Name: Tess
Home: St. Louis
A Foiled Plot
I sit here feeling stunned and queasy. I've just been reading on CNN.com about the disrupted plot to blow up as many as 10 planes headed from London to the U.S. According to the main article, "A senior congressional source said it's believed the plotters planned to mix a 'British version of Gatorade' with a gel-like substance to make an explosive that they would possibly trigger with an MP3 player or cell phone."
The planned attacks feel personal for me, because during the 2 years I lived in England, I often flew out of London and headed to DC--one of the targeted routes. At the time, I was a very fearful flyer--but in those days, I was afraid of the plane crashing, not exploding.
Thank goodness the British and Pakistani authorities were on top of this, and the London police now have 24 suspects in custody. In the meantime, if you're heading to the airport, take a look at the new carry-on restrictions; pack toiletries in your checked luggage and finish your coffee before get out your boarding pass. Some experts predict that the future will bring further restrictions on what passengers are allowed to bring on board.
The planned attacks feel personal for me, because during the 2 years I lived in England, I often flew out of London and headed to DC--one of the targeted routes. At the time, I was a very fearful flyer--but in those days, I was afraid of the plane crashing, not exploding.
Thank goodness the British and Pakistani authorities were on top of this, and the London police now have 24 suspects in custody. In the meantime, if you're heading to the airport, take a look at the new carry-on restrictions; pack toiletries in your checked luggage and finish your coffee before get out your boarding pass. Some experts predict that the future will bring further restrictions on what passengers are allowed to bring on board.
posted by Tess | 11:39 AM
2 Comments:
Do you get the sad impression that when there's a will there's a way? With all of the reports that came out after 9/11 about investigative reporters making it through security check-points with KNIVES and LOADED GUNS, how are airport screeners going to weed out talcum powder and wristwatches? Unfortunately, I think the advantage here is with the terrorists, and all this will do is cause huge, useless delays and impractical restrictions. My family and I will be on one of those O'Hare to Heathrow flights in December, and I am not looking forward to the furor that will accompany an otherwise enjoyable holiday vacation.
And yet auto accidents still kill 1.2 million people and malaria still kills 1.3-3 million people every year worldwide. The issue of airline safety is not just about the 200-300 people who might die on an individual plane or the 10X that number who might die on the ground, but a successful plot means a loss of face for our administration. I find it all so damn frustrating.
...and what about the juice for sam's sippy cups?... gah...
me
flying to the UK in december
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