Airline Security - My Take

I do a fair amount of travelling as part of my job. I've been in and out of foreign airports (including Lagos) and my name (not ME) was once on the no fly list. (It was fun to watch the expressions of the gate agent when checking me in. Some would go white in the face until they verified that I wasn't the guy on the list) I think I can speak with some experience about the recent airline security issue.

Think back to 9/11. The hijackers gained access to a major airport by first passing through security at a small regional airport. When they got to Boston, they were considered to be secure and no further screenings were done.

This guy passed through security in Lagos - an airport whose security is notoriously poor (there used to be warnings about security there at all of the other airports in the world). Once he got to Amsterdam, he was passed on through to his connecting flight.

Do you see the similarities here? The problem exists when passengers transiting between flights in a secure area of the airport ARE ASSUMED TO HAVE BEEN PROPERLY SCREENED!

I have made connections all over the world, and while there is usually a x-ray machine, the screening is not nearly as thorough as the initial screening I received at my departure point. Therefore, if the screening at the departure point is poorly done, the chances are good that someone could pass any further screening.

FWIW, my recommendations are that all passengers transiting from airports with known poor security should receive extra screening before boarding their connecting flight. Airlines should allow more time for connecting flights to allow for the extra time in security screening.

That makes more sense than restricting my access to urinary facilities prior to landing.