It’s amazing but the noise from kids enjoying toys is much more acceptable to the ear than the sound of kids whining or screaming or bawling. As you notice, none of the passengers appear to be disturbed. Just wait till mom takes away the toys…
Oh, please. The security on U.S. flights is still downright pathetic compared to that of overseas flights. I’ve flown to African countries and seen better security that was less invasive. The airport security I saw in Scotland during the Hoof-and-Mouth epidemic was tighter than what the TSA can muster.
It never ceases to amaze me how many Americans are gullible enough to believe that increased humiliation always equals increased security. Not to mention, have you looked around airports, lately? We get all excited about having to fly on a plane with anyone who looks even remotely Middle Eastern, but it sure doesn’t seem to bother us to have them serve us from a kiosk or stick our luggage on carts.
As for John and the noisy toys, I’ve always thought Lynn Johnston exaggerated the stupidity of some of her male characters. This is a classic example. Even Dad would be thoroughly sick and tired of those noisy things after a couple of hours stuck on a plane with them, let alone all the other passengers. He’s hardly an absentee dad and they’re both well out of diapers. You’d think he’d have a clue by now.
The metal rod in my leg plus my artificial hip always sets off the metal detector. When it does that in a US airport, I’m subjected to a full pat-down (I’m in my 70s). I just returned from Europe and went through security many times at various airports there. When the metal detector went off my examination was finished in SECONDS. I’m not saying that senior citizins should be overlooked in profiling: Remember the guy who killed the security guard at the Washington DC Holocaust Center? He was 89.
The problem with the TSA is that in our effort to be politically correct and not make anyone mad, we are patting down 90 year old grannies and 4 year olds in Scooby Doo pajamas and letting the guy in the turban go by without a second glance. I am not saying we should ban certain people from commercial air, but let’s have common sense. If granny can barely walk with a colostomy bag, you REALLY think she is hiding a bomb?!
Dad’s an idiot! And I don’t believe in feeding into children’s demands just to get them to be quieter. They’re kids! Of course they won’t be quiet. For any reason. They’re too amped up for this trip already.
hcr1985: It might also help if they knew turban styles. A starched fabric with precisely spaced wrappings is going to be a Sikh. A soft, wrap around anywhichway could be anyone from a Pushto to a Seminole.
The problem is that it’s the illusion of security. Remember what the terrorists brought on the 9/11 planes? Not bombs. Box cutters. In other countries, professionals keep an eye on things and investigate when their senses tell them something’s up. In the U.S., we look at scans of naked people, pat down anyone wearing cargo pants and go about our business. (If you still think the extra security makes planes safer, consider this: Anyone with a small amount of know-how can turn the average laptop battery into a bomb.) http://xkcd.com/651/
While it is not the TSA and plane bombs, I read an article that border patrols are catching more and more “senior citizens” transporting drugs across the border … supplementing social security payments, I guess. You cannot assume anyone anymore. And baby’s diapers can hide drug packets … or was that from a cop CSI program?
The other day in a grocery store I saw the wave of the future – no, make that the wave of the present. A family was shopping, and I saw the young boy walking along, staring at a small hand-held device of some sort (I’m not up on what you call them all, but it wasn’t quite big enough for a Nintendo). Later I saw another family with a young boy and an older girl, and they were both staring at their hand-held devices. And they were quiet. Up in WI I let my grandkids (ages 5 -15) ogle their Nintendos, iPads or read or whatever, when we’re eating out (I read the newspaper or Vanity Fair). Keeps us all pretty quiet. Otherwise, there’s likely to be hollering and mayhem.
Terrorists and drug runners seek out the unsuspectable.Several years ago, I had some tree trimming done. The owner of the bucket truck said he bought it at a government auction – it had been used in drug running. (Who wouild suspect a bucket truck – someone did!)
to quote Benjamin Franklin: “those who willingly give up their freedom for the illusion of security deserve neither” TSA has no real clue as to what true safety is. I would give more opinion on them and what a traitor is, but that will just cause an arguements. Needless to say, I don’t fly if I can drive.
Uhhhhh, sure. Just look at all the weapons that have been captured! Nothing dangerous EVER gets thru! As for “intense security” – you don’t fly much, do you.
If security is so good at U.S. airports, why can’t they guarantee to get my luggage from one place to another without anything going missing?>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>If there were a law that the airlines had to buy insurance to cover lost luggage, maybe so many bags wouldn’t get lost!
TSA does very little for security. See the German demonstration of bomb materials invisible to the (skin cancer promoting) THz scanners. Armed air marshalls and armed pilots (and stronger partitions) do a lot. While racial profiling is not effective (it’s not that hard to get some nutso to convert and become a kamikazi), behavioral profiling, such as used by the Israelis is very effective.
I agree with all your points. We’ve been driving since we retired in 1999. Not afraid to fly, did it a lot when time was an issue, but driving is more fun. With all I hear about flying these days, I hope I won’t need to, unless it’s that trip to Hawaii I’ve been wanting to take for years. Tired of waiting for them to build that road…
kfccanada over 12 years ago
It’s amazing but the noise from kids enjoying toys is much more acceptable to the ear than the sound of kids whining or screaming or bawling. As you notice, none of the passengers appear to be disturbed. Just wait till mom takes away the toys…
mollie05 over 12 years ago
It’s true, nothing worse than whining kids!!
thesnowleopard Premium Member over 12 years ago
Oh, please. The security on U.S. flights is still downright pathetic compared to that of overseas flights. I’ve flown to African countries and seen better security that was less invasive. The airport security I saw in Scotland during the Hoof-and-Mouth epidemic was tighter than what the TSA can muster.
