Thoughts

Has Airport Security Gone Too Far!?

Greetings,

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’re aware that there is large outcry over the tightening security at airports. The question is “Has airport security gone too far!?” Twitter streams are filled with mentions of articles claiming the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has gone too far. As someone who flies often and doesn’t mind being 33,000 feet above the ground in a sardine can with 100+ strangers, I think they haven’t gone far enough…

Search the headlines and follow twitter, everyone says they have gone too far. As someone who in the past two years has flown considerably more than your average person, I have been annoyed by the security but have never wished they did away with it. Do you realize how little control you have when flying in a magical tin of ravioli above the Atlantic ocean flown by Chef Boyardee himself? If you have a problem up there or some nut job starts going loco, what will you do? There are no points for being reactive, one must be proactive.

Think of the TSA as lifeguards who pre-screen everyone before they can get into the pool because for some odd reason the pool is in outer space and lifeguards can’t be on duty. I can make these statements as I’ve been questioned, searched to the point where I thought the old “cavity” was coming next, thankfully no and on one occasion, brought to a waiting cell for intense questioning. It makes sense, I’m a single guy who at times looks less than dapper with a passport that has more stamps than your average mule.

The reality is that air travel is still the fastest mode of transportation, an extra wait and hassle in the security line to ensure a safe flight is a small price to pay for peace of mind and safety. To anyone who objects, close your eyes and pretend your on a flight, now pretend that someone who should have been searched goes all crazy and the safety of that flight becomes in jeopardy, how does that make you feel? It most certainly places a couple of touchy feel moments and extra waits on the ground seem reasonable, yes? Furthermore, the people doing the job aren’t exactly thrilled about it either but it’s their job. The future? Probably have some sort of “bouncer” on a plane, crazy, I know.

To set the record straight, I don’t care who the TSA goes overboard on, the reality is that they are basically our only safety measure to ensure that we arrive safely when jammed in a smelly SPAM tin flying 33,000+ above the ground. If you don’t want someone touching you to make sure you’re not a nut job (they come  all shapes and sizes FYI), you should just drive or not travel.

Question: What do you think? Have they gone too far?

Tips hat,

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