Got Testosterone? These guys do.

in some of the initial reports i remember hearing that at least one of the plane-to-ground cell phone conversations stated that the terrorists communicated to the passengers that they were going to die and that they should call their loved ones on their phones and say their goodbyes. i only heard this once and haven’t seen it printed anywhere, so it could be false. but i can’t help but wonder how dozens of people be able to “sneak” four and even five cell phones calls during the hijacks unless they were allowed to. kevo

As a long time airline employee, I feel it necessary to clarify a few points. First, those people screening your bags making $6/hr are NOT airline employees. They are contract security hired by the airports. So a weapon getting through the screening is in no way the fault of the airlines. We do not search carry on bags. What is “legal” to carry on an airplane is determined by the FAA, not the individual airline.

Second, those who keep suggesting that the cockpit be sealed or there be no door etc. Pray tell me what the flight crew is supposed to do if there were a fire in the cockpit?? Sit there and die? Jump out the window at 30,000 feet?? Not to mention they do have to pee like the rest of us. Are they supposed to hold it all the way from SFO to Tokyo? Piss in a pail in the cockpit? Additionally, flight attendants need to be able to enter the cockpit to disseminate information to the flight crew. Mechanics need access on the ground to update maintenance logs. And there are crew changes as well where terminating flight crews need to exit the aircraft. Sealing the cockpit is not an option. Stronger doors, yes.

Thirdly, no matter how many extra security measures are being implemented, (and there are several which is going to make flying even more of a hassle) the bottom line is this kind of thing simply cannot be 100% guaranteed to never happen again. A hijacker can succeed without any weapons. Flight crews are trained to comply with their demands so as to avoid confrontation and harm to the passengers. The pilot is not going to play Rambo and start getting people killed in midair. Nor is any 110lb flight attendant going to do a Charlie's Angels and take on five hijackers. The safety of the passengers is always numero uno.

As far as armed officers on all flights—that will cost a LOT. How much are you willing to pay for an airline ticket? Plus, that means there is a loaded firearm on every flight, increasing the opportunity for someone to get hold of it. Policeman sometimes have had their own weapons used on them.

Most of the extra security measures implemented are to assuage the public’s paranoia. The airlines are being hit hard by this. Northwest and Continental are cutting flights and laying off. Midway went out of business. Terminating curbside checkin will put thousand of skycaps out of work. They made their moola off tips at curbside. This has devastated the industry.

People routinely get pissed off at the airlines (“air rage”) when they enact some directive from the FAA. What will they do now?

You take a risk anytime you step on a plane. Same with a train or bus or automobile. Or go to a post office or McDonald’s. You neverknow when some crackpot will shoot up the place. Yet no one calls for arming burger flippers or postal clerks.

Air travel and airline employment has changed forever.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt made a great statement that sums this up…

“We would rather die on our feet than live on our knees.”

Wonder how many of us would do that if faced with the grim reality of a similar situation?