One failed attempt at a shoe bomb, and we all have to take off our
shoes at the airport. 31 school shootings since Columbine and no change in the
regulation of guns.
John Oliver
I don’t know about you but taking off my coat, shoes, jewelry
and removing my laptop from my bag before going through x-ray machines and
metal detectors doesn’t make me feel safe, especially at 6am. It plain and
simply pisses me off. And if God forbid there was a terrorist planning to board
my flight, I don’t believe that these measures would deter him or her from
their task at hand. 9/11 changed the world profoundly and certainly changed air
travel as we knew it. Our governments have instituted draconian measures they
believed would combat terrorism in the air; but are these airport security
measures really keeping us safer? And
why were they instituted in the first place? An article in the New York Times sums it up perfectly.
A short history of
airport security: We screen for guns and bombs, so the terrorists use box
cutters. We confiscate box cutters and corkscrews, so they put explosives in
their sneakers. We screen footwear, so they try to use liquids. We confiscate
liquids, so they put PETN bombs in their underwear. We roll out full-body
scanners, even though they wouldn’t have caught the Underwear Bomber, so they
put a bomb in a printer cartridge. We ban printer cartridges over 16 ounces —
the level of magical thinking here is amazing — and they’re going to do
something else.
Any time there’s an airport security breach, a new
regulation is instantly enacted as a counter measure. If the next terrorist
smuggles a weapon or explosive in a bra, are all bras going to be banned on
planes?
Packing strategically is no longer about what to pack; it’s
about what not to pack. Here’s my checklist before flying:
- Remove the weapons from my makeup bag which consist of 1-inch scissors, tweezers and a metal nail file which will be confiscated on sight.
- Carefully go through my toiletry bag to ensure that I have no liquids or gels that are more than 3 ounces. I can’t fly with my sunscreen or hair gel.
- Check the size of your perfume bottle. Mine is larger than 3 ounces so I only travel with samples my Chanel lady gives me.
- Wear shoes or boots that are easy to get in and out of because you will be taking them off.
- If you’re like me and love big jewelry, it will set off all the alarms, so I just leave mine in my handbag and put it on once I’ve passed security.
If you can’t afford a doctor go to an airport - you’ll get a free x-ray
and a breast exam, and; if you mention Al Qaeda, you’ll get a free colonoscopy.
Swoopify.com
Make someone smile today. And, safe travels.
Geri
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