I've been thinking... "What if"

[dburg30]

Now I really dont want this to get to be a political discussion as those arent allowed. Mods, if you feel this just isnt a good post or it takes a bad turn, I fully understand if you lock or delete it.

That being said..

"What if the Christmas attack, didnt fail, but was successful?"

What do you think that would do to domestic or international air travel? I mean, do you think they would have shut the whole system down like they did right after 9/11? Would they just do what they are doing now, re-evaulate and put further restrictions up? Change the rules to no carry ons allowed?

I just really wonder what they would have done? I mean, it's THE busiest time of the year travel wise. The timing was obviously done to take that into account.

Other then check EVERY item and basically strip search every person, how could they EVER, EVER think they can catch everything?

 

[DebbieB]

I don't think they would have shut everything down. On 9/11, it was clear it was a multiple airplane attack. If this one would have gone down, they would not have known immediately that it was a bomb.

 

[Brian Noble]

Other then check EVERY item and basically strip search every person, how could they EVER, EVER think they can catch everything?

I wrote this in another thread, but this is pretty much what it would take. And, even then, there'd be a chance of missing something.

As with anything, flight security is a matter of balancing convenience with safety, understanding that perfect safety is impossible. The only way to make sure nothing ever goes wrong on an airplane is to never let them fly. But, again as I wrote in that other thread, you have a much greater chance of being killed by a drunk driver on your way to the airport than you do by a terrorist on the plane.

 

[Flossbolna]

I was wondering about that as well.

In August 2006 in the UK there was a plot uncovered to detonate liquid explosives onboard airplanes - there wasn't even an incident that happened. I was in the UK then and for the first days after there was no hand luggage allowed at all only your wallet, passport and ticket!

But this was also supposed to be an attack on many planes at the same time.

I think that as long as you don't know anything about the plot there will always be the suspicion that any plot will involve multiple airplanes. So stopping all air traffic is always a possibility.

And on a side note: I once read that the flight ban after 9/11 created the never expected possibility for meteorologists to research weather patterns without the influence of airplanes. And they found that the immediate effect of air traffic on weather is much greater than they thought.

 

[LadyBeBop]

"What if the Christmas attack, didnt fail, but was successful?"

I've been wondering this myself.

This is more of a personal note than anything. My biggest Christmas present was my daughter unexpectedly being able to fly home (standby) for Christmas. She used to work for the airlines, and still has friends, so she was able to get a buddy pass. She flew in Monday the 21st, and flew home Saturday the 26th.

Since she was flying standby, she allowed herself the entire day on the 26th to get home. She got to the airport at 5:30 that morning and got on the 2nd flight home. She made it home by noon.

I just fear that something drastic would have happened had the attack been successful. I think she either would have taken a Greyhound bus home, or more likely, my husband and I would have driven her home (about a 1,700 mile round trip). But I think there would have been at least some flight cancellations. She would have never had gotten home flying standby.