Airport Security: Too Low in Europe, or Too Crazy in America
by Are the Americans pushing for extreme measures?
So, I turned on the television today, and started watching Fox News. Or maybe it was CNN, I’m not really sure which is which. Anyway, the point of this article. So, the panelists in the studio are complaining about a bunch of journalists in Romania who got right up beside a refueling plane, they got through airport security, etc.
So, they’re complaining about the “disgraceful” security measures in Europe, about how we’re just asking for terrorist attacks. And this got me to thinking, what major attacks has Europe had to deal with in terms of aircraft. I can’t think of any. We had a supposed attempted terrorist attack last year, but who knows if that’s even real (we see a new foiled terrorist attack on a daily basis, the police/intelligence services are probably just trying to make themselves look better than they actually are). So, the US are complaining about our security, when we don’t seem to be encountering any problems. And our security isn’t exactly as bad as it’s made out to be, by these “experts” in the US (they’re news broadcasters, not experts).
When I want to fly anywhere outside my country, I have to arrive 3 hours before my flight leaves, and get checked about 5 times. I’m tired of having to put my goddamn liquids in a transparent bag. I’m sick and tired of getting scanned with metal detectors twice in ONE corridor (yes London, I’m talking about you). The fact is, Europe doesn’t need the same measures as the US, because Europe isn’t attracting terrorist attacks. I find it extremely difficult to believe that terrorist organizations put the names of all the countries of the world in a hat, and just happened to pull out the US.
The US is being attacked because the US is fighting offensive wars. They are invading other countries, as is clearly evident from the Iraq War, invasion of Afghanistan, and aren’t they planning an attack on Iran? The reason the US is being attacking isn’t because of Europe’s security, it’s because of the way it’s treating other countries and provoking citizens of attack countries to fight back in the only way they can.
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Post Commentrobert, non US resident
On March 10, 2008 at 10:42 am
or maybe there isn’t anything in europe worth blowing up, either that the education is so poor, in europe that they go to the US for a better education, and actually learn something.
The terrorist in europe aren’t smart enough to fly a plane, so they stick to subways and cars, not as complicated.
Greyian
On March 10, 2008 at 12:18 pm
There isn’t anything worth blowing up in Europe? I think he reason “terrorists” are targetting America is because nobody likes America. That’s no exaggeration, everyone outside America despises America. Also, it’s well known that US education is pretty terrible (which may explain Bush getting 2 terms in office). That also proves your point about flying a plane wrong, which brings up another point. Weren’t the 9/11 hijackers actually thought how to fly a plane in America. So you guys were dumb enough to train people to harm your country?
pacersdruid of the US
On July 31, 2008 at 1:30 pm
Actually,
Yes, people in the US were stupid enough to train highjackers to fly planes. Worse than that, they allowed the highjackers to positioned themselves so that they could easily gain access to commercial aircraft.
The US is an easy target and a good one because whatever is done there is noticed and has so much effect worldwide. If the attack had been done in Yemen or Somalia it would have been talked about for a week and then brushed under the rug.
Many people in the United States have had it relatively easy and have been protected from attacks where as places like the UK, France, Germany, Spain and etc. have had to put up with these attacks for centuries.
Face it, if someone wanted to blow up something they would most likely succeed. But if you want it to be noticed, you would need to make it happen where it would have an impact.
Regarding the point about people hating the US, well, I have traveled a bit and admit that some folks would have been better off if they had stayed at home. Some of the people I have traveled with were real jerks. But they do not represent all of the people from the US. I respect folks from other cultures and make a sincere effort to learn from them where I can. Almost all of my travel experiences have been good ones as a result.
Many people live their lives thinking that the world owes them something and many abuse other people just to get what they feel they are due. This is nothing new and people from all walks of life fall victim to it.
Alina
On February 6, 2009 at 5:20 pm
Security in some European airports is crazy tight – think of Schipol Amsterdam where you might as well walk round in bare feet you take your shoes off that often. At Frankfurt and Munich I have nearly missed connections because of multiple security scans when simply transferring from one international flight another. I guess the heavy security at Frankfurt is because of the Lockerbie Pan Am flight which (if I remember rightly) had Frankfurt as its last stop before it was brought down.
The truth is that security is tight everywhere. America doesn’t have the monopoly on experience of terrorism, and neither is it the only country that takes its security seriously. It was UK airports that kicked off the whole liquids thing and the one carry-on bag rule (thankfully rescinded now).
By the way, I live in Romania and travel through Bucharest regularly, and the security there is no different to anywhere else, so Americans needn’t get all worked up about us ‘backward’ Europeans endangering the world with our sub-standard security scans!