Airlines can not match inspect all checked bags
 

If you are planning a trip by air in mid January get ready for chaos in the airports! I am talking about lines and delays that make Thanksgiving weekend look like a picnic. Why? The requirement set by congress (in the airline security bill) that the airlines manually open and go through all checked bags if they are not able to do so using a special X ray machine. There is a huge shortage of those machines and it will take years to build enough. So the hand search is required.<BR><BR>Even the US Sec of Transporation says it is impossible and incredible delays will result. He says that we do not have the staff or the equipmentment to do the job. Picture 600,000 travelers flying on 20,000 daily flights add an average of two large check in bags per passenger and a special line where National Guard troops and FAA staff will open and go through everyones bags before they check in for their flight. That will start in mid January 2002.<BR><BR>We might as well check in for our airplane flight 2 weeks ahead of time and sleep in the airport until our flight takes off- if it does. Total chaos, which of course will spell complete finacial ruin for the airlines.

If you wanted complete safety cars would be limited to 20 MPH on the highway.

Go pander your fear and loathing somewhere else Eric.<BR>You know darn well that's not going to happen.<BR>Use your common sense for just a second and tell us how the scenario you described would actually happen. Whenever laws like that are passed, ample time is given for compliance. Think about the cabin door reinforcement mandate. Think about the economic backlash that would hit the air industry. <BR>You've bought into all the media hype which plagues this country.<BR>Ain't gonna happen (as described above).

There are other options to the complete scan. One is to match bags and boarding passes. Some airlines have the ability in some airports to do this though scanning bags and boarding passes. There are other options to complete bags search and scan.

Yeah, I saw Mineta too. What Eric is saying and what the Transportation Secretary are saying don't jive. And I tend to believe Mineta...it just ain't gonna happen so fast!