Some Are More Equal Than Others

I was reading this article about a Los Angeles to London flight that was diverted to New York because a flight attendant was suspicious of a passenger. The flight attendant noticed that the passenger in question rode in an employee shuttle bus and bypassed security. Apparently he also was of "Middle Eastern descent."

My big question is why aren't airline and airport employees subject to the same kind of scrutiny as your average Joe? Sure they've passed a background check but things can change rapidly in a person's life or political outlook. You may be considered safe today but tomorrow is another day. Plus I've seen enough movies where the bad guy takes advantage of this type of loophole and kidnaps some employee's family member and threatens physical harm lest the person smuggles a weapon on board..

I think all airline and airport employees should have to be checked by security personnel and screened just as everyone else has to be to enter the "secured" area of an airport. They should have to walk through a metal detector and have their bags x-rayed. Every time. No exceptions. If that's not being done then I think the area really isn't secured and they might as well do away with all the security checkpoints. So the next time you fly, be wary of the flight attendant (especially of Middle Eastern descent) because you know that he/she did not have to go through the same kind of security check that you did before boarding the aircraft. Now sit back, relax, enjoy your flight and sleep with one eye open.

Note: Only one more day before a week of vacation. Hooray! And no, I'm not flying.