Each pound of steel door is one pound less of passenger or cargo.  Which
translates to fewer passenger-miles, and either less revenue for the
airlines (already loosing money),  or higher ticket prices.  Airbus and
Boeing go to extremes to get the weight of the planes down because each
pound additional is a significant cost over the 20 year life of the plane.
Because the crew's food and bathrooms are on the passenger's side of the
cabin -- the door would get opened eventually.

In the case of last weeks hijackings the steel door won't have made any
difference.  In the past the pilots have generally gone along with the
demands of the hijackers - believing that the plane will land on a runway,
passengers will be let off and there would be a minimal loss of life.  Last
weeks hijackers were killing the passengers/crew one at a time until the
door was opened up.  The pilot/co-pilot would have even opened up the steel
door.

A better deterrent would be sky marshals - again $$$.  Or installing video
cameras in the cabins that the crews through out the plane can monitor the
passengers in all cabins and back of the plane.  If they spot something
unusual, they should be able to declare a "mayday" and cause the video to
be transmitted live to the air controllers/or monitoring.  The video
cameras would let the law enforcement understand what is happening and who
they are dealing with.

The planes should be modified such that the transponders CAN NOT be shut
off easily.  That added to the confusion last week.

With the new tactics by the hijackers,  the crew needs to learn new steps
to control possible terrorist,  including allowing the crew to carry AND
use pepper spray.  Keep passengers in the seats and execute something
exotic like climbing to 20,000 feet and dropping cabin pressure,
performing a barrel roll... (imagine the mess that would make).  Yes people
would get hurt by such maneuvers, BUT   it would offer the pilot/crew a
method to get the control of the situation away from the hijackers and back
in  the proper  hands.

If a terrorist hijacking is going on,  passengers and crews would need to
understand that they would be shot down!  As such fighting back (like
flight 93) is as better option than reaming passive.  The removable
flotation device (your seat cushion) makes a great shield against a box
knife.  While a belt+buckle is a pretty good weapon.   And a pitcher of
scalding hot water in the face of a hijacker would even the odds.  The
hijackers succeed because they can control the situation.  Eliminate their
ability to control the situation and we will have fewer hijackings.

Congress needs to recognize the passengers on flight 93 as heroes.  They
(or the FAA) need to enact regulations that allow crew and passengers to
use deadly force on a plane in such cases.  AND if passengers get hurt.
Passenger lawsuits against the airlines in the case of anti terrorist
activities should be banned.

I am a little concerned about the extreme rules that the FAA is considering
for the contents of the carry on.  Banning plastic forks and knives seems a
little crazy.  And I certainly don't want the airlines using that as an
excuse to offer only peanuts on the planes.

One carry on item?  Sounds great for business travel doesn't it.  Check the
laptop?

I'd heard they are even considering banning finger nail clippers.  Heck,
my belt and buckle could make a pretty nasty weapon... and I doubt that
anybody that has ever met me would like to see what happens when my belt is
removed :-)  (perhaps they would have surrendered if they had to endure the
sight of me without my pants....)

Will the new security slow down the hijacking of commercial jets?
Probably,  but remember that the hijackers were certified in twin engine
planes.  Load up five or six twin engine planes with a bunch  15# propane
tanks and oxygen bottles,  and fly them into the one of the world towers
and you'd have the same results.  Without having to pass all the airport
security checks!

Going after all the terrorist training camps, and wiping out the leaders
will certainly help for the short term -- a year or two, but it will also
result in more generations of terrorists with a chip on their shoulders
because they've lost their father, brother or uncle...  when I saw the
pictures of the Palestine's celebrating in the streets last Tuesday, I
found it both sad and scary when you realize that were many individuals in
those pictures that will die in a suicide attack!

If we want the circle of violence to stop, we need the help of the Islamic
community to strongly condemn the individuals that use such violent tactics
to fight for their cause.  We need the Islamic community to teach and
convince their young adults that dying in a suicide attack is NOT honorable
- and that they will not sit at the right hand of God.  We need the Islamic
community to assist in the tracking down members of sleeper terrorist
cells.  We need the Islamic community to assist in the identification of
the terrorist and their prosecution.

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