Of course the airport could keep baby formula there, courtesy of the American taxpayer, and substitute it for any baby formula that someone was attempting to bring along. But no. We'd rather spend the money on exotic foreign aid programs that don't benefit us in any way.
Silly me. Of course we benefit from sending tons of taxpayer money overseas. We're being very nice, and that should be reward enough, right? And perhaps this will influence them to view us favorably. We know how much we need to incur the goodwill of the hottentots.
But I digress.
As a columnist points out in today's St. Pete Times, we're allowed to bring nail scissors onboard planes, but not lipstick. I'm thinking that our Rule Makers have Natasha in mind here (from Rocky & Bullwinkle). Please let me know what I'm missing, but lipstick seems to be a poor delivery system for a serious bomb.The Rule Makers are probably being paid massive salaries to come up with this constantly revised list. Why don't we fire them, and use the money we save to provide baby formula on all planes (thus eliminating the possibility of any liquid bombs).
We can fire the Rule Makers by simplifying the luggage rules. Clothing, books, and necessary electronics (such as computers) only. There, see how easy that is? We act as if there isn't a drugstore at the other end of every flight. I will go out on a limb here and assure both the American public and the Rule Makers that once a plane has landed, every passenger on board will be able to procure what they need.
16 comments:
I have a few problems with this liquids ban. For one, airplanes are like deserts and on long international flights, I can't survive on the little 4 oz shots of ice and fluids they serve me once in awhile. Leaving the bottle or can seemed to disappear with the cost cutting of recent years. For me, taking along extra fluids is essential.
Second, on longer flights, I like to take drugs to sleep during the flight. This includes liquid codeine.
Third, now that I have a baby, taking her on a flight to see mom (20 hours of flight time away) is impossible without any formula or the 4 oz limit restriction that I read recently. She eats 4 oz every two to three hours which doesn't get us very far.
To me, it seems what makes the most sense it to have the liquid holder to drink from their bottle of whatever before boarding. Watch them for adverse reactions and act appropriately.
I'm all for the Israeli approach of behavior profiling. Confiscating a lipstick from an old woman is probably not as big of concern as a sweating man of arabic decent carrying a bottle of liquid from which he isn't drinking.
I think we should go the opposite direction and allow people to carry whatever they want onboard, even guns. Especially guns. I'd like to see a terrorist hijack a plane coming out of Dallas, Texas.
WEll, if someone is to provide baby formula it should be the airline as a service to it's customers rather than the government. The airlines are a business, let them recruit and supply their customers, not me.
As for lipstick, it actually wouldn't be all that hard to form an explosive or explosive component into a stick, color it, and put it in a lipstick tube.
Have you seen the photos where they confiscate the "dangerous" liquids and dispose of them by pouring them all together into a trash can right in the middle of the crowd? Yeah, they are really expecting something explosive or poisonous, aren't they? It woudl be really tempting to throw in a pack of Mentos just to see what would happen.
I am all about water!! Without it on a plane I am going to be miserable... i hope that they figure that one out soon... like I don't know.. make me drink some of it.
Foreign Aid is the responsibility of any first world democracy. You help those less fortunate than yourself. It is right and just, and if you think there is ill will towards the US now imagine the global scorn if you sent no aid?
I am for safety but I think that they let the terrorists win every time they react this way to "plots." The disruption to people's lives is just as effective as if a plane was blown up.
Scott
Some of the things people stick in their carry on surprises me...I mean you get your checked bags as soon as you get off the plane...Why do you need scissors or nail files...I've never seen anyone or even myself recalled a time where I NEEDED a pair of scissors on the plane. Well there was that one time I was having serious issues getting my peanuts open, but that's what teeth are for!!
you'd think baby formula makers and water distributors would be clamouring to be the airlines' official suppliers.
this is just another great reason to breast feed.
...at least until the terrorists try to smuggle explosives in breast implants!
Saur,
I know a lot about chemicals and I could hide poisonous gas in most any container. I released some poisonous gas on a plane once and the lady next to me almost died.
see my mom is one of those people who thinks it is a hassle to not be able to bring stuff on the plane. i personally have no problem not being able to bring anything but a book or have every person be searched. i dont care how old, or whaat someone looks like, search em all. its for our safety. travel is not a necessity - it is an option. you are not required to do it, so you have to be willing to put up with the things that go along with it. even if it is for work- you could always work somewhere else. and if you say that the money wouldnt be as good- thats a choice too. so i agree with you. dont let any thing on the planes and provide things like formula or water on the plane. and youre right - there are stores at every airport.
I recently flew and took a picture of a trash bin by security that was full of items people had to throw away. One person even threw out condoms: and I dont think they had to.
In any event, you can keep doing this all you want. No liquids, no solids, no clothes, no electronics. But that still wont stop terrorism. Playing defense will never work. You have to go and get rid of the terrorists, and the source of new terrorists. That is the only thing that can work. Rest assured, if I can think of plans right now to blow up jets (hermetically sealed explosive in a laptop battery for example), the terorrists can also. For all the talk, what has bush done to help fight the terrorists? Name one thing that really worked.
Ah, C4 can come in all packages. Lipstick even.
Things have gotten ridiculous. Why can't airlines supply formula?? Oh, yeah. It's all about the almighty dollar.
LMAO at Grant...
Maybe they don't want the women waiting for their planes breastfeeding in public view.
That makes folks awefully uncomfortable. :0}
No lipstick because it could be a red wax coating over a depleted uranium rifle shell that goes into the modified crutch gun brought on board by that fiendishly clever terrorist al-McGyver.
Grant, as someone from Texas, lemme say that I'm not sure which I find scarier, the idea of being on plane full of terrorists, or being on a plane full of armed Texans.
Last week I flew 4 ocean crossings between the US and Frankfurt Germany. Luckily as a uniformed crewmember, I was not affected by the liquids ban. But I do think it's ridiculous how the gov't and the media try to scare everybody with this bullshit. Those "terrorists" were not even close to executing their plan. The bombs used in the London attack were mixed very carefully in advance, because of the volatility. It's highly unlikely that it could be mixed on the airplane.
Taking passengers' toothepaste, hairspray and Starbucks coffees is not going to make airtravel safer! But don't get me started!
BTW, as a mom and frequent traveler, I agree with bandmom that powdered formula is the way to go, no matter what silly rules are in effect.
The point being, all these bans are not to deter terror at all but to make people feel as if something is being done at some level when in reality a determined attack is unstoppable.
A scared population is one under control.
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