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. [EMAIL PROTECTED] | fair use. | Los Gatos, CA 95032, USA