Somewhat more modest

A poster on another board, amid fulminations, has proposed something else.

Given that:
1) Many states have passed concealed-carry laws for firearms;
2) In general, "civilians" tend to be more responsible gun owners than police officers (why? ordinary people have guns because they like them; they practice with them a lot. For police officers, qualifying with a firearm is a once a year ritual (if that) and in between, practice time is taken out of either personal, off-duty time or time they should be on the street)

Therefore --

The airlines should allow anyone who's been issued a concealed-carry permit and taken a course in gun use aboard airplanes to board the plane with a concealed weapon, bypassing the checks to do so. Guns carried aboard planes should have Glaser ammo, which fragments on impact and is much less likely to damage the aircraft structure [a danger which is overblown, IMO]

Police officers [with ID] and military personne [with ID and qualification papers; qualification in smallarms only, please] should have the same privilege.

The original poster suggested that they should get a free ticket. Probably not; with the additional bark added to the security, the ability to bypass the magnetometer would be enough initiative to get me off my butt to get my concealed carry license. (They might offer an upgrade to first class, so as to be near the cockpit)

That would work. It means the only gun carriers on planes would have been checked to a fare-the-well, and, more important, would have some training. It also means any hijacker would generally get a warm reception; as I said, an upgrade to first class and permission to avoid the search would get my attention.

Closing the barn door after the horse is gone, I know.

Kay Bailey Hutchison is proposing reinstating the Air Marshal program from the 1970's.

I see the current efforts by the FAA as a band aid on an artery.

I like the idea of Air Marshals, but one guy isn't going to successfully defend a plane against 4-5 hijackers. I like the idea of allowing "responsible gun owners", soldiers/officers, law enforcement to be allowed to carry guns on airplanes provided they don't have a criminal record, they don't drink inflight, and that the pilot is aware of exactly who has guns. And yes, maybe they even get 1st class.

The other thing I keep saying is that carry-on luggage has to go away. I know it's unpopular to think about that, but unless every bag is hand checked by security prior to entering the gate area, ( something we cannot afford to do in the cost of time with medium sized/large bags ), then we cannot be sure that our poor scanning procedures we use today will prevent an attack.

Those are the procedures I think will ultimately be implemented. Carry on bags will be limited to purses (smaller than 9x12x4 inches) or something the size of a 2" binder. Laptops/electronics must be checked. (Hence creating a market for ruggedized laptops.) All of the items in this purse are hand checked.

The FAA keeps tightening "airport" security by removing 1 hour parking, preventing family members from entering the gate area, etc., but these are ineffective. Forcing all passengers to check practically all of their luggage is the answer. That way, the amount of the stuff in the cabin of the plane is limited to items that have been hand verified by security personnel.

And we need to make a security personnel job a "professional" position, with pay and benefits like a police officer, not a fast food server.

Security is serious business, and we need to treat it that way.

Glen Austin

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