12.28.2009

Stupid Security Tricks

As another example of the idiocy of which our side in the 'war on terror' seems to have an inexhaustible supply I submit the following: In response to the Nigerian bomber fliers are no longer allowed to get out of their seat, use any of their personal items, must give up pillows and blankets and sit with hands visible for the last hour of their flight. That should be of enormous help.

Hmm. How might one thwart this clever roadblock to terrorists? One hopes that Al Qaeda is no more clever than our side and doesn't decide that there are other windows of opportunity during an 8 hour flight. I suppose next we'll all have to sit in our seats in a diaper with our hands over our heads.

Rather than asking us to give up our tiny pillows perhaps you can explain how a guy whose own father turned him in, payed for his ticket with cash, and had no luggage for an international flight didn't raise any flags. Guess the security guards were too busy rousting some old woman with a walker or checking out somebodies belt...

7 comments:

Jared said...

It's the "it's not our fault, it's your fault" shifting of blame. Those silly freedoms to move and talk and scratch and adjust clothing... Really, why do you need those.

mac said...

I think the guy may have been on a watch list anyway.
Why not just check the list?

Jared said...

he was on a watch list; not a "do-not-fly" list. I fail to understand why such a distinction exists between the two, or why he wasn't better checked because he was on a watch list...

Michael Lockridge said...

When we would send sentenced prisoners to prison they were changed from our jail clothing to paper suits. In the transition they were observed and inspected.

I am sure something similar could be done for flying. Much better than using intelligence intelligently and maybe risking profiling.

Pliny-the-in-Between said...

Micheal - don't say that too loud - they'll do it!

Anonymous said...

Happy New Year Pliny, may your discussions be fruitful, your judgment unclouded, and your breath minty fresh.

soubriquet said...

And your government was warned by MI5 in Britain about him.

Paper suits? That'll be fun.

Or let's fly naked! No, actually, thinking of my seat neighbours last time I flew, Gak! Maybe those plastic-coated chem protection suits. With activated charcoal armpits.
Maybe, in the interests of Homeland Security, we could all be strapped into body-bags and drugged for the duration of the flight, okay, some of us would die, but its a small price to pay for security.