By Gerry Charbonneau

The Boeing (Company) 747 is so big that it has been said that it does not fly; the earth merely drops out from under it.... Captain Ned Wilson, Pan American Airlines

Airport security, or at this stage of the game the utter lack of such security, is completely ineffective and at times a theatrical farce meant to make the general public feel falsely secure about flying the friendly skies.

Many folks think that the overall safety motif is emphasized to merely allow the majority of air travelers to feel secure. Thirty-seven percent of voters believe the current level of security is about right. What is truly wrong is that it is not that secure.

It is already more show than substance. All the hassle and humiliation of airport security is not worth the paper your boarding pass is printed on. Due to the concern about national security, airport protection has become stricter and more heavily enforced than ever.

Airport security has essentially become a traveler rite of passage: the long lines, the identification check, the shuffling of personal items, the removal of shoes and socks and dignity. Admittedly it has become a part of life but it does not have to be difficult or embarrassing.

Many passengers often prepared in advance of their scheduled trips and checked for any restrictions that might have been imposed. They followed the prescribed rules to the letter. Now the rules are changing and new security standards and guidelines are at an as needed level of implementation. The rules are fuzzy and the guidelines confusing.

How much airport security is enough and does it really work? Seems like every day we hear a new story about how airport security is failing us in leaps and bounds.

Would not a more intelligent approach to airport security apportion security resources to passengers and baggage in proportion to estimated risk factors and intelligence reports?

Despite the major enhancements that include shoe removal and clear quart-sized baggies, the mass-screening approach to airport security is still the very same one that failed so disastrously on 9/11.

Taking your shoes off at airport security is one of those dreaded necessities, like dentist appointments and reading about the struggling economy. And airport security is still a necessary farce that ultimately subjects the law-abiding to collective punishment while presenting almost no deterrent to a determined suicide-killer.

Some airport security personnel are developing or have developed scanners that can see through passengers clothing. Why not allow passengers to board a plane totally naked. This action would certainly expedite the waiting time passengers have to wait to get on the plane and almost disrobe for curious security personnel.

The latest incident demonstrates that airport security is all theater. Does this extra concern about safety and security ensure that the planes themselves are safe for passenger transport?

With a little personal preparation before your flight the average passenger could do a great deal to ensure their journey through airport security was as quick and hassle-free as possible. All that has now changed dramatically as new passenger guidelines and parameters are being discussed and implemented.

Airport security should be there to protect passengers and not embarrass, humiliate or detain them unduly. Many times the problem lies with security screener personnel who are scared to death that if they select the wrong person to screen, they will get into trouble.

And so passengers attempting to bring three ounces of Channel Number 9 perfume into the country are treated just as rigorously and just as severely as a terrorist concealing explosives in his jockey shorts. The lack of some guidelines and the threat of law suits against security agents makes their efforts clumsy and ineffective. The security ineptness thus spirals out of control.

According to the Israeli, the secret to their successful airport security is not labor-intensive checkpoints, but rather a screening system that is frowned upon in many other countries. Critics label this approach as being ethnic profiling. Others label it effective management.

Other countries have their own methods of security enforcement. Some of these methods are laxer than others. Amsterdam has its security parameters and guidelines and the United States has its set. A standardized method of conducting security checks and an up to the minute method of reporting suspected security risks has to be established. Mutual cooperation between countries must also be the rule and not the exception for any security inspection network to be effective.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gerry_Charbonneau

NOTICE - All Rights Reserved Except as Stipulated Below. PHOTOS MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED IN ANY FORM. Our reporters and journalists break or report stories and their sources and information are protected by the doctrine of free press as expressed in the First Ammendment, Reporters Privilege Statues, and also the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.This article if a feature or opinion piece is the opinion of the author or reports the news and opinions of others and is NOT INTENDED TO OFFER ADVICE. FOR OPINION STORIES: This story/article/ feature may be an opinion piece — and should be treated accordingly — or reporting on the opinions of others, and should never be considered as a sole source of information or as a suggestion, instruction or prescription. FOR CRIME STORIES: always read the word "allegedly" in any story mentioning "suspects" or "persons of interest". FOR BUSINESSS AND MONEY STORIES: For money/ trade and exchange stories, this magazine and its writers accept no responsibility for accuracy — always check with other sources for important decisions. FOR HEALTH AND LIFESTYLE STORIES: In the case of food/health stories, these facts have not been evaluated by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Information stated here should be NOT be considered as medical, health, psychological or behavior advice. All information in this story and on this site is provided for educational or entertainment purposes ONLY. Always seek the advice of experts, including doctors for medical opinions. Only a licensed medical doctor can offer medical advice. FOR EXPERT, ADVICE OR HOW-TO STORIES: Legal advice or other expert advice is best referred to experts in their respective fields. NO RESPONSIBILITY: The publishers and editors, authors, researchers, employees, heirs and assigns accept no responsibility whatsoever for any advice, facts, opinions in this story, nor for resulting actions of readers of this information. ALL READERS ACCEPT THAT THIS INFORMATION IS PRESENTED ONLY AS NEWS, EDUCATION, ENTERTAINMENT OR OPINION/INFORMATION AND AGREE IN READING THIS STORY OR THIS SITE THAT USE OF THIS INFORMATION IS SOLELY THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE READER. Copyright by the byline author unless otherwise indicated. EXCERPTS from other magazines or media sources are posted under fair use doctrine, on the basis of no more than 5-10% of content with links and credit to source for the complete story. These are posted in the interest of providing interesting links (description as excerpt) with navigation to the source. Likewise, we encourage our many subscribers to excerpt with credit and links to our e-zines, up to 10% of content. To use more content than 10%, please contact the e-zine for permission. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED except as stipulated herein. IMPORTANT: this web content also includes a forum and comments function, which allows for posting from users not employed by this publication. We accept no responsibility for posts, content, language or accuracy of posts from outside parties but will attempt to correct any inaccuracies reported within the context of free speach. Where possible, spam, lewd or obscene comments WILL BE REMOVED.

Persona Corp. and Blogertize publishes several webzines, magazines, e-zines for news, entertainment and information, but cautions readers to read the NOTICE above:

• Films and Books