U.S. airport security: "unacceptable number of deficiencies"

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Headline: Temporary Shutdowns at JFK, 2 Other Airports

Source: ABC News, 2 November 2001

URL: http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/DailyNews/homefront.html

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 1 — The Federal Aviation Administration temporarily closed one concourse at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport because security personnel were not properly responding to screening alarms that went off during passenger screening.

It also took action at airports in Dayton, Ohio, on Wednesday and in Manchester, N.H., this morning for similar reasons.

The shutdown at JFK affected five American Airlines flights. The entire concourse was cleared and checked by bomb-sniffing dogs. Passengers were being rescreened and the concourse was reopened.

The closures come after Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta on Tuesday scolded the airlines for the job they are doing in screening passengers at airports, and as President Bush lobbied members of Congress to allow the federal government to take over responsibility for the screening, but contract out the work.

"An unacceptable number of deficiencies continue to occur," Mineta said. "The result is a growing lack of confidence and increasing criticism of the actions taken by the FAA."

Federal security screeners at airports have been used before, in Europe and Israel, but with limited success. Most of those countries use private security companies, under strict government oversight.

-- Andre Weltman (aweltman@state.pa.us), November 02, 2001

Answers

With this kind of micro managing when there are no threats in existence (example do you frisk and screen a group of senior citizens going on a tour, well of course, because it would be reverse discrimination otherwise), its no wonder the airline industry is going to be crushed. Flying is going to be as agonizing as a hemorrhoidectomy. They'll be slamming people up against the walls for fingernail clippers pretty soon. In some places (it was on the news) they force people to remove there shoes.

As always, the government misplaces there good intentions. Thankyou America for making my country a safer place to live.

-- Guy Daley (guydaley1@netzero.net), November 02, 2001.


I flew few weeks ago, it was not quite pleasant experince - never has been.

Personally, I don't think that passengers are going to let a plane get commandeered ever again. The choice fight and maybe live or certain death.
My Bro-i-l was required to remove the file from his nail clippers. Huh? that's a dangerous item.
There were many items in my backpack that should of raised eyebrows but did not. -- I'm not going to mention them. Mainly batteries and stuff the XRAY should of questioned.
What surprised me the most was the 'sniffer' they used to test, how often to they verify that it is working and really how reliable is it? But after they sniffed they did not physically do an inspection.
On nice thing about the improved security is fewer items are being stollen in the secure area. -- that's not a good trade off of lives lost though.
At a layover in XXX, I watched as the security area was in the main hallway - very busy, that is not conducive to concentrating on the task at hand.

Nope it was not a pleasant experience, and it could of been avoided if the Pilots were armed and if the passengers were too.

Talk about De'tant, the 'bad' folks would know how many are or are not carring. And EVERYONE would be so polite, a rare thing now a days in the big city.

Just some ran-dumb thoughts.

-- (perry@ofuzzy1.com), November 02, 2001.


oops, forgot the negative in this.

Talk about De'tant, the 'bad' folks would NOT know how many are or are not carring. And EVERYONE would be so polite, a rare thing now a days in the big city.

-- (perry@ofuzzy1.com), November 02, 2001.


perry, I love it. We've mentioned this basic idea before, but the part you add is the "range at the gate." Not only would that improve skills, it would be a great way to pass the time while waiting for the call to board the flight!

-- Andre Weltman (aweltman@state.pa.us), November 02, 2001.

I'll bet the terrorists are jumping with glee at all the havoc they have created at airports all over America. The overreaction has been just awesome. But frightening is the fact that this overreaction has been in the Keystone Kops mold.

-- Uncle Fred (dogboy45@bigfoot.com), November 02, 2001.


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