I guess it was too good to be true. We’d just started getting used to relaxed security restrictions at airports, and then along comes this latest episode. One of the press reports described the Nigerian terrorist’s device as “quite sophisticated”, although I suppose we should be thankful “sophisticated” in this instance doesn’t also mean more reliable.
And doubtless it will also come out in the investigation, but why did he wait until the aircraft had started its descent before attempting to set off his device? At cruising altitude, a relatively minor pop inside is all that’s required to rupture an airliner’s fuselage, as shoe bomber Richard Reid tried and failed to do. But descending, the cabin pressure would be equalising with the outside air pressure, removing that advantage. You’d have thought someone who’d studied engineering might have been aware of something as basic as that. Then again, one also has to wonder how a well-educated young man from a privileged background managed to be got at and brainwashed in the first place.
I remember flying to Frankfurt from Stansted on 12th September 2001, and arriving at the airport to be told no hand luggage would be allowed at all. It was chaos as passengers grudgingly packed their expensive laptops and cameras into their checked-in luggage. By comparison, what will follow as a result of this latest incident probably won’t be as onerous. One of my trips last year had me taking part in the trial of a full body scanner. It seemed like a good idea, with no affront to dignity, but the process was a little slow. In the meantime, I suspect that the “pat-down” frisk is most likely to become standard fare once we’ve walked through the metal detector. Just smile, and remember they’re only doing their job!
