Have the terrorists won ?
Its been stressful travelling during the last few days with increased security and long waits at security, along with sniffer dogs showing interest in my bags (Probably because of the huge pile of unwashed clothes inside !)
There has been talk that the US Govt would restrict passengers from taking on carry on baggage altogether. In debating this, me and a few colleagues were conjecturing that this would lead to very low PLF's (Passenger Load Factors) on short hop flights (Like Raleigh-Atlanta), with people preferring to drive the distance (4 hours) instead of wait in line at security (2 hours) and then spend time on a cramped jet (2 hours).
This could push airlines into bankruptcy again, and push the US into a recession.
Today, I was at Houston Airport, which used to be extra-busy even in the pre-Orange Alert days. I was at security at 6 PM, which is normally the peak travel time. And guess what ? I was the only person in line. 6 PM at Houston, and one person in line ! If people believe that travelling is too hazardous or simply too much of a hassle, that is going to have a significant impact on the US Economy (in terms of airline losses, increased congestion on highways, higher gas consumption et al), then the terrorists would have won.
There has been talk that the US Govt would restrict passengers from taking on carry on baggage altogether. In debating this, me and a few colleagues were conjecturing that this would lead to very low PLF's (Passenger Load Factors) on short hop flights (Like Raleigh-Atlanta), with people preferring to drive the distance (4 hours) instead of wait in line at security (2 hours) and then spend time on a cramped jet (2 hours).
This could push airlines into bankruptcy again, and push the US into a recession.
Today, I was at Houston Airport, which used to be extra-busy even in the pre-Orange Alert days. I was at security at 6 PM, which is normally the peak travel time. And guess what ? I was the only person in line. 6 PM at Houston, and one person in line ! If people believe that travelling is too hazardous or simply too much of a hassle, that is going to have a significant impact on the US Economy (in terms of airline losses, increased congestion on highways, higher gas consumption et al), then the terrorists would have won.
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