All it takes is one split second folks.  One split second and one very sick individual to remind the airlines of the true nature of our work environment.

It's high time we take that silly  'This is a Carry-On Critical Flight' notice right off the IBS and substitute it with something more appropriate like, 'This is a Safety Critical Environment'.  Wouldn't that be a nice reminder to everyone of what we potentially face each second we are onboard those planes?  The recent events of British Airways #2069 drive this point home.

The age of, "Um, two-and-two whatever gotta go cause the customers have to board immediately or we don't leave on time" mentality has to end.

Airlines are mostly to blame for overlooking security.  It's gotten to the point beyond absurdity where it's not even funny anymore.  Have any of you seen the recent television commercial for Northwest Airlines?  It shows a little girl playing 'travel agent' and printing up a boarding pass on her computer.  She then asks her father if his bags have been with him at all times!  Think about that one for a second because it may win JSN's Stupidest Idea of the Year award for 2001.  Not too far behind are the security issues regarding United's Automated Kiosks.

It isn't difficult to see what's going on here.  Airlines are quickly responding to the public's increasing demand for 'hassle-free' travel.  They are removing as much of the 'travel' and human element from the equation as possible.  Automated booking, automated check-in, automated security questions, and now little girls playing 'OFFICIAL SECURITY AGENT'.

Well that sort of thing may work just fine when buying books or CD's online, but for traveling in a flying vessel there should be a little bit of hassle.  There should be a little bit of effort on the part of the passengers.  Every time you are onboard a plane you are essentially trusting your life to those people (and they to you).  Managing something as serious as a flight should not be an automated point-and-click your way straight to your seat.  A good gate agent has far better ability to determine if a passenger is disturbed or not than an automated ticket machine.

Thank goodness that no one was killed....this time around.  But hopefully incidents like that will wake up the airlines and the public from their lackadaisical attitude toward flying.  Perhaps, and this would be a great New Year's hope, they might even realize that it isn't a restaurant up there.