Security procedures at airports and on airplanes will be in flux for months to come as federal leaders review the threat of more terrorist actions against innocent civilians. One little discussed challenge is to come up with plans that are both strong and flexible.
The efforts to return to some sort of normalcy cannot become just a new kind of business as usual. There would be value in security routines that have unpredictable variance built into them.
At Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, the first steps toward relaxing security appear positive, at least from the point of view of air travelers seeking convenience. No longer are huge traffic lines backing up for checks of verhicles before they entered the baggage drop-off area. A car bomb probably isn’t the most likely threat at the airport, either.
Still, there could be a case for a policy that puts some resources into blocking a car or truck loaded with explosives. Perhaps the airport should occasionally search cars as they approach — and maybe the searches should be only of a certain percentage of cars rather than all. A limited effort might have a significant deterrent effect.
The Federal Aviation Administration apparently is willing to be more flexible than normal. It has given at least one airline permission to install strengthened cockpit doors without going through the normal approval process. Maybe the FAA ought to allow airlines other options as well, such as some sort of arming of the cockpit crew, not necessarily with guns. In a high tech age, there could be a variety of useful devices.
The public — especially that part which has returned to flying — understands well that a spirit of ingenuity can be valuable. That’s why an e-mail about one of the first flights after Sept. 11 has zipped across the country. The story of a United pilot’s stirring speech to his passengers is genuine, based on a Sept. 19 commentary in the Washington Times. The pilot pointed out that passengers could use many objects to fight back — including pillows — and then wrap the hijacker and any companions in blankets. (The pilot didn’t even single out the pop cans and water bottles that are usually available in considerable quantity on airplanes).
One of the best parts of the pilot’s talk played on U.S. history: "The Declaration of Independence says, ‘We the people’ and that’s just what it is when we are up in the air: we, the people, vs. would-be terrorists. I don’t think we are going to have any such problem today or tomorrow or for a while, but some time down the road, it is going to happen again and I want you to know what to do."
In crafting a security response, there is plenty of room for the strongest possible rules and a federal takeover of the basic security system. But if passengers on planes can fly ready for anything, airports and airlines should receive some leeway from the FAA — and run with it.
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