Our precious carry-on fluids
By Thoreau
Although details are all preliminary, it appears that a terrorist did indeed try to blow up an airplane and harm a number of people equal to several Afghan wedding parties. A few facts to keep in mind:
1) Whatever it is that he did or tried to do, he didn’t hurt anybody other than himself. Let’s not get TOO scared yet of the terrors posed by liquids. (Would it be wrong to wish that more terrorists set their own legs on fire?)
2) Although he flew through international airports, which (as I understand it) all screen for liquids, security apparatuses failed to stop him from trying to do what he tried to do.
3) Passengers, on the other hand, managed to subdue him. So, our score is 1-0 passengers-security.
Despite these facts, I’m quite confident that this Sunday when I fly again the TSA will do really stupid things that won’t actually accomplish any good. However, in keeping with the wishes of our commentariat, I will be polite to people who do stupid and intrusive things in exchange for money. Not because I believe it’s the right thing to do, but because I suspect that the Loyal Workers and Peasants will be on hair-trigger alert and I don’t really want to wind up in Gitmo. I might be rude as a matter of principle, but I’m not stupid.
Would it be too much to ask that the security apparatus use this thing called a “brain”? If we really are in danger, using our brain is probably better than not using it. And if we aren’t in danger, using our brain will keep us from doing pointless things.
Comment by Doctor Memory —
December 26, 2009 @ 2:57 am
Would it be too much to ask that the security apparatus use this thing called a “brain”?
The old saw about the IQ of a crowd having the upper bound of the dumbest guy in it applies double (at least) to bureaucracies in general: I can’t imagine how bad it is at one where you can make a plausible argument that mistakes will actually kill people. (Well, I probably can, but I’d rather not.)
It took several decades of regular IRA bombings for the British to develop a more or less sane daily approach to these things. I’m marginally optimistic that us colonials will figure it out as well, but it’ll probably take just as much time if not longer — the UK in 1955 didn’t really have the option of responding via invasion. (…of Paraguay, to make the metaphor complete.)
Pingback by Detroit Terror Plot —
December 26, 2009 @ 9:59 am
[...] Thoreau: 1) Whatever it is that he did or tried to do, he didn’t hurt anybody other than himself. Let’s not get TOO scared yet of the terrors posed by liquids. (Would it be wrong to wish that more terrorists set their own legs on fire?) [...]
Comment by mds —
December 26, 2009 @ 4:16 pm
Weren’t passengers sorta already on the scoreboard? United Flight 93 might not count as an actual win, but on American Flight 63, Richard Reid was subdued by passengers while bumbling a detonation. Whereupon security decided that making people take off their shoes was the answer.
Or are you subtracting points for passengers who shriek about other Muslim-looking passengers getting up to use the bathroom, viewing porn, etc.?
Comment by michigander —
December 26, 2009 @ 6:48 pm
Michigander eyewitness account of the Nigerian was able to board WITHOUT A PASSSPORT in the netherlands !!!
http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2009/12/flight_253_passenger_says_at_l.html
OOPSY DAISY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Comment by joe from Lowell —
December 26, 2009 @ 7:10 pm
So, and old lady is going to take her first trip by airplane, to visit her grandchildren. She’s a little nervous about flying, so she decided to bring her knitting to keep her occupied.
She’s already confused about what she’s supposed to do as she walks up to the security gate, when a large TSA guy steps in front of her and announces, “You can’t bring that on the airplane.”
She’s confused, and a little deaf. “What? I can’t go on the airplane?”
He points at her knitting bag: “You can’t bring that on the airplane. You can go, but you have to leave that here.”
“You…you mean my knitting? Why can’t I bring my knitting on the airplane?” She’s bewildered.
“It could be dangerous to the other passengers,” he tells her. By this point, people are starting to stare.
“How…how could my knitting be dangerous to other passengers?” she asks.
“Well,” he tells her sagely, “You could knit an Afghan.”
Comment by mds —
December 27, 2009 @ 3:36 pm
Zoolander eyewitness account of the Scotsman was able to board WITHOUT PANTS in his nether regions !!!
[NSFW link omitted]
WHOOPTY DOODY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!