Joe Doakes from Como park emails:
One of the brilliant concepts of federalism as envisioned by the Founders, was the notion that various states could experiment with local solutions to local problems. The federal government would get involved only when necessary to mediate between the states.
People are still taking off their shoes and belts to go through the scanner at the airport. Why? Is there seriously a grave risk to air safety posed by shoe bombers and belt buckle assailants? Why not try an experiment?
Airline A will revert back to the security measures in effect in 2000. Passengers must sign a security waiver to fly, but their tickets are $10 cheaper and they bypass the security line so they can arrive at the airport 10 minutes before boarding instead of 2-3 hours early.
How many people will choose Airline A? How many air disasters will Airline A suffer? How long before Airlines B, C, D all clamor to be part of the plan?
Joe Doakes
It’s a trick question.
All questions involving the expansion of liberty wind up being trick questions, these days.
I personally think that the big flaw in our current screening is that the taxpayer, instead of the air traveler, pays the bill for screening. If there were a surcharge for screening on every ticket–$5, $10, whatever–then passengers would be empowered to say “hey, I’m paying for this, let’s figure out how to make this happen quickly.”
I also think that it would be extremely helpful if we moved to a system more like El Al has been using for the past 40 years or so–more of a screening by what kind of passenger is boarding. Stop taking away knitting needles from grandmothers, but give young bearded Muslims with one way tickets the whole 9 yards.
The last time I flew to Mexico, I had a connecting stop in Dallas. I got selected for extra screening on every single leg. Is there a terrorist profile for “short, fat, white, elderly lawyer?” I doubt it.
But I’d bet money there’s one for “polite, complaint, can’t afford to miss a flight so won’t make trouble about security theater.” Select that guy every time to prove you’re not discriminating against swarthy males wearing ticking vests. Remember Keith Ellison and the Flying Imams (no, children, that’s not a band, Google it).