Folks, I'm not going to say much else about what could have been done to prevent this tragedy.  Why?  Because I already discussed the blatant disregard for airport/airline security in the United States months ago in these previous editorials:

I just finished re-reading these articles and my own words gave me a cold shiver---in light of what happened on Tuesday.  Particularly what I had originally highlighted in bold type in the last paragraph of It Ain't No Restaurant Up There.  Gulp.

So, once again I'll drive home the following point:

Hopefully, after all this horror has subsided, both the U.S. Government and the commercial airlines will permanently take far more seriously the issues of airport/airline security.

Those issues that we contend with every single day. 

Below are copies of the articles referenced above:

ORD ADDED TO 'BYPASS HUMAN CONTACT' LIST (10/23/00)

United has added self check-in kiosks at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport which allows passengers who use electronic tickets to do the following:

• Check themselves in for the flight.  The computer has been programmed to ask questions like, "Has your bag been with you at all times?"
• Self-check their luggage.  They will receive a bag tag which then a "customer service representative provides assistance in the kiosk area to ensure proper check-in of bags."
• Select their seat assignments.  They can also change their seats if they desire.
• And surprise, surprise: request an UPGRADE by adding themselves to the upgrade list! 
• They receive their actual boarding pass, like a subway token, directly from the machine.

These machines have already been installed and are in use in San Diego and Aspen.  The United manager of Airport Services Planning told Newsreal that "United still is exploring the full potential of self check-in, which ultimately could allow customers to change flights or obtain assistance during irregular operations."

Are these automatic check-in machines a good idea?  Their developers at United seem to think so, saying that they will reduce long lines and stress.  'In our NEWS' however, offers you the following thoughts:

• Who is to say that long lines won't eventually develop at the machines themselves?  Anyone who has traveled to say, Paris, and tried to purchase a Metro ticket at one of their crowded machines ought to know exactly what I'm talking about.  Add to that: You have three machines installed and one breaks down, the lines and wait time will then increase and the passengers will become even more annoyed.
• How will the machines be programmed to detect alcohol breath, slurred speech, or very suspicious behavior?  In other words, how will they be capable of basic human intuition?  Ask any cop about the effectiveness of human intuition.  Anyone, displaying any suspicious behavior or not, can answer a few simple questions displayed on a screen. Having a live person looking them straight in the eye, interacting with them in a actual conversation, etc..., increases the chance to spot potential trouble earlier on, before the passenger self-checks straight on to the plane and into our safety environment.
• Machines can lead to corporate laziness.  This may not happen to United Airlines, but look around to see it's effects:
  • Corporate phone systems: Fewer company operators hired because of Voice Mail and all that automated nonsense, causing constant telephone tag, long navigations through computer menus, even longer waits on hold, and overall inefficiency.  Not to mention that more and more employees ignoring their phones and "letting the machine get it."
  • Overall poorer customer service: The more automated you become, the fewer frontline employees you need to pay.  One of the many problems with this is when unforeseen usability problems occur and there aren't enough people around to quickly remedy the customer's problem.  A good example is how the silly dot-com companies respond to online ordering around Christmas time.

In the early stages, I'm sure these machines will be a real timesaver.  It will be interesting to see what happens once more and more passengers learn how to use them.  Whatever the case, these computerized ticketing agents will do one thing very effectively: make our jobs even more valuable than ever.  Nothing, I mean, nothing can replace human contact with the customer.  If you haven't read Onboard Redesign yet, especially the last few paragraphs of the article, check it out to see what I mean.

IT AIN'T NO RESTAURANT UP THERE (12/30/00)
 

**JUMPSEATNEWS SAFETY COMMENTARY**

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.

Stupidest Idea of the Year (05/08/01) 

Goes to............ John Roberts, the federal magistrate in the Alaska court case involving the Angry Identical Twin Hick WannaBe Models that assaulted several United Airlines flight attendants on a recent San Francisco to Shanghai flight.

This federal magistrate, in a stratospheric level of  stupidity, has decided to allow the two attackers to FLY ON AN AIRPLANE back to their hometown of HicksvillemodelLand, Michigan---provided that their parents fly with them.

It had better not be on United Airlines.

Now, I've got nothing against their families posting bail and them returning home to await a trial.  However, they should not be allowed to fly on any U.S. aircraft...period.  Yes, Alaska is very inconvenient to try and get back to Michigan solely by way of  land.  But that's just the point here: Flying is a privilege---not a right.  It's a convenience that costs; both in dollars and in respect for our laws and regulations.  Not to mention the safety of the other passengers.

By allowing those two attackers to get back on board an aircraft, this idiotic judge is setting a terrible example to the traveling public.  While he's at it, he may as well allow Osama bin Laden to head up the airport security.

But the ultimate criminal in this saga will be the airline that actually flies those awful twins to their destination.