamentalists, Jewish fundamentalists, and just plain guys from Montana are going to make life in this country very interesting…”
George Carlin
You are all Diseased
I am so sick of all this knee-jerk reactions taken by this country. Anything this government can do to keep us frightened and keep our attention off what is going on in Iraq, Afghanistan and Lebanon/Isreal.
My question is, if London stopped this plot, why are we going crazy by outlawing Red Bull and Chapstick?
32 …OK, time to put on my tinfoil hat and move to a shack in the woods in Montana…
Yeah.
Everyone seems to remember McVeigh, but you’re the first I’ve seen refer to Kaczynski.
Two guys with a rifle kept the DC-area “terrorized” for 23-days…
And Theodore took a 6-year break during his attacks…
In all, 16 bombs that injured 29 and killed three were attributed to Kaczynski.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unabomber
When the terrorists stop trying to “up the ante” on the scale of their attacks, and start concentrating on the proven methods of the past, we will have serious problems.
Why try to co-ordinate approx 20 people with multipart explosives on 10 airplanes, when you can send 10 2-man sniper teams to 10 major cities??
Terrorize more cities by having each team move to another city after each shooting… never more than one shooting per city, per team… use the interstates & cheap motels, but don’t move in a predictable pattern…
Oops, gotta go, Homeland Security at the door… 🙂
I am put in mind of Stephen King’s short story “The Jaunt”, where all passengers are gassed to sleep before making their journey (in the story, a trip through a sort of wormhole). This may soon become mandatory for plane travel. So uncomfortable anyway, might as well sleep the whole way.
It would take NOTHING to wonder into a city, Shut your car off, and Isolate the vehicle, and set off an EMF pulse and fry 90% of the electonics in the city…. within 5-10 niles…
this includes, CITY, country, state computers, as well as CARS, and most electronics equipment like your TV, cable box, SAT link……
#36 Fith Element did the same thing. Passengers were put in sleep regulators for the trip.
I think it is interesting that these spectacular terror plots get so much media attention. I also wonder why terrorists have such a fascination with blowing up planes when it comes to America, when all other locations they use car bombs and body bombs.
But I wonder if as a country America is really ready to deal with the ramifications of true Islamic terrorism.
As examples:
People are now jammed up at the airport. Searched, scanned, probed, de-shoed, basically treated like criminals just for wanting to board a plane. Yet to be treated like a hero all you have to do is cross into America illegally. Once you cross into America you can simply disappear into the crowds and no one will ever know you are here.
Can we really afford to believe that only Mexicans eager to work are coming into the U.S.? Is that even a realistic idea?
All around the world the primary weapon of Islamic terrorist is car bombs. Thank God that they have yet to be used in America.
However what if they are? Are we prepared to stop every car entering a city, to be searched for explosives? Are we prepared to even ban cars entirely from entering cities?
Just a couple of questions.
How long before the airline companies ask the government for a bail-out? Less customers means less profits.
The terrorist are going to win because the USA will go broke paying to keep our fancy lifestyle up and the grandios security theater going.
First, the airlines should offer some sort of secured baggage service to put your useless electronics on. You don’t need laptops, phones or ipods on flights anyway. Even 20 years ago people traveled lighter than they do today thanx to the absence of the toys. Besides most of these goodies could be built into the planes (web access on the back of the seat, digital radio too, just bring headphones).
Second, just bring back trains. Travel might take longer but at least you can throw the terrorists off and keep moving. I know it won’t happen because no one will pay for the infrastructure, anymore than anyone will pay for FttP. But if air travel were arranged for safety and comfort, that 4 day trip will seem cheaper and easier by comparison. Air travel is NOT supposed to be cheap, imho.
What come to mind, is that our PORTS, cant be searched.
they can only cover 10% of all cargo incoming from Spacific NON-friendly ports.
WE cant control the borders, EVEN tho we have been doing it for YEARS.
phoney ID’s and just WALKING accross are abounding..
So, how much are you willing to PAY for safty??
Consider the targets…
Well guys….if you read BBC and the Times of London you will find that ALL electronics must now be screened and sent into the hold….they no longer can be carry on. This includes iPods, notebooks, laptops, video cams, digital cams, etc. etc. etc….I am not sure if it is also applying to U.S. airports, but it is now the rule in all U.K. airports as of today(yesterday there)
For the foreseeable future all items that are allowed to be carry on must be in a clear bag or holder(no electronics, or liquids), so no more carry on luggage.
