After the death of Osama bin Laden - Consider the issue of airport security

Saturday, May 14, 2011 by: Christopher Babayode
Tags: airport security, Bin Laden, health news

(NewsTarget) The promise of a review of airport security hadn't been lost on the International Air Transport Association (IATA) before bin Laden's death. At a media day in December 2010 the Director of Security & Travel Facilitation said "the next generation of security checkpoints should create a total security picture of the traveller rather than relying on object finding". As we all adjust to a world without bin Laden (but not without other extremists) it remains to be seen how airport security changes for the short and long term. In light of the death of Osama bin Laden, will we now see a change in tack to the question of worldwide aviation security?

The promise of a more refined system of keeping our skyways safe is useless unless it takes privacy and health into consideration along with security. Media reports of assaults, groping and inappropriate pat downs are still surfacing.

One recent story is of a former Miss USA who claims to have been violated at Dallas International Airport. The former beauty queen says her sexual organs were touched four times by a TSA agent. The idea of building a total security picture around the traveler can not come too soon! Someone with such a public profile like that would easily be discounted as not a threat.

The inappropriate harassment of travelers particularly the disabled, women and children begs the question: Why aren't total security pictures of travelers being used now to prevent unnecessary violations of travelers' rights?

If security has to become more stringent what can we reasonably expect? As Miss USA rightly asks in her video, if terrorists decide to hide explosives rectally will we then have to submit to anal searches?

Whatever the case, the truth of the matter is that we are no closer to being safer in the sky now that we have gotten rid of the world's number one terrorist. The threat of terror is terror itself and unfortunately that still remains.

Long term health and security of fliers needs those in authority to take stock now not someday in the future. Now is as good a time as any to take stock and change this circus show lest we forget the shoe bomber and the underwear bomber did get through security! The parting question for those who can change things is why wait? Don't we do enough waiting at airports as it is?

There is a saying that you can tell the maturity of a society by how it treats the less fortunate in its midst. While travelers may not necessarily be less fortunate, many, subjected to these searches, are vulnerable.

Sources

Death of Osama bin Laden - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-13...

Miss USA assaulted TSA style - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmADZpqhKhQ

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/03/sus...

Airport security focus on bad people not object finding - http://www.businesstraveller.com/news/airpor...

About the author

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www.jet-stress.com.
The Jet Stress Specialist.