Lost in the Fog of LAX Security

We arrived at a deserted Los Angeles International Airport on Friday night, Nov. 16, from Hawaii and attended an excellent symposium on lung cancer at Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel the next day. Driving back to LAX through the fog at 6 a.m. Sunday, neither we nor our 70-year-old driver were aware of new security off-loading rules. Pulling up behind other vans, with only one hand-carry, my wife and I jumped out of our van at what proved to be a red curb and were quickly giving hugs and goodbyes.

Suddenly, out of nowhere popped an officer with her citation book, who began writing out a ticket! “I’m sorry, what’s wrong?” I blurted. “Can’t you see, that’s a red curb. There’s signs all over. You can’t get off here. I’ve got to give [the driver] a ticket. You’re out already!”

I apologized, gave our hostess the money to pay for the ticket and wondered how much in-servicing is provided to low-paid security to use common sense and encourage scarce tourists to enjoy Los Angeles. Zealous enforcement of new rules and a $60 citation can turn off much larger potential visitor revenue.

We old geezers may not “catch on” and read signs through the fog as well, but we’ve still got the bucks and the time to spend to help reinvigorate Los Angeles’ tourist industry.

H.H. Chun

Honolulu

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I have a great idea that could greatly speed up the process of making air travel safe. Have President Bush, Vice President Cheney, the Senate and House leadership and all the top airline executives fly commercially until security is properly fixed.

Eddie Kehler

Redondo Beach

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Airport security has been “federalized.” Having taken this step, wouldn’t it be a good idea to use our best federal employees for the job at major hubs: military police? We can rely on these loyal men and women, for whom discipline is life itself. Under the command of a tough-as-nails general, the job will get done, and fast. One thing is certain. There is ample proof in our Afghanistan campaign that the ability of our armed forces to develop and execute responses to daunting challenges is incredible.

The reservists who have been assigned to airport duty are just hanging around. Why not put them on line, screening carry-on baggage, interrogating passengers and patrolling the terminals?

Larry Kaufman

Los Angeles

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We have just witnessed the creation of a whole new federal bureaucracy, that of at least 28,000 new federal workers. There will be unions, a federal pension plan much better than most of us have, a federal health plan much better than most of us have and, as federal employees, they will get more holidays, vacation days and sick days off than most of us do.

Besides all the above benefits, these workers will get paid over twice what they are now being compensated, for what 99% of them are adequately doing right now. And as federal employees, when they screw up, and you do realize that some out of the 28,000 will, it will be next to impossible to fire them. And when a federal bureaucracy is created, it is never dismantled; it just gets bigger.

What makes a federal employee, when you add it all up, worth four times what the people doing the job right now are worth? Why can’t the federal government mandate the hiring criteria, the training and have a test that the screeners must pass, along with monitoring? They are going to do all of these things anyway. Why must they be federal employees too?

Thomas Sled

Grover Beach

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An additional 28,000 federal employees? Bureaucracy, perks, travel, retirements, salary, sick time, vacation pay and job security are all part of the package. Do you feel safer now? The era of big government is truly over. We are now talking giant government. Instead of stringent oversight of the security activity, Congress has created another monster to feed.

Bob Driscoll

Woodland Hills

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Recent letters have proposed many good ideas that might improve airport security. But banning carry-on bags is not a good idea. Before Sept. 11, handling of checked baggage was less than dependable, and dealing with lost baggage was infuriating. The airlines’ current financial woes and huge layoffs can only make things worse.

Without carry-ons, passengers with lost baggage would have nothing but the clothes on their backs. They’d spend hours or days waiting in long lines or listening to telephone busy signals trying to get help from a downsized staff.

Ted R. Marcus

Torrance