According to Lucky and confirmed by many people online:
many international United aircraft have their in-flight entertainment
systems disabled due to the “airshow†feature, where you can see the
location of your aircraft.
Let's ignore the fact that you could easily carry a GPS on to the plane (soon we'll outlaw GPSes, watches, phones and laptops) and just point out that with the departure time, arrival time and flight path, you can figure this out. Or at least anybody with some school math classes can.
And if not, you can always look it up ahead of time on one of many websites like FlyteComm. So obviously they are just trying to stop stupid terrorists and make life miserable for the rest of us. Smart terrorists will continue about their business as normal.
Even worse, there are also rumors that there will be no electronics on flights to the US:
Multiple sources, among them Xeni Jardin of Boing Boing,
have also been told that no electronics are allowed on international
flights. None. So you can't even play video games to distract yourself
from how badly you have to pee.
Now if someone was using electronics to detonate a bomb, couldn't they just lean down and push start in their bag? They wouldn't need to hold it and stare at it for a 10 hour flight.
Somebody needs to tell all these people (TSA? airlines? congress?) to calm down. If you are a US citizen, please call your congressmen and women!
I can’t believe the airlines themselves aren’t petitioning these stupid rules given their current financial situations.
It’s like someone decided “Hey, lets increase our profits by making 5% of the people feel a little safer and 100% of them completely miserable!”
I’m wondering which will be more effective. My call to United or my call to my congressmen and women?
Most congress(wo)men might not really understand the issue as they are used to private jets 🙁
Calling your congreshuman won’t help, or it did ever so far? I believe your only way is to join/organise demonstration in the streets and demand changes. That’s how we do in Europe.
Last sucessful (i.e. damagin empty part of airport) terrorist attack in Europe/US I heard about was using a car and occured some time ago. If the attack was stopped it means that the security measurements (read – restriction of civil liberties) is sufficient.
And also – I would imagine that queues before security could be potential targets. There are a lot of people there and noone has check anybody yet (well – OK. not every airport have them).
We all know how well that works.
“Protest all you want, we won’t change anyway.”
We need a much more sensible way of looking at risk, I’d prefer a little more convenience for a little more risk.
They are not your or my enemies, they are just dangerous idiots. You give them way too much credit. And even though they are what they are, they are still people. Please don’t dehumanise them by putting a label on them. Hmm, whoever “they” are anyway.
Perhaps we have a difference in vocabulary. But anyone who is trying to harm me purposely, idiot or not, is most likely my enemy. If they stop trying to harm me, then they most likely won’t be my enemy. I don’t consider them my enemy because of any particular beliefs they have.
“Now if someone was using electronics to detonate a bomb, couldn’t they just lean down and push start in their bag? They wouldn’t need to hold it and stare at it for a 10 hour flight.”
The logical conclusion? No hand luggage allowed on flights! That’ll teach them terrorists!
Dave.
It’s amazing how willingly people give their freedom away.
The worst thing is, you only care now that you’ve lost freedom to play with your devices on an aeroplane. What about all the other freedoms which were whisked away while you weren’t looking or were too afraid of what they (the media (all 3 of them), the government) said was happening?
“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” Ben. F