In the wake of the Nigerian Muslim terrorist that tried to blow up a Northwest airliner as it was preparing to land in Detroit, authorities have introduced a whole host of added security procedures that don’t make flying any safer from the threat of terrorism, but they do make flying on a commercial plane even more of a pain in the ass.
This morning, travelers flying from Canada to the United States were subjected to a second layer of security including a pat down of every traveler and a 100% luggage search by hand. The added security measures added an extra three hours to the already lengthy security processing time.
The fun doesn’t stop at the plane’s door. Passengers over the weekend were told to remain in their seats for the final hour of their flight. They were also told they could not use any electronic devices, even iPods, or even their own personal headphones. They were also told that they could not access their carry-on luggage or have anything in their laps. They were also told to keep their hands in plain sight until the plane landed.
Need to use to the restroom within an hour of landing? Too bad.
The TSA is also for some unknown reason requiring JetBlue to suspend showing TV on flights. Not just for the final hour, but for the entire flight. No TV, no movies, no XM radio.
This is a huge personal loss to me. JetBlue is the only airline I use simply because of the ability to watch Law & Order marathons while I travel back and forth to California.
None of these added procedures would have posed so much as a speed-bump to Abdul Farouk Abdul Mutallab. He had the explosives stuffed in a condom stuffed in his underwear. Would a pat-down search have detected the explosives? Unless whoever was doing the search was willing to stick their hand down his pants, I’m guessing it wouldn’t.
Not allowing Abdul Farouk Abdul Mutallab to listen to an iPod wouldn’t have done anything to make things safer.