Editorial: Airport Security and the Airlines

Good afternoon The Coughing Dog readers. In the wake of last week's failed attempt to damage an airplane in mid-air by a Nigerian student, the U.S. government and related agencies (I'm looking at you TSA) have decided to step up screenings at airports. Apart from the fact that the young man's explosive device was located up his leg and into his crotch (he really intended to blow off his balls first), it's a little scary to think that we don't use technology to detect something like that. Why does it always take the near or complete destruction of an airplane to create real innovation in the realm of airport and airline security? It's clear that the TSA and related agencies across the globe cannot adequately scan everyone, so why isn't there more focus on developing and implementing new devices to help catch people with explosives strapped to their nuts before take-off?

Adding more bodies to the TSA ranks is only going to slow down the security lines, delay flights, anger airline customers who - let's face it - already loathe the airlines they fly and make air travel all the more frustrating and stressful. I'm not sure an industry that has been on government life support for as long as this author can remember can really survive more of the same.

I'm aware that I'm a man with a complaint, not a solution but what I really see lacking is a strong research and development community for airport security products. We have millions of knuckleheads typing code so you can more easily find the nearest mailbox to your current location from your phone, but where's the urgency to create this other technology? And why isn't the government publicly funding it?

Reading about proposed airport security measures makes me throw up in my mouth. Here's a run down of one new concept: After arriving at the airport three hours in advance of your flight you might be asked to go through a scanner. Here, the fine folks at the TSA will take a gander at your naked body and determine if you're safe to pass.

Now the TSA people are qualified to see us all naked? They don't seem to be qualified to do anything.

Here are a couple of images of what you might see in one of these scanners...that could be you someday.




So...all I'm asking for is some forethought from our government. Just like we should have made SURE there were WMDs in Iraq before going to war, we should be out in front of some of these crises and near-crises. So let's do what Americans do best and start kicking some ass on the innovation front.

Quick aside: My favorite TSA story came when my college team was flying to Florida for spring training. My friend stepped up the counter handed the woman his ID and was issued a boarding pass. He then went to the TSA person who checked his ID against his boarding pass again and stamped it good. He then went through security, where he showed his stamped boarding pass, and went on through to the gate. About 20 minutes later he was called up by the gate agent to swap out the boarding pass he had been given with one that actually had his name on it! If the TSA isn't actually reading our IDs, then why do we have to take them out of our wallets?