but No Guarantees, there are no guarantees. We can't make the world perfectly safe. I believe that we are trying to improve airport security. But you know what - even when we think we have it right, some nut will prove us wrong. That's why they're nuts. They think outside the box, so to speak. Plus, as fanatics, they will find a way because they have a "mission". Knowing this shouldn't paralyze us, however. let's go on with our lives. Let's also make sure our congress people hear from us if we think that security isn't made strong enough. But let's start travelling again.

I think you can gauge the risk between routes and cities pretty well, but sure anything can happen anywhere. I completely agree that security needs to be uniformly good. That is why it must be a federal program. One thing that concerns me is that someone could go through an airport with bad security and then not even be checked over again before transferring to another flight at a major airport with better security.

Dan: That's what the hijackers did. They boarded commuter flights, then by-passed security at the big airports completely.

With that kind of thinking, and all the drunk drivers that are allowed on the roads, maybe you shouldn't drive or ride in a car again.

Security should be beefed up to include fingerprinting scans, retina scans or photo scans that will be connected to FBI, CIA, INS, Interpol and other computer systems. You do this when you check in and when you enter the plane so no swithcheroos could be done. The same thing should be done to your luggage and if the individual has luggage on the plane, has checked in and is not on that plane -the engines do not start. Known criminals or those on FBI type watch lists-no flying and detainement if you are not an American citizen or are an American criminal(might catch a few overdue on their child support or those having outstanding arrest warrents). In other words make this a part of law enforcement instead of Joe rent a cop. Have security through the military and government as many airports in Europe(the machine guns made me think before saying anything to anyone) have and you must go through scanning and bomb detection each segment of your flight just in case Homer missed it on the first leg into your hub. <BR> <BR>Do the people that are afraid to fly no longer go into government buildings or skyscrapers because of some of the terrorists before the Sept. 11th incident? Do you no longer take the subway because subways have been terrorized in other countries now that you know terrorism could strike here at home. Do you not go to restaraunts or nightclubs that could be terorized because this has happened in other countries? I don't live my life in what if's and I certainly won't fear any of these other things until these events are weekly/daily occurences, then I will be fearful because it would be out of control. <BR> <BR>Fear is an adaptive mechanism. If you don't go to work you fear losing your job and your livlihood. If you break the law you will likely be arrested/fined/do time in the pen. Anytime fear overcomes reason then it becomes maladaptive and this is just what the terrorists want you to do. They can then cause you to adapt to living with you looking over your shoulder until you feel comfortable again and then strike again to create terror. This is why we have to put them on guard, arrest those individuals that are involved and even as GW says get em dead or alive. This way we can go back to a life with a semblance of normalcy, but life will never again be normal.

I agree with L...the threat was ALWAYS there, we just chose to ignore it since it hadn't yet happened. Now that we are responding with more realistic security measures we are probably safer than we were previously.

All of the talks about the necessity of beefing up airport security and making it a federal responsibility are totally on target. One of the reasons I will feel safe flying in the future, though, is that the pattern these terrorists follow is to not do the same thing twice. They found our weak spot and exploited it. They're moving on to bigger and better things, finding more weak spots. Now our newly created homeland defense official has to think outside the box and figure out what these spots may be...

Lizzie, <BR> <BR>Another huge gaping hole in the U.S. is the pitiful attempts to screen luggage for bombs. So no, the terrorists probably won't hijack planes with box-cutters and fly them into skyscrapers. They'll probably just blow the plane out of the sky in a more straightforward manner. If they do this anytime soon, it will have the effect of finishing off the air travel industry. <BR> <BR>Has anyone heard Bush say anything like, "Hey, guys. It's perfectly safe to fly, and we have security to provide a reasonable level of protection. I'd put my daughters on a plane now and not even worry about it"? If they can't even say the words, I won't be flying until they convince me of it.

Actually, someone did ask Bush that very question, and he answered yes. I was watching the press conference on television. As for the lack of screening for bombs in luggage, were you refusing to fly before Sept. 11? The risk was JUST as great then.