Plane Safety

The passengers and crew on the plane flyng to Detroit were lucky when the Nigerian Muslim fanatic’s explosive device failed to go off. If it had, the result would have been carnage in the air and possibly on the ground belwo.

Scary. Despite the best will, devices and knowledge in the world the suicide bomber will sooner or later get through again. In this instance, there was a system failure. The American administration admits this. But it’s like computer hackers. No matter how high the firewall to the challenger that is a problem to be solved.

Reluctantly I accept that questions of privacy and modesty have to give way to issues of security – the greatest good for the greatest number. It’s happened before and it will happen again. The actions of a fanatical few curtail the freedoms of the great majority.

Selfishly I’m pleased to have travelled by air when this present threat was absent, though there was a period when there was a danger of hijacking. I recall being in Athens airport when a child’s balloon exploded. By the time I’d thought of diving to the floor other people were beginning to sheepishly pull themselves upright. It’s much less simple now.