Dallas Dude: Were you recently in Toronto, going to the jogging path near the "N" hotel? An MD-80 pilot told me about the terrible British taxes-worse than I was aware of.
You folks raised many interesting issues. On my sixth day of flying since the attacks, airport security staff (Newark: KEWR) finally noticed my screwdrivers and wrench in the flight bag (and kept them a while)-the week before they did not, but had me put my shoes on the x-ray belt.
Concern is natural (like every time I drive my car in this city or anywhere-it was hit from behind and "totaled" in July). But it still surprises me that so many of the business passengers and even other people are so easily intimidated, when it is my impression that never again would US passengers just sit there if they are aware of a disturbance. The key must be awareness. Our intelligence agencies must be much busier than before, and much better staffed?
According to a very good article today on an aviation news website, even Israel's El Al pilots are NOT armed, but they have solid doors and armed agents in the cabin which are preceded by long passenger interrogations. An El Al pilot commented on how asleep the US has been for so many years. We failed to learn from their terrorist threats many years ago, even though El Al has far fewer flights than many companies. On the other hand, the costs of long interviews and professional screeners would/will be a financial burden.
[ 02 October 2001: Message edited by: Ignition Override ]