People Fodder

In view of another airline tragedy (Egyptair) that just disappeared today off the coast of Crete, I have often wondered, "do we give up anything when we hop aboard?"

When your feet leave Terra firma and you are firmly settled in your seat, have you now morphed into something else, become just a "product" of someone else and now owned lock stock and barrel by third parties?

Third Parties:  1.  The airline 2. The pilot 3. The crew 4. Food suppliers 5. Baggage Handlers?

Are you really still in control of your life or did you just relinquish a part or all of it to someone/something else?

I think one of the biggest threats to our well being is our own government who we just found out don't conduct background checks on their own employees (TSA) some of whom have been found to have extensive criminal backgrounds, allegedly stolen people's luggage and use drugs.

It is almost impossible to calculate just who or how many have an axe to grind or other sinister motives to inflict terror on others while aboard an airplane but I do believe that government could do a better job of taking a more proactive role to ensure everyone's safety.

How many airline employees, baggage handlers, food suppliers, mechanics, and yes, sad to say, even pilots are fingerprinted, and background checks done?

What about their mental health?  We have tests that help determine if someone should be hired or not.

Why isn't profiling done more in depth by the government as the Israelis do?

Their very lives depend on it and guess what, so do ours.

You have no idea who is sitting next to you (their history, mental state, etc.) and I doubt the airline does, either, unless passengers are checked.

If nobody takes our safety seriously then we must.

You were eager and alive, waiting in line to check your baggage, anticipating a happy trip that would take you to Disney Land or wherever and guess what, you never arrived.

Don't you think it would be a good idea to check the airline's safety record, their hiring practices, how many were fired for this infraction or other, the overall history of the airline, itself before you book your trip.

It's the least you can do to protect yourself and your family.

If the government won't do their job, then it's time we started to do it for them.