Line Up Here, Captain

Every law-abiding citizen in America has experienced some disruption in life since Sept. 11. As society sorts through new security procedures and relationships--sometimes clumsily--everyone needs a little patience, sometimes a lot. Many concerns focus on airport security checkpoints, where old fears intersect with new suspicions. So it was disappointing recently to see at least two commercial airline pilots, of all people, arrested after strongly objecting to searches and not cooperating.

Here’s the deal: Everybody--repeat, everybody--goes through the same security checkpoints. That’s how it is and should be in a thorough, democratic security procedure, at least until someone figures out a foolproof way to identify “safe” travelers.

Yes, the searches can be annoying, even picayune. Removing shoes and belts, being frisked and “randomly” selected for repeat searches by sometimes polite functionaries are new experiences for nonconvicts, which most of us are. True, contrary to hallowed American legal tradition, everyone seeking to board an airliner is now suspect until they prove themselves innocent at these checkpoints. Every pocket is emptied. All carry-ons are X-rayed; many are hand-searched. Metal detectors for everyone. The key word here is “every.”

“It is insulting,” said John Darrah, a pilots union official, “for pilots to be treated like criminals in full view of the traveling public.” Well, we think it’s arrogant for a few pilots to think they’re above the rules that apply to their passengers. Airline crews should and do have their own, shorter inspection lines. We all respect pilots, for their hard-earned skills and cool professionalism and for the awesome responsibility of safely transporting hundreds of lives in a complex multimillion-dollar machine. Yet one’s profession--even if it calls for wearing a nifty uniform--is no ticket to special treatment.

It’s one thing to let million-mile frequent fliers board the plane first; think about it, is it really a reward to sit in that cramped cocoon an extra five minutes? But seeing pilots undergo the same inspections adds to passenger confidence and security. When it comes to security checks in a post-9/11 world, thoroughly checking everyone is just fine.