Guest Post: Are the terrorist winning?

Posted by Special Guest Blogger: Gadi

Just my luck, (I flew from LAX to DC on this weekend) I get to travel, with my wife and 18-month old, the week immediately following the foiling of a London terrorist plot. Security was tight. Lines were ridiculously long, and required many extra steps. On one of the legs security was such a hassle, that I almost swore off flying all together. I think most of the problems were cause by inconsistent information. (Topic for another blog) What I had read / heard from news sources was different than what was posted, which was different that what was enforced.

For example, News / Internet stated one could be liquids for baby / infant if someone had tasted the liquid first. Signs had stated only formula or juice with the same tasting requirement. TSA at Dulles airport would not allow any liquids for my daughter through security or on the plane.

For those who have not traveled with kids these days, here is a little snapshot of what traveling with an infant entails.
1) Stroller - Need an easy way to transport the kids.
2) Car seat - If you get a seat on the plane for an infant, they must be in a car seat.
3) Diaper bag - Includes all essentials, diapers wipes, food, drinks, etc.
4) Baby - Sometimes I think it would be easier to put them in the crate that dogs go in.
That does not even include our needs. Needless to say, it is a lot of stuff for 2 people to handle, especially in an airport these days.

Now, my wife wears an insulin pump (Which is quasi attached) and it set off the metal detector. (It usually doesn't however, the machines are turned way up due to heighten security.) She, therefore, needed to go through a separate machine (called the puffer) to be cleared through security. While she had to do that, I was in charge of all items listed above including our backpack excluding the baby. I had to be sent back several times through the X-Ray machines and metal detectors, due to car seats not fitting, and other airport bloopers (Only now am I starting to see the humor in this episode). Now the puffer is very sensitive, and does not allow more than one person in the machine, and beeps obnoxiously if someone nears. A concept not easily explained to an 18 month old.

As I am trying to get all of our things through the x-ray machine, and the TSA officers trying to get my wife cleared through the puffer machine, both machines are beeping furiously, and my baby was crying for her mother, I then thought to myself, have they won?

Sure we got through, and sure we made it home alive, and sure this terrorist plot has been thwarted, but have they won the war?

Our airline industry is already in shambles, and people are going to be even less likely to fly. I doubt the industry would even survive another 9/11 catastrophe. Businesses commuters (Probably the sole demographic that currently sustains our airline industry) are looking to alternatives to flying, and are finding very attractive options made possible by internet advances.

Even without having successfully taken innocent lives, have the terrorist succeeded? If the best revenge is living well, are we? If they are winning, how do we tip the scales back in our favor?

Questions I don’t have the answers to.

I would like to thank Jeremy for allowing me this opportunity post on his blog. I hope I did you proud!

Posted by Special Guest Blogger: Gadi