A special editions of The Travel Insider:
What can we expect of airport security next time we fly? At this stage there are still evolving responses to the issue . . . More of the restrictions apply to international flights in to the US than to flights within the US or departing the US, but expect some amounts of these restrictions to apply to domestic flights too, and a generally increased level of alert everywhere in the world.
Increased inspection of carry-on items: In other words, expect to take longer to get through security due to more time being taken with each person, with a greater percentage of secondary inspections. The wisdom of this is far from apparent.
Limitations on carry-ons: This is stupid — if a person can hide pounds and pints of explosive on their person, who cares about carry-on restrictions? But it is an easy thing for the authorities to do, and apparently some airports and airlines are already restricting passengers to only one item of carry-on. And that too is a stupid restriction, because that one item might be a huge over-sized rollaboard bag, whereas the next passenger, with a handbag and small briefcase will be told that they have to check one of the two items. But anticipate the possibility of only being allowed to take one physical item with you. Apparently at least four airlines are now limiting passengers to one item only on flights in to the US : Alaska Airlines, Air Canada, WestJet and British Airways, and my guess is this will flow to other airlines just as soon as they call an executive in from vacation to approve the policy change.
More physical pat-down searches: There’s a greater chance you might be required to submit to a physical pat-down search, even if the metal detector doesn’t sound an alarm. If you’re wearing form fitting clothing that shows you’re less likely to be concealing anything, you might reduce your chances of being selected, but if you’re in bulky baggy ill fitting clothing, your chances are probably going to increase.
Secondary searches at the gate: Expect additional random searches of yourself and your carry-on items when boarding flights.
Restrictions on movement/activity on the flight: This one’s a real kicker. Joe Brancatelli reports that Air Canada has stated, today, ‘New rules imposed by the U.S. Transportation Security Administration also limit on-board activities by customers and crew in U.S. airspace that may adversely impact on-board service. Among other things, during the final hour of flight customers must remain seated, will not be allowed to access carry-on baggage, or have personal belongings or other items on their laps’.
The logic of this is so asininely stupid as to beggar belief. Apparently the TSA believes that terrorists would only want to blow up a plane in the 60 minutes prior to its landing. Why not 65 minutes prior to landing? Or 90 minutes? etc etc. So they want to restrict us to our seats — no bathroom trips allowed — and not allow us to do anything at all. No listening to your iPod, indeed, it seems you can’t even read a book. Just sit there, motionless. Does that sound like fun to you? And does it make you feel safer?
To answer the rhetorical question, the 60 minute period probably represents the maximum time the TSA feel they can force us to sit, motionless, without arousing too much passenger protest. So it really isn’t about security at all; it is simply the TSA pushing the limits of what they can get away with. One gets the strong feeling that if they had their way, we’d all sit handcuffed to our seats for the entire length of all flights (and, who knows, it may yet come to that!).
Who knows what else might be put in place, and who knows how long these knee jerk and largely useless (but potentially massively inconveniencing) measures will remain in place. And that’s where I’m asking for your help. Please let me know your experiences when flying over the next week or so.
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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Darleen is on fire, describing Mark Steyn filling in for Rush today. Janet Incompetano? That will leave a mark.
However funny Steyn’s wit is, this is scary stuff. Rather than focus on what might work, Janet is going through the PC motions (incompetently of course). She and her boss are going to get a lot of people killed.
Limitations on carry ons is just a gift to the airlines. Remember those extra charges for bags? Ca-ching!
Darleen the government drone pointing figures is kinda funny in an ironic way.
No posts from JeffG in a week?
Looks like he’s suckered his followers yet again.
As Darleen like to say, fool me once…
Gee, Ponce, what happened this past week?
Chr_stm_s.
Would you like to buy a vowel?
I think it’s a good idea to have a cavity search for each person – done properly it takes less than a minute. I have nothing to hide so I think this will improve security and speed things up.
If they did this from the start then we wouldn’t have these problems.
However I will not be travelling to the US any time. I get terrible motion sickness and upset stomach on plane flights and frequently go to the toilet – my sickness gets worse usually towards the end of the flight when I’m tired and hungry and I need to go to the toilet a lot. Not being able to do that would be awful.