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First we had the Shoe Bomber, and now we have the Underpants Bomber, at least according to the pictures in the New York Times, which showed parts of the incendiary device still attached to the man’s undershorts, conclusively answering the question “Boxers or Briefs?” and offering, perhaps, a little more information than some of us need.
Now we learn of new, apparently capricious and random, security procedures and restrictions imposed on already suffering air travelers. Since I spend a good part of my professional life at 30,000 feet, this is of more than academic interest. I’ve already read about full body searches of Orthodox priests and five-year-old girls and international flights on which the entertainment system has remained shut off, though that is certainly preferable to screening Hannah Montana. I have seen other stories of flight attendants ripping blankets and pillows out of passengers’ hands and forcing them to remain seated for the last 90 minutes of flight, and of seven-hour delays going through airport security as each passenger is frisked. Maybe this is intended to reassure the flying public that Homeland Security has everything well under control, but to me it smacks of panic and desperation and a complete lack of leadership and vision. [click to continue…]
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