yes, because we all know most hijackers have probably never flown before.

I'd hit it

Hmmm...

bring it on?

No, that's not right.

Hey, it's not like they spent 100 million tax dollars on it before they killed it off...right?

Your tax dollars at work, or in this case not at work.

it doesn't matter if you do, you can still get selected for "special screening" randomly .. then you get to watch them dismantle everything you own while you and the geriatric white guy next to you that could barely lift his suitcase, let alone blow up a plane, shoot the shiat.

not bitter about being stranded in ORD over the weekend of the 4th. nope.

I'm sorry, is this the Administration telling us how safe we are again, or how not safe we are again? I keep getting it confused.

Could the headline be any more misleading?

The security bypass for frequent travelers is still going ahead. What they've scrapped is the database of passenger information.

/RTFA

Line #1: Towel-on-Head Line
Line #2: No-Towel-on-Head Line

Problem solved...

(is that considered flame-baiting?)

I urge all airports to do everything they can to stop these terrorist killers. Thank You.

Now watch this drive.

/have nothing

Can we scrap the Department of Fatherland Security next?

eraser8

Should I write a list of all the people I wouldn't want to see naked on a flight?

if the folks I was (finally) seated in between two weekends ago were naked, I would have sat in the crapper the entire flight. each side of my seat had the excess of each 350lb body oozing through it, and that's WITH clothes.

eraser8, the last thing I want is to fly naked, and have other people flying naked. It's bad enough if you end up seated next to some grotesquely obese slob who should have bought *two* seats -- do you want to be seated next to a *naked* grotesquely obese slob?

Naked flight attendants might be fun, though. Especially on British Airways. :)

Under CAPPS II, each passenger would have been required to give an airline or travel agent his or her full name, date of birth, address and telephone number. The government would verify a passenger's identity through a database of terrorist watch lists, as well as public records and mail marketing lists.

Thank you Mr. I. HateSpam of 111 Privacy Lane, Anytown Alaska, whose number is area code 206-000-0000, and who was born on 1/1/1901, you're free to board.

I think I could see naked female flight attendants. Or at least, up until some guy starts calling for equal worker rights - in which case I would never fly again.

Although I've never been, I've heard that Singapore Airlines has some cute flight attendants, as well.

My dad (works for the govt) has been traveling, and had 2 star generals he was travelling with searched...

ahhh, randomness

If you travel naked, you shouldn't have to deal with all the onerous security measures that clothed passengers do. Plus, I like being naked.

Just remember to bring a towel for the seat. Yeeeeeeuuck.

Oh, and headline writer? Nice job, jackass.

You know what I want more than anything to come out of this election? America becoming respected again.

I think this is what pisses me off most about Bush: his cowboy rhetoric may go over well in Texas, but as someone who travels internationally a lot, I become embarrassed.

I yearn for the days right after 9/11, when the world commmunity was behind us, not against us. We can't fight terrorism alone. We NEED the world's support to find these assholes.

LineNoise I remember being searched because we were third in line. Also, third in line behind us was an old man in a wheelchair. That's the saddest thing I have ever seen, dragging someone out of a wheelchair like that. Also, Ralph Nader was in the other line. HE didn't get searched.

meanwhile in Canada, a reporter passes through security with a knife in his pocket twice and a piece of scientific equipment is mistaken for a bomb.

Wow. This is big. CAPPS II is dead. And only 24 comments so far? The government / TSA does something not-stupid for once, and folks aren't interested?

rank travelers according to terrorist risk

oh,the opportunities this opens!

1. You, sir, are a colonel in the terrorist risk department
2. As an american you are attracting terrorists to america,please leave !

they spent 100 million dollars just to study if the plan woud work?

why didn't they just take that 100 million dollars and buy 100 million lottery tickets?(when the jackpot goes above 300 million)

your tax dollars at work...

kliq

i've had that same conversation many many times in the last few weeks.

seriously, the american departures wing of any non-US airport is a MADHOUSE compared to anywhere else in the building. it's a rude awakening to get back to loud, obnoxious, fat people all pushing in line when you're used to a calm, relaxed european existance. plus the fact of people giving you the "pity" look when you acknowlege being American since W took office.

why is it, also, that the US is the only country to treat you like an outright criminal at customs, when you return back to the country? I'm *from* here, and I came back! I didn't want to, but I did..

This headline makes no sense. A proper and correct headline would be:
Gov. scraps perosnal invasion plan after blowing a cool $100 mil.

kcm don't worry, we'll elect Kerry in November and then things will be just like they were under the last democratic administration. Europe will love us as and terrorists will know that they can do whatever they want without fear.

