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Sunday, December 27, 2009

This is Getting Ridiculous

Strangely enough, Scott and I flew on Northwest Airlines through the Detroit Airport twice this week.  In light of the news of the attempted terrorist attack on a Northwest Airlines flight into Detroit I felt particularly interested in the story.  The details in the news reports are a bit sketchy so far, but flying back home on Sunday I really felt like we were reaching a new level of ridiculous in air safety.  I think the folks who want to do harm will find no end of ways to cause trouble.  Until we chain everyone into their seats naked we probably won't be able to stop everyone.  Think about the weapon that could be made out of a nail file or a ball point pen. 
 We were told in our flight to NYC from Detroit that we weren't going to be able to leave our seats for an hour prior to landing.  Since we'd just barely made the connecting flight by running (yes again) to make the plane, we didn't have time to stop and go to the bathroom or grab food etc.  So the flight time of 1 hour and 8 minutes just barely gave me enough time for a bathroom break.  What if the flight had been 59 minutes?  Would they have made me pee my pants?  I read in a New York Times Article that the new restrictions might require people to keep their laps free of objects as well.  They didn't tell us about or try to enforce that rule.  But like I said, if someone is really trying to do damage they're not going to be bothered by that rule or any rules.  I took a few classes on terrorism in college and basically we concluded that terrorists "win" by creating an aura of fear that makes people change their habits in disproportion to the action of the terrorists.  One man on one plane means that everyone everywhere has to pay to feel like a prisoner trapped in their seat.  The new rules are ineffective and they just hand victory to the bad guys.  I'm just hoping that this knee jerk reaction is followed by moderation similar to the liquids ban turning into a fewer liquids rule.

Rant over.

Here are a few pictures to prove I saw winter this year.  Also The Book Shoppe is Scott's mom's store.  It's adorable.  She lives upstairs and the store is downstairs.  Best of all it's on the main street in town named, get this, Story Street!

From Christmas 2009 Iowa

From Christmas 2009 Iowa

5 comments:

  1. I hear some people have even resorted to riding trains and such!

    Flying out in ~14 hours - wish me luck.

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  2. I'm way behind on my blog reading (and posting, obviously), so I just got to this, but soon I will live with you and that's a whole new level of blog following, which will be more like stalking. Anyhoo, did you know that in first class on airplanes they give you METAL BUTTER KNIVES? I'm pretty sure I could poke someone's eye out with those. Also, free alcohol. Those two could be a deadly combination.

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  3. I just want you all to know that
    The above is loosely translated as "It is like your tribal grand style, look forward to your updates." But the name is the equivalent of "celebrate" so I don't know who I know that writes in Chinese. Well done Mr. Atom.

    ReplyDelete
  4. 4 browsers and all I see are hex codes =\

    ReplyDelete
  5. It looks like chinese writing to me.

    ReplyDelete

Recap Defined

ri•cap 1 (rē-kāp') Pronunciation Key tr.v. ri•capped, ri•cap•ping, ri•caps
1. a summary at the end that repeats the substance of a longer discussion
2. To replace a cap or caplike covering on: recapped the camera lens.
3. Ri - a female given name: derived from Adrienne.