Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Airport musings

There's something creepy about Orlando's airport. The lobby where the crowd mills waiting to get through security is overlooked by a Hotel. There are probably a hundred balconies overlooking the lobby. The "security" measures ensure a constant good sized crowd. And terrorist group that wanted to go out in a blaze of CNN has a captive, err, audience. An audience filled with families and kids. Every time I fly through here,'it feels like I shift into Condition Orange. It's quite demoralizing to see the TSA dance the Bad Guy's tune - someone brings box cutters on board and mustache scissors get banned; they bring a bomb in a shoe and we have to take off our shoes; they bring bomb chemicals in bottles and mothers are forced to drink breast milk. Meanwhile, those same "security" measures vastly increase the public's risk. The lack of imagination is stunning. TSA is caught up in a stupid game, and they should stop playing.

Speaking of stupid TSA rules, I ate my dinner tonight with a plastic knife and fork (the restaurant is inside security). Like anyone trying to take over a plane with a steak knife wouldn't be beaten to death by a plane full of guys like me. It's a stupid game, and we should stop playing.

Some how, I managed to not drink too much with the sales teams. Must be getting old.

It's always a good flight when you're going home.

8 comments:

  1. "It's always a good flight when you're going home."

    Amen.

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  2. Seeing as how I fly out and in of MCO at least once a week your observations are pretty chilling. The one advantage for me is the clear lane. That at least make the airport acceptable.

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  3. Seeing as how I fly out and in of MCO at least once a week your observations are pretty chilling. The one advantage for me is the clear lane. That at least make the airport acceptable.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Somehow I didn't notice the balconies when I flew out of there. Possibly because I was not awake yet, at the tail end of a week in Mouse House. Or ... yes, quite likely, I was just a zombie at that point.

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  5. One of the most useful tips that I got from a friend was to install a restaurant camera. He recommended a webcam software called GotoCamera This is how it works - Set up a webcam
    near to your cash counter or any part of your restaurant which you wish to monitor, download the GotoCamera software. The set-up instructions are pretty simple and easy to follow. The best part is
    that you can access it from your smart phone so that you can remotely monitor your camera's recordings when you are away from your restaurant.

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  6. Not that I'd want to give anyone ideas (as if any *serious* bad guy hasn't already thought of this), BUT....look at this photo:

    http://tinyurl.com/dx74c9d

    Really study it. Where are all these people in relation to the 'security' screening? How many backpacks and 'carry-on' sized suitcases do you see?

    Now think like a bad guy. Better yet...I'll do it FOR you:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94yoRIQRHq4&feature=related

    TSA security ISN'T.

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  7. Phssthpok, yup. They're making things worse.

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  8. TSA does seem to enjoy putting large numbers in tight unsecured space, hard to miss if one has a mind toward security of the masses.

    Kabuki Theater 12B.

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