While I was in China, airline security managed to get even more ridiculous. Enough ink has been spilled talking about how ineffective these measures are, so I won’t rehash here (Bruce Schneier has written well about airline security if you’re curious).
I have a different question: Are people flying less because of all the extra hassle? If not, how much more can be tacked on before they do?
Yesterday, I arrived at the airport one hour and fifteen minutes before my domestic flight — and I barely made it to the gate in time! Because I didn’t check any bags, I had to fly without deodorant, toothpaste, and other threatening non-solids. At what point do these negatives start to outweigh the time savings? For any drive under four or five hours, I believe the it’s already quicker and more convenient to drive or take the train.
Clearly, for cross-country trips such as mine, driving isn’t an option — but going on fewer cross-country trips is an option.
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There’s no problem with stick deodorant on airplanes. I’ve carried it on several times, even after the UK incident. You’re gross!
Security is ridiculous, but I don’t think it will have an impact on travel until it materially impacts business travellers.
I use gel deodorant — forgot to think ahead on that one …
I usually fly internationally and arrive at the airport about 50 minutes early. Course i’m usually travelling from Arab country to Arab country.
Heh, occasionally everything in China can be ridiculous. Everything.
One of my friends was moving from Beijing to Nanjing and was not allowed to bring a telephone in his suitcase on a train. And asking why got him nowhere.
What you say about some airlines not allowing certain toiletries on board the plane rings true with us. We could hardly believe it, but we had one American tourist recently whose request on arriving in Bangkok wasn’t to see The Grand Palace, the Royal temples, etc. but was to know where she could buy toiletries and cosmetics because she wasn’t allowed to bring them on her flight from the US.
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