Security while flying
Reader comment on item: [Michael Smerconish and I Debate:] What Kind of Airport Profiling?

Submitted by Scott Mcilwaine (United States), Oct 6, 2004 at 16:44

To me it does not matter what the TSA is doing to make flying safer; the terrorists still have the edge when their competition is the federal government.

Imagine if on 9/12/2001 the Feds had spoken the truth and said that there is no way that the government can guarantee the safety of flying. You, the airline companies, can stay in business only if people believe it is safe to fly, therefore we are transferring all responsibility for air safety and passenger screening over to the airlines.

Could you imagine it? ABC airline says we are going to only use random screening, fly with us. XYZ airline says, we are going to interview and do a strip search of every passenger and search all baggage, fly with us?

Who would the consumer pick to fly with? The free market could have solved the security issue much better than any government agency.

The problem is that people do not trust the free market, but they trust government more, how scary is that?

Scott

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