One of the inescapable sad facts about human society is that the actions of an infinitesimally small group of dysfunctional individuals will invariably impact the 99.99% of those of us who behave ourselves.
Flying has become an integral part of our lives. Our parents grew up with the concept of getting on a train to get somewhere far away. It was natural for the Boomer generation to adopt the airplane as its no-brainer method of getting somewhere, especially in light of competitive airfares that seem to steadily get more affordable.
That means regularly subjecting ourselves to walking through metal detectors. It means having our carried items subjected to X-radiation. It means having perfect strangers rifle through our most personal items. It means surrendering our Leathermans and pocket knives that we may have inadvertently forgotten to pack in our checked luggage, never to see them again. It means getting viewed as potential hijackers by stern airport security personnel until we successfully pass shoelessly through the devices that proclaim us to be otherwise.
We don't like it, but we accept it as the price we have to pay, thanks to the actions of a few idiots. But if you remember JFK, you also remember when you went to the airport, purchased your ticket, and walked onto the plane.
On July 16, 1948, an attempt to hijack a seaplane flying out of the nation of Macau ended with the plane crashing into the sea. Thus took place the first hijacking of a commercial plane.
Hijacking planes remained a sporadic phenomenon until 1968. That year, a shocking 27 attempts were made to hijack airliners to Cuba. Why did people commandeer airliners to fly to the communist nation? That's a question that has puzzled me for years. In the case of one man, Black Panther William Lee Brent, it was done to avoid a murder trial.
Hijackings continued to increase in 1969. Palestinians saw them as a way to further their cause and force Israel to release prisoners whom they viewed as unjustly confined. And unlike typical Cuban hijackings, the Palestinian versions would frequently end in tragedy.
Hijackings became more and more popular as the 1970's progressed. In 1971, D.B. Cooper threatened the lives of the passengers on a 727 and managed to get $200,000 in cash. He then parachuted out of the plane over Oregon and was never seen again.
The crimes of piracy showed no sign of decreasing, and finally, in 1972, the first metal detectors were installed in airports. The tunnelled structures were very confusing to passengers who were not used to being searched for weapons. Lawsuits were filed questioning the legality of the procedure, claiming it violated the Fourth Amendment against illegal searches and seizures. But the courts upheld it, and preflight security checks became a part of our culture.
Every time some madman decides to make a statement by hijacking or destroying an airliner, the rules get tougher. Despicable monsters take over planes with box cutters, now we can't carry pocketknives. A dipwad turns his shoe into a bomb, now we have to walk through security in our socks.
It's sad, but it's the price we pay. A tiny minority of sociopaths can have a huge influence on the way the rest of us well-behaved ones are treated. But those of us old enough to remember JFK can recall a simpler time when you could walk straight from the ticket counter to the airplane, with no searches in between.
Comments (8)
Ah, I remember...in 1964 when we went to Europe.
-We dressed up to fly.
-After checking in we walked out of the terminal, across the tarmac, and up the portable steps to board the plane.
-During the flight, my brother got a set of pilot's wings to pin on his shirt and my sister and I each got a Pan Am stewardess pin. (Yes, stewardess, not flight attendant)
Posted by Barb | March 20, 2007 9:28 AM
Posted on March 20, 2007 09:28
I remember flying SAS in 64', you walked out onto the tarmac and your family could go on board to see you off. Prior to the flight they told everyone to leave except passengers. Everyone dressed up in suits and dresses for the flight.
Posted by Arne Christiansen | March 20, 2007 3:20 PM
Posted on March 20, 2007 15:20
I remember flying with my grandma in 1962, I was 12 and she was in her late 60's and had trouble seeing. We flew from Cleveland to Phoenix, changing planes in Chicago. No jet then, prop plane and yes, you could walk your loved ones all the way to where you left the building and down the steps to the ground. Remember how you had to go outside and go up the steps into the plane?? I miss the freedom of roaming all over the airport and watching people say goodbye and hello.
Posted by Nancy Wasen | March 20, 2007 7:04 PM
Posted on March 20, 2007 19:04
I remember going to the Stapleton Airport in Denver with friends, just to walk to the different gates and watch the planes take off and land. We would sit and watch people board and disembark planes for hours, not possible now. My greandchildren love planes, how I wish I could take them to watch the plans as I did when I was young.
Posted by Patricia Lang | March 20, 2007 8:23 PM
Posted on March 20, 2007 20:23
I remember, in early 1964, flying home from AIT at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. After the plane came to a stop in Kansas City, my fiancee ran out on the tarmac to welcome me home. There were no jetways then and I remember the thrill seeing her as I walked down the movable stairs from the plane.
Posted by Vernon Gage | March 20, 2007 11:15 PM
Posted on March 20, 2007 23:15
When my brother and I were kids, the airport was one of our favorite places. Dad would take us, at least monthly, and we'd stand out on the observation deck of Friendship Airport, now Baltimore-Washington International (BWI).
We really enjoyed take-offs and landings. I remember how loud the jets were when they were warming the engines.
Finally, the deck was closed and new piers were added. People started parking in a field across from one of the runways in order to see the planes. The authorities erected barriers, citing safety concerns, and people would tear them down within a day. Finally, the area was turned into a small park with parking spaces lined up facing the approach path. There are also signs warning people of the dangers and that you are there at your own risk. It IS risky because you very close; passengers are easily seen and there is a jet 'wash'. But, to many, it's worth it to get a great view of the planes. I especially liked seeing the plane gently 'seesaw' in the air as the pilot keeps it straight.
Can also get a good view of the taxiways and can watch take-offs, too.
Posted by Mary | March 21, 2007 4:23 PM
Posted on March 21, 2007 16:23
My family never had a reason to fly. We drove to where ever we went to. I really never flew until I was an adult! But I do remember before 9 11 when anyone could go on any of the concourses even if you weren't flying.
Posted by Rivers End | June 6, 2009 8:03 PM
Posted on June 6, 2009 20:03
The only plane I ever flew in was a little 4 seater trip up in Nova Scotia to look around. Never been on a commercial plane and never been more than 6 to 12 hours from home. But I do recall a visit to the airport at about age 4 and remember the propeller props, not jet engines, about 1963 in Portland ME. The airport runway was in a different direction/place and grew by leaps and bounds over the years. And the more ir grew, the more they took out of passengers. I did work at the Jetport for 5 years as a supervisor at their parking facilities. What a nightmare job that was. I started in Feb. 2001, just months before you know what.
After 911, a number of business men were not entirely convinced that 911 was entirely unknown. I am inclined to agree. But whether it was or was not, I would be damned if I am going to let terrorists make my life miserable and force me to live like a police state prisoner. I would rather risk going down in plane and I heard any many people say the same.
Reactions by the government and enforcement had little to no purpose and did not make riding safer. The jetport was so pleasant before 911 and a hell after. I fail to see how guards walking around with machine guns were going to detect terrorists. In fact, 2 of those came right through Portland International Jetport. Yes, we were famous.
But I note that travel is far more common today, and prior to recently, much cheaper than it had been. People are mad cause airlines are cutting everything out but when one considers how cheap it was in say, 2004, compared to 1960s, there is little reason to complain. The problem is that most airports are crowded beyond capacity as everyone everywhere is flying now and people fly on the spur of the moment for a quick 2 or 3 day get away. Add the strict searches now which really slow down checkin and you got rage and frustration throughout.
In the 60s, travel was much more rare. It was growing but no where near what it is today. Somehow, back then, we were happier being less mobile and more content. Perhaps there is something there to learn.
Posted by Scott Irv | June 9, 2009 2:34 PM
Posted on June 9, 2009 14:34