Correspondent James Fallows of the Atlantic wrote this particularly sensible commentary on terrorism and threats on a plane in criticism of his own magazines story found here.  First, let me say that Fallows is dead on right.

After 10 years, we are still engaging in security theater in airports and on aircraft.  After 10 years we still cite “terrorism” as the reason to give up constitutional rights.  After 10 years, people, particularly in the United States, are still being ninnies.

If you’re actually thinking about threats that could originate from the extraordinarily improbably and what they mean to you as a passenger on an airplane, please do us all favor:  Don’t fly.

I’m not kidding.  Stay away from air travel.  You’re too stupid to act in common sense if there ever was an emergency.  You are, no doubt, the person who blocks people trying to exit a burning aircraft while you debate on whether or not to grab your laptop.

If you want to support being sexually assaulted prior to boarding an aircraft, you’re too stupid to juggle a single ball in the air.  And you’re unable to responsible evaluate threats in your life.

Mind you, I’m not telling you the highly improbable can’t happen.  It can.  However, the likelihood of you being a victim of a aircraft hijack is an order of magnitude less than the likelihood of you being the victim of a pigeon pooping on your shoulder.   Are you running around suspicious of a pigeon and its intent to do harm to your suit?

If you take the position that you have a real and tangible probability of experiencing terrorism in the United States, you could do everyone a very big favor by becoming housebound and staying out of everyone else’s way.  You’re an inhibitor of commerce, freedom and the ability to get off the damn airplane in a timely manner.

Filed under: security by ajax
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