Apparently someone got their shorts in a wad over this.
Oh….while I believe that Muslims are where most of the terrorists come from, you can’t go by racial profiling….seems at least 2 of the guys arrested are white British citizens that are converts. And a huge chunk of Muslims are asian(Indonesia, Malaysia) they don’t look or have Arabic names all the time. But I still haven’t seen any terrorists that look like blue haired old white woman.
#42: I do need a laptop and a mobile phone on business trips, and so do many. What I will do now is avoiding air travel whenever that is possible. Of course, this is a victory for the terrorists and it will hurt the airlines severely.
“The terrorists have won” has become such a trite phrase from neo-con scare-mongers that even the Man Show has started making fun of it.
Haven’t been able to come with a clip of it to send in to these maniacs, yet.
I fly once or twice a month and I simply will not take much more security crap.
I have already started driving for all trips under 800 miles. I will NEVER check my laptop.
I’m sorry but its time for racial / religous profiling. Even the people being profiled will get through security faster!
Carlos Mencia said it best “Post pictures of all the 911 hijackers in every airport. When muslims ask why they are being profiled – show them the pictures.
I dread the day some terrorist smuggles explosives or other dangerous substance in a body cavity. Tsa will then have to check everyone’s cavity prior to boarding.
Odds are every TSA employee also dreads that day.
Well, maybe not the freakier ones.
Can we hope for this to be ‘required’ soon:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3958014322156975760
#46 “The terrorists have won” you say is a trite phrase by neo-con scaremongers??
Gosh, I thought it was a j’accuse against President Bush and those in real power, both revealed and shady, that they were on the wrong track. And, on a less philosophical bent, that the terrorists had achieved one of their goals, in one day and its aftermath, by depriving the West of its open society. Does that make me a neo-con? I’m from Canada. There aren’t many neo-cons here. The governing party now is the Conservative Party, which formed as the amalgamation of the two most right-leaning parties. There’s just a sliver to the right of the Conservative party in the spectrum of Canadian politics. Yet they stand for the continuance of such measures as socialized medicine.
No, “the terrorists have won” is a rebuke to the Establishment, and to us for letting them do it.
Its STILL less then a 1% chance of anything happening on ANY flight.
So, for the worry, of Less then 1%, we have to secure our WHOLE lives against WHAT MIGHT BE….
Out of HOW many flights, to/from the Euro’s and THOHSe in side the USA, how many have had a scare SENCE 911…
1?, 2?, 3? 10?? 100?? 10,000?? You can stop me when I get to 1% or higher….. 100,000???? 1,000,000????
How many persons have been Jailed for Terror on an aircraft??
ALOT…. But I DONT think many got into the planes…before they were arrested.
The sad fact is that if we want to get rid of all possible ignition timers, everyone is going to have to go on board the airplane naked. Except for thermite, most explosives and incendiaries of the homemade variety can be ignited by other simple household chemicals, many of them dry and easy to keep separate until mixing time. I’m not sure if they still do so, but the U.S. Army published a series of mauals on “unconventional warfare techniques” and sold them in surplus stores.
Electronics make it easier since you can generate a spark easily, but they are by no means necessary. Besides – how are we going to determine if someone has a couple of inches of wires sewn into his clothing along with a lithium battery somewhere? Forget electronics – these are almost insignificant Radio Shack parts.
It won’t be long before the next scare is over the use of dry household items that can be mixed and ignited.
Another security issue would be all those electronics in hold baggage. Are they going to increase security against luggage theft?
Hate to put the kibosh on your “lets all fly naked” plan, but just think – seniors flying – creepy (not like many would, they tend to have the stricter morals of past generations 🙂 ) Also, the religious right (any religious right) would boycott, and the governement would follow – Maybe everyone could just go in straitjackets, with everything they want to bring with them (including the clothes they were wearing in the baggage compartment – course, this raises the problem of what happens when you lose your luggage …
I REALLY want to see,
Lithium Batteries in DECOMPORESSION…they REALLy dont like it.