Just Do It!

By: Tally Briggs - Actress at Large

What the hell is Bush waiting for? No, I am not referring to him launching all the 'Big Toys', I am talking about federalizing airport security. It seems he is doing almost everything else, ramping up the Air Marshall program, installing more secure cockpit doors, even deploying the National Guard to have a presence in the major airports. Ok, not bad. But what good are the National Guard really going to do standing around with automatic weapons when they aren't the ones who are sitting at the baggage scanners and looking for the "danger items"?

I have never been a good flyer. I was fine as a little kid, because I thought we were traveling to a different planet. When my parents and I would fly from Riverside's Flabob airport aboard Bonanza Airlines to Las Vegas, I also thought that the states would be different colors like the puzzles and maps I used to have as a child. That when you flew from brown California and crossed the state line into Nevada, you'd see the boarder since Nevada was purple. But as I grew older, and realized the devastation of mechanical failure, bad weather, or countless other disasters which could occur, my fear developed into a monster with a mind of it's own. Even though I know, living in Southern California that I risk my life on a daily basis driving on the endless L.A. freeways, and that it is far safer to fly anywhere in an airplane, it doesn't ease my fears completely.

No, I have been the queen of the "extra-shot-for-a-dollar-more" bloody marys at the airport bars before departure. The odd thing is that I have always felt far safer on overseas flights on international carriers. I have never experienced the fear on a flight from LAX to Heathrow on Virgin Atlantic or British Airways the way I do on a United flight from Burbank to Denver. Perhaps it's the comfort of knowing the international carriers are far more meticulous when it comes to security. Or maybe it's just the fact the alcohol and headphones are free. Lately however, I have become better at flying. More relaxed, not as stressed, even when we hit major turbulence from Vegas to Burbank, I was able to continue reading my in-flight magazine hysteria free. Then came 9/11/01. Well, just kiss my courage good-bye.

For some time now I have been unconsciously aware, far away in the back of my mind, that airport security is not what it should be. I must have been in complete denial, seeing, but yet not allowing it to permeate my conscious thought or else I never would have boarded a plane. The holes in security were painfully apparent to anyone who was willing to look and see them for what they are. The staff, woefully and obviously underpaid, overworked, and under trained. Let's face it, as nice as these people are, and I do commend them tremendously for that, since they must receive enormous amounts of abuse being in such a public service position, should we trust them with National Security? Should we trust anyone with National Security other than the Government? It is National Security we are talking about, as it concerns our ports. Even Las Vegas and Denver are International points of entry.

By privatizing, and/or leaving this to the airlines or airports, which are already financially strapped to the point of bankruptcy, means continuing to bottom line the most important aspect - security. Everyone who comes in contact with the aircraft should be under some kind of federal jurisdiction. From the security staff, to the cleaning crew and caterers, all should be accountable. They should be well paid, have great benefits, and strive for the lowest turnover possible, with plenty of room for advancement, not hoping to get hired at the terminal Burger King in order to get a better paying job. There should be enough staff at security scanners so there is always more than one pair of eyes scanning bags, just in case one person is momentarily distracted, the other can be a backup. There should also be enough staff so that no one spends too much time in any one position long enough for fatigue to set in. They should not have a quota of 5 seconds to screen a bag, security personnel in Europe admit it takes a minimum of 12-15 seconds to scan a bag, and even that may not be enough. It may take upgrading the equipment from the bag scanners to the human scanners.

Why isn't the government jumping all over this? One guess. Cash. Bush is too busy continuing to push more tax cuts for the rich to stimulate the economy. How he figures this is going to work is quite beyond me. These people already have money. If they were going to invest, they already would be. Giving them more money to do what they already have the capital to do, but are not, is a waste of time and money. It doesn't take a financial genius to figure out that you give money to people who are dying to spend it: The lower and middle classes who are currently living paycheck to paycheck, if they still have jobs.

I for one would gladly give back my tax advance to have safer aviation in this country. I'd also happily pay more taxes for better National Security. Hell, I am ready, next time I fly, to walk up to the first security checkpoint and declare:

"Hi! I am willing to volunteer to strip naked if it will make my flight safer, and I get to my destination alive and well. Isn't everyone ready to do that? Show of hands please. Who isn't? You sir? Ok, you cannot fly, terribly sorry."

If this was a requirement - and you saw the person who balked or refused - would you want to get on the plane with them? And besides, stripping naked is nothing compared to what Ashcroft wants to do to my rights. No I am all for keeping my civil liberties, but I don't think getting a full body imaging scan is violating anything. Hell, it may even help point out early signs of breast or ovarian cancer! See, it could be a public health tool too! Bonus! Where do I sign up?

Does the Bush appointistration actually think we'll feel better about getting on an airplane simply because he says we should? You buying my ticket and my flight insurance there Smirky? Better still, are you flying with me? With all the bragging lately of these public officials taking "commercial flights" - who knew they weren't? Who knew our tax dollars have been paying for private jets all this time?

Personally, I am not sure I trust a government that is not willing to jump at the chance to take responsibility for all of this, especially when almost every other country on the planet with an airport is in charge of their airport security.

But then, I have a lot of trust issues lately.

Anyone for a cruise?