And when the next terrorist attack comes you guy can blame it on Bush. You know you're going to blame it on Bush. Let's just get that out in the open.

Next terrorist attack = Bush's fault because he invaded Iraq and made them mad at us! If he hadn't invaded Iraq the terrorists wouldn't hate us and none of this would have happened.

Just like 9/11 = Bush's fault because he invaded Iraq and made them mad at us! If he hadn't invaded Iraq the terrorists wouldn't hate us and 9/11 wouldn't have happened.

That's the way the average liberal thinks.

BTW, when kerry is elected can we have moveon.org?

Liberty or security? You can't have all of both. Liberty prevailed in this case, and that is a good thing. I don't want to be on a list with a ranking concerning "terrorist risk level".

Oh well, it's back to racial profiling...

europe has never loved us, but I would rather the abject disdain of yesteryear over the current heart-wrenching looks of pity.

maybe it's just me.

and yes, I plan on blaming most things on bush for the remainder of my lifetime. get used to it.

(your logic is flawed, by the way. I still consider bush to be a catalyst of the recent events rather than this great "maker of peace and tranquility" one might gather from your words. people truly hate him and what he stands for [behind Karl] the world over.)

Good idea.

This was dumb because all a terrorist had to do was get on this program for easy access.

Besides, none of this security protects us from terrorism.

I think theyve given up on the airplane thing. Thats just a guess.

Europe will love us as and terrorists will know that they can do whatever they want without fear.

like hit the WTC with planes? oh wait... that wasn't on Clinton's watch... sorry... I mistook your conservative rant for something meaningful for a milisecond.

The fact is, Bush has played right into the terrorists hand. It's much harder to hit us when we're halfway around the world. Much easier if some dipshiate sends hundreds of thousands of targets/victims, er soldiers into their backyard under false pretenses. Plenty of targets to shoot at, right in one's own backyard. How convienent.

eraser8
Since you seem to be advocating the whole concept of naked flying, I have only one question:

Would you ever fly with your parents again? What about your grandparents?

I could've saved them $99m dollars helping them to that decision.

I would have had to keep the other million for doing two chicks at the same time.

This is what happens when somebody drops their pants in line ... the alert status goes to Paisley or something like that.

Next-to-naked flying is coming. Speedos, etc.

Bubba Ho-Tep


Line #1: Towel-on-Head Line
Line #2: No-Towel-on-Head Line

Problem solved...

(is that considered flame-baiting?)


Hindus wear turbans (ie: the towel on the head). Hindus do not want to kill you. You're too stupid to be a proper bigot.

I learned my lesson when I flew out of Dulles wearing a leather jacket. the zippers set off the metal detector and I got the wand and then had to let them xray my jacket. Luckily I had a charge on my laptop because I had to power it up and they were real keen on seeing it work. After that, I check all my luggage (no fighting for overhead space with bozos that carry on too much) and I wear sandals, shorts and tshirt. I walk through the metal detector and away I go. The biggest problem with flying is the majority of people that get on a plane suddenly become stupid. I'm always amazed that someone will come up to me and say I'm in their seat. I then point out that I'm in the right seat so they show me the ticket. And then I point out they are looking at the GATE number, not the seat. Thats happened the last 4 times I flew

Ridge jokingly gestured as if he were driving a stake through its heart

How can they be sure he wasn't prodding it with a sword, or stabbing it with scissors?

inthe80s
like hit the WTC with planes? oh wait... that wasn't on Clinton's watch

If you had even the tiniest capacity for rational thought you would realize that 9/11 took years of planning and staging, all of which happened on Clinton's watch.

This is precisely my point. You wont place any blame at all on Clinton. It's all W's fault because he just happened to be in office. On the other hand, when the reverse happens, when there is a terrorist attack "on Kerry's watch" you will do the opposite. You will blame bush and excuse Kerry.

I really don't think you're capable of thinking clearly or logically.

Jeez...another 100 Millions bucks down the drain. Is there anything the government can do efficiently? Have they ever come in under budget on anything? Seriously - they should focus on one thing and get it done under-budget, on-time, and successful. Bunch of morons.

Ridge said security leaders have all but scrapped plans for the Computer-Assisted Passenger Prescreening System, known as CAPPS II. The program was never officially begun, even though the government has spent more than $100 million on its planning.

Ok so $100 million down the crapper for a project that was budgeted at $60 million? So at least now I know where 1/3 of my pay is going for the next 25 years.