Attempted Bombing of DL/NW 253 Aftereffects?

[cloudship 7]

As a frequent flyer, I have been following with interest the response to the attempted bombing and security measures now in place. I am wondering what impact, if any, it will have long term. And, what impact should it have?

One thing I have found is that the latest rounds of security measures are not being taken well. It's not just that they are problematic (no IFE, no getting out of your seat, nothing in your lap so you can't even read, no access to carry-ons), it's that they don't even make sense. One feeling I get is that people are no longer taking these security measures as comforting - they no longer feel they do anything to make our world safer. And that means they are getting more upset not with the terrorism attempts but with national security. Will this mean the public will demand more security, or are they more accepting of the new world now and want to have less obtrusive security measures in place.

This latest attempt ties in with some other challenges in the aviation industry - declining profits for airlines, disruptions due to storms that have taken days to unravel, near-misses in fight, and the recent passage of a law that limits how long passengers can be made to wait on the runway to take off. I am now wondering if this might finally be a prompt for government investment to start being diversified into alternative transport methods. WE are soon going to be hearing (I hope) about who will get stimulus funding for high-speed rail plans. Will this latest incident be a boon to those plans as offering an alternative, or will it take away, as those funds get diverted to air safety?

[Neo 199]

Trains are as susceptible to terrorist attacks as planes, but a terrorist would be unable to direct the train at a specific target as is possible with a jet. It's hard to say where funding will be directed, but I would guess that it will remain the same where planes get the funding and trains get the boot.

I just read about a new train that opened in China that travels over 600 miles in only 2 hours and 45 minutes. If we had that type of service in this country, the air industry would all but cease to exist.

[dpbaker 1]

Trains are as susceptible to terrorist attacks as planes, but a terrorist would be unable to direct the train at a specific target as is possible with a jet. It's hard to say where funding will be directed, but I would guess that it will remain the same where planes get the funding and trains get the boot.

I just read about a new train that opened in China that travels over 600 miles in only 2 hours and 45 minutes. If we had that type of service in this country, the air industry would all but cease to exist.