Larry

I am convinced that unless people start traveling soon our economy will fail. I am not talking about a economic downturn but a depression. People will lose their jobs in mass, housing prices will fall, etc, etc.

The business of america is based on easy /fast travel. The travel business is a large part of the GNP and the ability of people to get places quickly divides us from third world nations. If we do not travel on business our customers will go away.

Every time people cancel their trips we are putting another nail in the economies coffin.
We really have nothing to fear but fear it self.

Grounded

I disagree. Yes, we are going to take an economic hit from this. But if you are asking that people just trust that the pitiful new airport security measures are enough to protect them, then you are asking a lot.

We'll never see fundamental changes in airport security until people refuse to put up with lax security any more. Sometimes you have to have some upheaval (economic or otherwise) to effect change.

Kelly Robinson

The problem is, as always, the "fixes" they've proposed are nothing but window dressing. They are nothing more than an attempt to make the casual traveller feel safer. If they really want to beef up security, we'd have marshalls on every plane, we'd do away with ALL carryons, we'd hire competant and trained people to run the security checkpoints, etc. Is doing away with curbside check-ins going to do away with terrorists? Is having new, improved X-ray machines without having qualified people running them going to do away with terrorsits? [besides, many airports already have new X-ray machines, but DON'T use them.] C'mon, is asking Grandma if she packed her own bags really going to weed out the terrorists????

PW

Grounded & Kelly: AMEN!!!!

xx

I don't believe armed marshalls are the answer.
Six terrorists can overtake one or two marshalls...and then they would have armed weapons in addition to their knives.
Who's to say that the terrorists can't pose as marshalls? Terrorists come in all sizes, shapes, and races.

Huh?

xx, are you joking?

The guys with the guns will win every time. If the undercover marshalls have guns and the terrorists do not, the hijack will fail. If both the terrorists and the marshalls have guns, anything could happen.

If it's good enough for El Al, it's good enough for me.

Sam

There are many civil liberterian
absolutists who would not sacrifice any personal liberty for safety. Of course, we would all like to have our cake and eat it too: to lose none of our liberties and conveniences while being perfectly safe. We all , however, realize that we
must make a compromise and just where we draw the line is the question.

Many argue that if the price of greatly
increased security in air travel means increasing the cost, effort and time
involved to the point that it will no longer be as accessible to the masses,
that would be an unacceptable price to pay. I vehemently disagree.

While it is certainly nice to have leisure air-travel within the reach of so
many people, it should be realized that it is also possible to live a long,
happy and fulfilling life *without* air travel. ( I propose gov't subsidies for those who would not be able to afford
*essential* air travel, such as visiting relatives, business, seeking medical
care, etc.)

Now I realize that some may argue that those who feel the way I do should simply
avoid air travel ourselves but not deny others the option of highly accesible
yet also highly risky, air-travel. *If* the dangers of air-travel were limited
to those on the plane, then I would say that such an argument could be
reasonable, but as the events of Tuesday have so dramatically and tragically
demonstrated, this is simply not the case.

another xx

Huh:

You are very naive if you believe that the guy with the gun wins every time. One or two men can be overtaken by a group of six (or more) extremists willing to die for their cause. People are taken hostage which makes the 'guy with the gun' much less effective if hostage's lives are at stake.

Huh?

Yes, xx, you are right. Much better to have everyone on the plane unarmed except the terrorists.

I guess the folks running El Al are just complete idiots.

Oh, brother!

just curious

What is El Al?

xx

The point is that NO ONE on a plane should be armed. Guns on planes only provide opportunity.

Daniel Williams

El Al is an Israeli air carrier.

John

And what, pray tell, happens when some of those flying bullets pierce the "skin" of the jet?

BTilke

Getting back to the original questions, many companies have temporarily banned all corporate travel, at least air travel. We have relatives who were planning to come to Paris early next month for a combined business/pleasure trip, but his employer (a large international company) has said no business travel by any staff for the near future. They are waiting and hoping that the travel ban will be lifted before their trip is supposed to take place, but they're not sure.

Huh?

What happens if the bullets pierce the skin of the jet? Two things: the jet depressurizes and may crash, and it does NOT fly into the Capitol, the White House or a skyscraper.

I have yet to hear a pilot or air security expert say that air marshalls are a bad idea. Get on board, people.

xx

If you're not comfortable with air travel, at least consider local travel if only for a few days. Every where in the US, there are places that you can drive to and rent a hotel room and enjoy the local scenery. With hotel workers getting laid off all over the country, we need to ban together and try and filter in some cash into the system.

zippi

My family was considering a trip to Egypt to to see the pyramids not now an escape to Hawaii seems in order

Laci

There are bullets that will kill a terrorist but will not pierce the plane wall - sorry, I don't know the exact name of them but heard about them in a security report the other night - one that suggested that pilots carry firearms with these bullets for protection.

diane

You don't have to FLY to travel. DRIVE to a nearby state and spend some time (and money). Of course, that won't help the airlines avoid bankruptcy, but it will help the hospitality industry, which will help the economy in general. While you're at it ("it" being spending money), go out and buy a new rug or dishwasher.

Face

Best of all, buy a car and encourage all your friends and family to buy big ticket items. Our economy will fall into recession soon if we don't.