From: Lancair Mailing List [mailto:lml@lancaironline.net] On Behalf Of marv@lancair.net
Sent: Monday, January 17, 2011 6:50 AM
To: lml@lancaironline.net
Subject: [LML] Airport security?

Posted for "Douglas Brunner" <douglasbrunner@earthlink.net>:

 
 Yesterday (1/14), I headed out to my airport (KMTN) to do some work on my
 plane.  Recently, my airport has installed a sliding gate with a code to
 control entry.
 
 On my way in, I observed the car in front of me stop at the keypad, spend
 some time sitting there and then drive away from the entry.  My inference
 was that they did not know the access code to the airport.  I pulled up to
 the gate, punched in the access code and pulled through the gate.  I stopped
 on the other side of the gate, to limit entry to one car.  The car which had
 been in front of me (and had failed to gain entry) then tried to pull around
 me and go through the gate while it was still open.  I moved my car slightly
 to block their entry figuring that if they didn't know the code, they
 shouldn't be coming in with me.
 
 Well it turned out that the two men in the car, were actually police
 officers, and they did not take kindly to my blocking their entrance.  In
 essence they "copped an attitude" (pun intended) and gave me a hard time
 about blocking them.  After a few unkind words were exchanged, we both went
 on our ways.
 
 Normally, I am not a huge fan of the (pseudo) security procedures at
 airports.  And perhaps from time to time, I have been known to let someone
 follow me in through the security gate, or to follow others in. However in
 this case, it appeared to me that they had demonstrated that they did not
 know the code so I treated them (not knowing they were cops) differently.
 
 Several questions/observations:
 
 Since the number of terrorist incidents attributable to GA aircraft both
 prior to and after instituting these security precaution is ZERO, is it
 logical to infer that the procedures have been a success???
 
 Since the police appear to regard the security precautions as optional
 should these security precautions should be observed religiously by non- law
 enforcement types???
 
 Has the amount of time and money spent on airport security post 9/11, (which
 probably exceeds the GDP of some African and Latin American countries) been
 well spent???
 
 Or are these security precautions are an expensive charade designed to
 persuade gullible people that the government is making them safer???