Reply to post: Re: Fakes on a Plane

Planning to fly? Pour out your shampoo, toss your scissors, rename terrorist Wi-fi!

Pete 2 Silver badge

Re: Fakes on a Plane

> No they don't. Any more than they have to act on warnings that flying unicorns are orbiting the tower.

It's not ignorance or stupidity. It's a simple case of covering your arse and increasing your own importance.

Security, police or practically any institution have nothing to lose by inconveniencing the public, no matter what the pretext. If a flight gets delayed by a security scare, then whoever made that decision does so with impunity. If asked to defend their actions, a reply of "national security" goes unquestioned and frequently praised.

So given that it costs them nothing to take such action, but leads to a shitstorm of apocalyptic proportions if they get it wrong, there is no question which way they will go. If the inconvenience and headlines their action causes can be leveraged to increase fear awareness which will only ever lead to increased job security, then there's no possible downside. Unless, of course, you're a passenger.

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