[extropy-chat] Alert for Suspicious Farmers' Almanacs

[Charlie Stross]

On 30 Dec 2003, at 21:59, Robert J. Bradbury wrote:

>> How do these compare?  Requiring marshals on planes
>> does not itself imply it is okay to trample on
>> anyone's rights just because of some factor that has a very
>> shaky, if any, correlation to terrorists.
>
> Its a double edged sword and one that could cause endless
> debate that I'm not sure would be productive.  But a
> couple of things seem true -- it isn't clear *whose*
> laws in effect during international flights so it
> isn't clear whose rights you have -- (originating
> country, destination country, passport country,
> international or UN rules???).  Second though I
> think most passengers would be grateful to someone
> taking aggressive action towards someone who is
> perceived as dangerous -- there are significant
> risks to the plane, flight crew and passengers
> when firearms are involved.

You bet. Which is why the latest news in the UK is that BALPA (the 
British Air Line Pilots' Association) is telling their members that 
they don't need to fly if they believe there's an armed stranger on 
their flight.

BALPA's objection isn't merely to security -- airline pilots are not in 
favour of hijackings! -- but they believe that sky marshalls will make 
flights *less* safe. For one thing, a single sky marshall against a 
group of hijackers may merely give them a free firearm. For another 
thing, sky marshalls may accidentally wound or kill non-hijackers, or 
damage the aircraft. They may be mistaken for hijackers by passengers 
and *cause* security incidents -- if you realised the passenger in the 
seat next to you had a concealed weapon, what would you do? And so on.

BALPA want attention focussed instead on heightening security checks 
before passengers board the aircraft, and point to the poor quality of 
many security staff as the biggest problem. Unfortunately it costs a 
*LOT* more to have well-paid, professional, highly-trained airport 
security staff than minimum wage drones plus one or two sky marshalls.



-- Charlie