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TSA Opens Blog — You Can Finally Complain
I Don't Believe in Imaginary Property writes "The TSA has opened their own blog. According to Ars Technica, it's beginning to attract complaints from people who are sick of removing their shoes and having to forfeit their drinks. 'The blog's first post has 131 comments so far, almost all of which fall into one of two categories: TSA employees who got the internal memo about the blog launch and dropped by to post positive things, and citizens who are really mad about the liquids screening policy.'"
If you've ever gone through LHR, what I believe is still the busiest connection hub in the world, you still have to throw away all of your liquids and go through a MORE intense screening procedure than in the United States. And that's just to connect from one flight to another; in most cases in the US you don't have to be re-screened between flights!
That doesn't make Heathrow's policies right, but anybody connecting through there is just as likely to say "those crazy Brits" as "those crazy Americans."
It'd be nice to think that there was a golden age of air travel when nobody wanted to use aircraft as political weapons, but that only existed prior to the 1960s when air travel became affordable for the masses. There is NO period in time when airline travel was not subject to some kind of danger. Planes have always been targeted by hijackers and bombers because it's a strong political symbol that is guaranteed to generate news coverage.
For the record, metal detectors and security screening at airports started long before 9/11, and dangers to air travel started long before then as well.
In 1976, Cubana 455, with 73 people on board, was brought down by a bomb.
In 1985, Air India Flight 182, with 329 people on board, was brought down by a bomb.
In 1988, Pam-Am Flight 103, with 259 people on board, was brought down by a bomb.
In 2000, Ahmed Ressam pleaded guilty to trying to bomb Los Angeles International airport.
May I also remind you that, just in the year 1970, there were at least 13 attempted hijackings JUST TO CUBA:
And, even after 9/11, idiots have tried to bring down commercial aircraft with bombs. They just happen to have been royally incompetent.