Linda, <BR> <BR>I think you missed the point of the question asked by Marjiz - - she wants to know why has it (the ID checking process) always been so LAX - - so DISTANT from the gate. <BR> <BR>There has never been any requirement that the person checking in is actually the person boarding the plane. I think we might all expect to have to show ID again right at the door of the plane. <BR>

Linda, you missed my point. My point is, after showing your drivers license to the agent upon check in ( here in Calif. at Ontario Airport or LAX) you would walk away from the counter and could give your ticket to anyone, it is never checked again before boarding as long as you already have seat assignment. I actually mentioned this to a United Agent this morning, and her response was good question.

Interesting. I always use curb-side check-in, so I have to show my ticket and ID at the curb and again at the gate. But I guess you guys just pointed out another grotesque hole in security.

Another point regarding airports. I think it would be a good idea for only passengers with tickets to go thru the scanner. What real difference does it make that your family actually walk you to the departure gate? I belive in Cleveland that is their policy. It would definitely lessen the load for security checking purses and other bags by persons not traveling.

Plastic bags for carryon items wouldn't work. <BR> <BR>I worked in a store once where you had to carry everything in a plastic bag. Those bags got so full with your wallet, keys, book, tampons, etc. etc. etc. that you couldn't tell what was in the middle of it. <BR> <BR>Besides, who says that a knife or box cutter can't be hidden inside a shoe...or a book inside of the plastic bag. Or plastic explosives inside a wallet. <BR> <BR>Unrealistic, sorry.

Seal the cockpits before the cabin door is closed until after the plane is on the ground and the cabin door is opened. <BR>Without access to the controls at most the plane will be destroyed (which it would be anyhow) but could not be used as a suicide weapon. <BR>

In the "life imitates art" category -- <BR> <BR>Passengers on at least one charter flight hoping to take off from London's Stansted airport for Canada on Thursday were banned from taking their own hand baggage on board, and instead given transparent plastic bags to help prevent the concealment of a weapon. <BR> <BR>http://us.news2.yimg.com/f/42/31/7m/...ghts_dc_3.html

Shell, I disagree. <BR> <BR>Just because the items are in a clear plastic bag does not mean you forego an ex-ray search and hand inspection. The clear (and relatively small) nature of the clear plastic bag prevents hidden pockets that a hand search of a normal bag could miss, and it should speed the search up. If the bag is stuffed such that everything isn't clearly visible, the whole thing gets dumped in a bin for hand inspection. Stuff a razor blade in a show, and it will show right up on X-ray as suspicious. Put plastic explosive in your wallet and . . . well, nothing we do now would catch that either. <BR> <BR>No, the idea isn't perfect, but it is much better than the hit and miss inspection we do now.

High tech companies take a "picture" of your retina and then require you to place your face in front of a scanner so it can match it to your retina ID. There has been talk of doing this on passports to disallow fake passports. This would be installed before every loading gate and you would be required to check in immediately before boarding. <BR>It may not be long before your drivers license, credit cards, etc, all have and use this feature.

other ideas?

well, you can prevent bombs and guns but you cannot prevent crazy people from getting on board. <BR> <BR>there should be a way to screen against the criminal mindset being allowed free & unfettered access to the skies. There is no inalienable right to fly, that I am aware of at any rate. <BR> <BR>how about having to pass a security clearance when you buy a ticket, which is good for one year - must be renewed annually? <BR> <BR> <BR>Beth <BR>

Beth, I agree with you. A license to fly! What a great idea! Judy ;-)

Put yourself in the shoes of someone responsible for administering such a licensing system, Beth and Judy. How would you know not to grant such a license to one of these "sleeper" Al-Qaida "agents"? Or to Timothy McVeigh? <BR> <BR>Rex <BR>

Your tickets already say that you should be at the airport a couple hours before departure. Nobody does it though. So many people show up at the last minute, that the harried agents and security people just whisk them through. You should be REQUIRED to be past security and at the gate at least one hour before deaprture. Any later, and you don't go. We should also impose security similar to the UK and Germany - lots of security people who appear trained (not non-English speaking, rude, bored minimum wage rent-a-cops). They should be doing individual wand searches on every male passenger between 16-50 years of age. Random males should be strip searched to ensure none are wearing anything that might pass for a bomb underneath. <BR> <BR>Airline cabins should be turned into armored compartments with gun-carrying pilots. There should be video cameras on each flight so pilots can see what's going on outside the cabin. (They can also be used for settling Air Rage incidents.)

Plastic bags won't do any good because the terrorists could still hide things in their clothing. Obviously, the majority of travellers aren't killers and aren't going to have any type of weapons on them. I've heard they are checking some people's ID's 3-4 times. <BR> <BR>The license deal wouldn't work either, like someone else said, the terrorists would just get licenses like they got pilot licenses and fake ID's! I think an armed guard needs to be on each plane and the cockpit needs to be more secure. Even then, I would question if the armed guard is the real thing or a terrorist in hiding.

I wasn't necessarily referring to a license per se, as in a driver's license, I mean a real honest to God security check like you need for certain jobs, passing the State Bar (lawyers) that sort of thing. where did you live for the past ten years, where did you work, any criminal records, any affiliations with any shady operations, etc. <BR> <BR>and this is not something to be sorted out at the airport like other last minute security issues. you cannot even get the ticket unless you have one of these things on record (yes, there are privacy issues, but for a job or the bar for instance they do this, to make sure you are not a shady character- why not for a plane? again, no inalienable right to fly...) <BR> <BR>and of course the ticket MUST be in your name/ID number assigned, and if you don't have ID on you at the airport, nope, not getting on that plane. <BR> <BR>you can't go anywhere internationally without a passport so why not another document for all flights, domestic or not... (which, I would PRESUME a passport would supposedly be there to screen for the very thing I am talking about... right? if it is NOT - why not? <BR> <BR>except that a passport is good for ten years, so much can change...

The problem with sealing off the pilot's cabin is that the fiends would take hostages on the plane until the cabin was opened. <BR> <BR>One possible solution would be to have a non-fatal, knockout gas stored in the plane and the minute a hijacking occurred the pilot would push a button knocking out everyone in the main cabin. That way the pilot could keep control of the aircraft. <BR> <BR>Far out? Think of September 11.

I posted this on another post I opened (perspective on flying and hijacking) <BR> <BR>my conversation with a pilot friend of mine... <BR> <BR>******** <BR> <BR>This is not an aviation security issue. <BR>The pilots of those planes had an information problem. If they had known the hijackers were willing to kill themselves, the pilots would have taken whatever action necessary to defend or scuttle the plane. IE: <BR> <BR>(dump the cabin pressurization: hurts a lot and you pass out in about 15 seconds-think Payne Stewart. Perform aerobatics-yes, you can roll and probably loop a jetliner. At the very least, a few negative g pushovers and pull-ups will disrupt anyone standing on their feet. Remember the passengers are mostly seated with seatbelts on. Take off your seatbelt and your in for a wild ride. When the hijinks are through, the passengers are going to beat your ass.) <BR> <BR>this is part of his comments...

Yes, Beth, I agree again. And IF we put up as many hurdles as possible, "permissions to fly", improved cockpit security, random air marshalls, profiling(yes, I said the unPC word) in times of national crisis, than maybe we can all start to travel as we did before (if we have any money to travel if the stock market continues to fall). Judy

ttt for Micia and others.