Essay 2: Rough Draft

The events the occurred on September 11th, 2001 have led to great change in the way American's view security. After the initial panic, drastic measure were put into place around airport security. More checks, random searchs, the need for identification at nearly every checkpoint and many other new rules made travel a headache. Now that several years have passed since the initial attack, security measures have stepped back drastically, but still offer their annoyances. Although airport security is a necessity for safe travel, it causes unnecessary travel related problems because it limits what can be carried on a plane, it is often inefficient, and is unreliable.
It is certain that certain items should not be carried onto an airplane such as guns, explosives, knives, dangerous chemicals, and other items of that nature. Things begin to seem a little bit ridiculous though when people are no longer allowed to carry on their own water. The ever changing list of items that are allowed or not allowed to be carried on a plane is in constant flux and seems to be changing all of the time. The effect of this security measure makes it very difficult and annoying for passengers to figure out what they are allowed to take with them on the airplane and slows security lines down when passengers must remove certain items from their carry on and either have them checked with their luggage or have them thrown away alltogether. Another strange aspect is the banning of certain objects from being brought on an airplane and the allowence of similar objects. For example, according the the Transportation Security Adminstration's website, items such as knives, razors, box cutters, and other sharp objects are prohibited, but on the same list it clearly states “Scissors - metal with pointed tips and blades shorter than four inches” are permissable. Metal scissors with pointed tips regardless of their size could easily be used as an offensive weapon in the right hands. Also certain items that are banned seemed to be ridiculous such as gel style shoe insoles. The TSA ought to come with with an easy to comprehend static set of rules that makes sense.
Some inefficiency is to be expected when dealing with traveling, but it should not be on the end of trained security officials. For example, random checking is probably the most inefficient aspect of modern airport security. In no way should people be racially profiled or stereotyped, but pulling children, elderly, or even adults out of line randomly is probably the least efficient way to keep travellers secure. A middle aged man travelling with his four children and wife is almost certainly not planning any sort of deadly action midflight. Tying in with carry on limits and changing rules, the searching of bags based on various objects found within can really slow down the seurity process. Once again, with better rules, people would have the ability to move through security lines more efficiently.
The worst part about airport security measures is that they do not actually achieve what they attempt to prevent. Independent studies have show that although not all the time, more often than not, the items that the security groups attempt to prevent from getting through, do. This is probably the most disturbing aspect of modern security protocal when flying. Many potentially dangerous items such as guns and sharp objects pass through security checks without being detected. According to an article by Mimi Hall “Guns and knives, along with box cutters like those used by the Sept. 11 hijackers, slipped past screeners in recent airport security tests by undercover agents.”. If the screeners can't even keep guns out, reforms to the security systems must be made. Passengers are led to believe that with strict security measures, all is well, but in reality unreliable security screenrs may be putting us into more danger.
There will always be a need for airport security. People need to feel safe when they travel. That being said, security checkpoints need to be reformed. The TSA needs to come up with a practical list of what can and cannot be brought onto a plane to help with the confusion and limits of what you can or cannot carry on a plane. Security checkpoints must become more efficient so that long waits in line or hassle can be avoided as much as possible. Finally, security checkpoints and screeners need to be more reliable in keeping items that are truly dangerous from getting onto a plane. By solving these problems, going through security checkpoints at airports would be a lot more tolerable.



Works Cited
Mimi Hall. "Weapons still getting past airport screeners." USA Today (n.d.). Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Univ of Alaska Fairbanks Rasmuson and BioSciences Libraries, Fairbanks, AK. 23 Mar. 2009 .

"TSA: Prohibited Items." Transportation Security Administration. 23 Mar. 2009
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