So rarely does something I read cause me to yell “YES YES YES!” the way that this commentary did, I figured I’d share it here. The article addresses the ridiculous and ever-growing measures which the US (and consequently other countries) is taking in the name of preventing terrorism attacks on airplanes.
For years I’ve been drunkenly expounding on this subject at cocktail parties to anyone who will listen, but I’ve never managed to sum up my ideas as eloquently as Campos does. Here’s the crux:
It might be unrealistic to expect the average citizen to have a nuanced grasp of statistically based risk analysis, but there is nothing nuanced about two basic facts:
(1) America is a country of 310 million people, in which thousands of horrible things happen every single day; and
(2) The chances that one of those horrible things will be that you’re subjected to a terrorist attack can, for all practical purposes, be calculated as zero.
Zero sounds like a perfectly acceptable level of risk to me! So why is it that I and millions of other travelers must be presented with ever-increasing numbers of hoops through which to jump every time we want to get on an airplane? Why is it considered a good use of time (and resources) for security personnel to hand-check whether my Sigg bottle is completely empty, but having higher speed limits is worth the additional deaths because motorists’ time is so damn precious? And why is it OK for the government to now take and store naked pictures of us in the name of reducing an already-infinitesimal risk? Would you be willing to let the government take naked photos of you if the stated reason was reducing your risk of death by flying tortoise?
In other news, there’s a lot of snow in Germany (via TQE).
I agree it's safer to fly than drive!! Loving all the snow in Germany right now…In Bremen last year one morning of snow this year it just keeps coming. Happy New Year Jul!
What enrages me is that both this most recent moron and the "liquids" plot that left us dumping our water wouldn't have worked anyway – they're panicking over fantasies. I shudder what to think they'd do to passengers if I threatened to take down a plane with my pet unicorn.
Frau – Happy New Year! It hasn't stopped snowing all day here, either.
Mark – Don't you dare! My pet unicorn hates being put in the hold. Don't mess things up and get him banned from the cabin.
Yes. Yes. Yes. Thank you! I've about had it with the "better safe than sorry" crap. I have a one-year-old and a two-year-old, which just makes me very aware that these restrictions – especially the new ones – are just completely impossible for anyone but the most able-bodied adult. For crying out loud, I spent one pregnant flight vomiting most of the way across the Pacific – I don't think the salariman next to much would have appreciated my remaining in my seat for the last hour of the flight. Will anyone with any political clout ever have the courage to say the emperor has no clothes? (I doubt it!)
Anyway. I'm mostly lurking now, but didn't have the self-control for a drive-by-rant. 🙂
Schneier calls it "the underpants of mass destruction" http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2010/01/my_second_cnnco.html
I agree that the whole thing is pretty stupid. If they really wanted to catch terrorists, they should listen when the terrorists' fathers come forward. Instead, they want to take naked photos of us…
Anyhow, great snow in Switzerland too!
I was surprised, on my flight from Newark to London this weekend, that although I was all but strip searched, the lady beside me was allowed to bring on knitting needles, albeit wooden ones. If I am not allowed to bring on tweezers, why is she allowed to bring on long stabbing devices?
It is such a mess!
I love the name of this post, it says it all.
The day we began changing the way we live just because of the actions of a small percentage of crazies, then the crazies win.
Amen. Great article.
Airplanes seem to be a funny sensitive spot where people really get nailed with frenzy.
On the one hand, I travel a fair amount and I know how to configure my belongings for the maximum efficiency through security.
On the other hand, I like my tweezers and live in fear that I will have a brain fart while packing and get them taken away.
The fact that this most recent poor little rich kid (I call him the Fruit of the Boom-er)made it through security and through the various watchlists with his PETN panties makes me livid. His DAD squealed on him and it didn't blip anyone's 'dar in the lumbering, many-headed security monster we have now.
I'm not scared to fly. I probably should be – the AMS/DTW flight is one that I have taken before and probably will again. I'm more blinded with rage that people are losing their shit over the wrong issue. And some of the rage is for my tweezers, too.
Ok, the naked picture thing? SO creepy.
Personally I don't mind reducing my stash of lipgloss when I board an airplane, but I HATE having to take off my shoes and walk barefoot in the airport, which IMO is just disgusting and bothers me to no end, especially in summer when more people are barefoot and sweaty and… yuck.
Hii, Just came to your blog through Dave's blog on NL..Nice to know another fellow expat blogger, will be catching up more on your blog soon!!
Completely agree – it’s ridiculous how much our freedoms have been cut down just because of the hyped and inflated fear of terrorism. I remember when this first came around and they made me scan my chap stick. How g*#&@mn dangerous could 5 grams of chap stick possibly be!?