At 4:13 PM -0800 10/29/02, John Kelsey wrote:
At 12:01 PM 10/28/02 -0800, Tim May wrote:
...
By the way, there are perfectly good fixes to the current hysteria about things carried on board planes...
I think the best fix is to accept that a determined suicidal attacker will probably manage to bring down the plane, but make sure that's the worst he can do. That removes the externality problem. The current algorithm for this is some combination of pilots being told not to go along with hijackers' demands, and maybe some chance of getting a military jet in place to shoot the hijacked plane down, if it is taken over by the hijackers.
Another "fix" that is being used is passengers who will act to keep the plane from being used as a weapon. If the hijackers have to kill people with small sharp objects that they can smuggle on board, instead of mass killing devices like machine guns, then a large number of passengers can overcome a small number of hijackers. (Remember, your seat cushion makes a good shield.) If the cockpit door keeps the hijackers out, then there is a good chance that there will be survivors. Cheers - Bill ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bill Frantz | The principal effect of| Periwinkle -- Consulting (408)356-8506 | DMCA/SDMI is to prevent| 16345 Englewood Ave. frantz@pwpconsult.com | fair use. | Los Gatos, CA 95032, USA