It never ceases to amaze me how many Americans are gullible enough to believe that increased humiliation always equals increased security. Not to mention, have you looked around airports, lately? We get all excited about having to fly on a plane with anyone who looks even remotely Middle Eastern, but it sure doesn’t seem to bother us to have them serve us from a kiosk or stick our luggage on carts.
As for John and the noisy toys, I’ve always thought Lynn Johnston exaggerated the stupidity of some of her male characters. This is a classic example. Even Dad would be thoroughly sick and tired of those noisy things after a couple of hours stuck on a plane with them, let alone all the other passengers. He’s hardly an absentee dad and they’re both well out of diapers. You’d think he’d have a clue by now.
arye uygur over 12 years ago
The metal rod in my leg plus my artificial hip always sets off the metal detector. When it does that in a US airport, I’m subjected to a full pat-down (I’m in my 70s). I just returned from Europe and went through security many times at various airports there. When the metal detector went off my examination was finished in SECONDS. I’m not saying that senior citizins should be overlooked in profiling: Remember the guy who killed the security guard at the Washington DC Holocaust Center? He was 89.
psychlady over 12 years ago
Yeah, nobody likes whining kids!
neatslob Premium Member over 12 years ago
Try to find an airport these days that sells toy guns in a gift shop.
hcr1985 over 12 years ago
The problem with the TSA is that in our effort to be politically correct and not make anyone mad, we are patting down 90 year old grannies and 4 year olds in Scooby Doo pajamas and letting the guy in the turban go by without a second glance. I am not saying we should ban certain people from commercial air, but let’s have common sense. If granny can barely walk with a colostomy bag, you REALLY think she is hiding a bomb?!
Cofyjunky over 12 years ago
Dad’s an idiot! And I don’t believe in feeding into children’s demands just to get them to be quieter. They’re kids! Of course they won’t be quiet. For any reason. They’re too amped up for this trip already.
hippogriff over 12 years ago
hcr1985: It might also help if they knew turban styles. A starched fabric with precisely spaced wrappings is going to be a Sikh. A soft, wrap around anywhichway could be anyone from a Pushto to a Seminole.
lshim671 over 12 years ago
The problem is that it’s the illusion of security. Remember what the terrorists brought on the 9/11 planes? Not bombs. Box cutters. In other countries, professionals keep an eye on things and investigate when their senses tell them something’s up. In the U.S., we look at scans of naked people, pat down anyone wearing cargo pants and go about our business. (If you still think the extra security makes planes safer, consider this: Anyone with a small amount of know-how can turn the average laptop battery into a bomb.) http://xkcd.com/651/
rugratz2222 over 12 years ago
While it is not the TSA and plane bombs, I read an article that border patrols are catching more and more “senior citizens” transporting drugs across the border … supplementing social security payments, I guess. You cannot assume anyone anymore. And baby’s diapers can hide drug packets … or was that from a cop CSI program?
Gokie5 over 12 years ago
The other day in a grocery store I saw the wave of the future – no, make that the wave of the present. A family was shopping, and I saw the young boy walking along, staring at a small hand-held device of some sort (I’m not up on what you call them all, but it wasn’t quite big enough for a Nintendo). Later I saw another family with a young boy and an older girl, and they were both staring at their hand-held devices. And they were quiet. Up in WI I let my grandkids (ages 5 -15) ogle their Nintendos, iPads or read or whatever, when we’re eating out (I read the newspaper or Vanity Fair). Keeps us all pretty quiet. Otherwise, there’s likely to be hollering and mayhem.
TELawrence over 12 years ago
This strip is showing its age. Plastic guns are no longer sold at airport gift shops.
tuslog64 over 12 years ago
Terrorists have been known to use mentally ill and the disabled in wheel-chairs to get their “packages” into crowds.
tuslog64 over 12 years ago
Terrorists and drug runners seek out the unsuspectable.Several years ago, I had some tree trimming done. The owner of the bucket truck said he bought it at a government auction – it had been used in drug running. (Who wouild suspect a bucket truck – someone did!)
JanLC over 12 years ago
“If security is so good at U.S. airports, why can’t they guarantee to get my luggage from one place to another without anything going missing?”
Security and luggage handling are two separate departments, and “the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing”.
newworldmozart over 12 years ago
to quote Benjamin Franklin: “those who willingly give up their freedom for the illusion of security deserve neither” TSA has no real clue as to what true safety is. I would give more opinion on them and what a traitor is, but that will just cause an arguements. Needless to say, I don’t fly if I can drive.
GeorgeInAZ over 12 years ago
Uhhhhh, sure. Just look at all the weapons that have been captured! Nothing dangerous EVER gets thru! As for “intense security” – you don’t fly much, do you.
goweeder over 12 years ago
If security is so good at U.S. airports, why can’t they guarantee to get my luggage from one place to another without anything going missing?>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>If there were a law that the airlines had to buy insurance to cover lost luggage, maybe so many bags wouldn’t get lost!
stuart over 12 years ago
TSA does very little for security. See the German demonstration of bomb materials invisible to the (skin cancer promoting) THz scanners. Armed air marshalls and armed pilots (and stronger partitions) do a lot. While racial profiling is not effective (it’s not that hard to get some nutso to convert and become a kamikazi), behavioral profiling, such as used by the Israelis is very effective.
iced tea over 12 years ago
The best items for kids on a plane are coloring books, crayons or markers, or hand held video games.
caseva77 over 12 years ago
I had one of those toys!!!!! they were awesome!
lynnskay over 12 years ago
I agree with all your points. We’ve been driving since we retired in 1999. Not afraid to fly, did it a lot when time was an issue, but driving is more fun. With all I hear about flying these days, I hope I won’t need to, unless it’s that trip to Hawaii I’ve been wanting to take for years. Tired of waiting for them to build that road…
RetroJenny over 12 years ago
I’d much rather hear toys than screaming little brats.