In the wake of the terrorism attempt Friday on a Northwest Airlines flight, federal officials on Saturday imposed a new layer of restrictions on travelers that could lengthen lines at airports and limit the ability of international passengers to move about an airplane. Among other steps being imposed, passengers on international flights coming to the United States will apparently have to remain in their seats for the last hour of a flight without any personal items on their laps. Overseas passengers will be restricted to only one carry-on item aboard the plane, and domestic passengers will probably face longer security lines.

The restrictions will again change the routine of air travel, which has undergone an upheaval since the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington in September 2001 and three attempts at air terrorism since then.

Just a day after the attempt on Friday, travelers at airports around the world began experiencing heightened screening in security lines. On one flight, from Newark Airport, flight attendants kept cabin lights on for the entire trip instead of dimming them for takeoff and landing.

The limits, which brought to mind some of the most stringent policies after the 2001 attacks, come at a difficult time for the airline industry.

TSA Motto: “We’re not gonna stop till no one wants to leave home.”




  1. sargasso says:

    People are avoiding travel through the USA en-route to other destinations on vacation, because of the severity of airport security and expensive travel delays and also because the US is wrongly seen as a dangerous place to visit. Tourists watching Fox, CNN and MSNBC see LA and NY as though they were Beirut or Baghdad.

  2. fred says:

    the man with the rubber glove..

  3. qb says:

    So, this really was a religious nut job.

  4. MikeN says:

    The new restrictions don’t go far enough.
    How about don’t let someone board flights if his father has warned the authorities about his religious zealotry?

  5. TThor says:

    1) Every non-US visitor has to preregister with ESTA – Electronic System for Travel Authorization, https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov.

    2) The Nigerian moron was already on the US list of suspicious individuals, after his father notified the authorities about his son’s extreme opinions – a year ago!

    So – blatantly obvious that the rules and regulations and all powers vested with ‘them’ has not been used. Someone has been sleeping! TSA, CIA, FBI, Homeland Security… who knows, but someone simply did not do their job!

    And who shall suffer? All the millions that needs to travel. No more dimmed lights in the cabin for you!; no more toilet visit 1 hour before landing for you!; only one piece of cabin baggage for you!…No more service for you!!!

    The airlines should consider to offer everyone to change into orange jumpsuits for use while in flight; that private clothes are handed back at arrival…?

  6. I just registered crotchbomber.com

    I’m such a capitalist pig. lol

  7. airplanefixer says:

    Nigerian-crotch-bomber-induces-new-security-measures. “Did you pack your bomb yourself?” tricky security question will catch the bombers out! I Feel safer already! Do you?

  8. gquaglia says:

    More useless hassles. Hey TSA how about stop wasting your time on children and grannies and go after the real threats. Young, Arab males. I know you PC weenies can’t stand the thought of that, but they are the most likely to be terrorists so they should be concentrated on.

  9. gquaglia says:

    The Nigerian moron was already on the US list of suspicious individuals, after his father notified the authorities about his son’s extreme opinions – a year ago!

    So – blatantly obvious that the rules and regulations and all powers vested with ‘them’ has not been used. Someone has been sleeping! TSA, CIA, FBI, Homeland Security… who knows, but someone simply did not do their job!

    They were too busy checking toe nail clippers, mouthwash bottles and 6 mos old babies. TSA is a joke, why pretend they are anything other then that.

  10. Whats next in the global war against terror
    High tech scanners to test underwear
    It all comes down to simple human intelligence on the ground – intelligence seems severely lacking as the British denied this person a visa to begin with

  11. Yef says:

    The problem with all this is, a mountain of evidence shows 9/11 was perpetrated by the US government.

  12. LOWER CASE SCREEN NAME says:

    Tiger Woods hired the guy to create a distraction.

    Notice that Tiger’s now off the front page?

  13. Buzz says:

    Wasn’t the shoe-bomber guy American, meaning non-muslim?

  14. My2Cents says:

    Does anyone remember the movie “The Fifth Element”. Put everyone to sleep in some sort of coffin like box ( that holds your luggage as well )and ship them on cargo planes. Before these “boxes” reach the plane, scan them like luggage. Once you reach your destination, a bar code reader will trigger a wake up sequence.

  15. brm says:

    WE MUST BAN CROTCHES ON PLANES!

  16. bobyrne says:

    On one flight, from Newark Airport, flight attendants kept cabin lights on for the entire trip instead of dimming them for takeoff and landing.

    I thought there was a very good reason for turning off the lights; to make sure your eyes were dark-adapted as much as possible in case of a failure during the takeoff or landing. If there is a failure (like a runway overrun, perhaps?) then seconds matter. If you have to spend seconds waiting until you can see after the lights go out your chances of survival drop.

    If that statement about the flight from Newark is true those flight attendants chose not to follow a long-established safety procedure in favor of what? A chance that they might spot something if the lights were on?

    Truly this is a case of ‘fear is our greatest enemy’.

  17. zombieball says:

    #3 said:
    I’m sorry, but I would not mind if all muslims get profiled and not allowed to board a plane. There, easier & faster airport security.

    Dumbest comment I have read yet. How do you plan to figure out who is Muslim and who isn’t? It is equivalent to trying to spot a Baptist vs an Agnostic. Muslim spans many countries of the globe, you can’t tell someone’s religion based upon the colour of the skin or clothes they wear. And the day we have to put our religious beliefs on a passport to get into the USA is the day I stop visiting that country!

  18. Frequent Flyer says:

    Why is the public made to suffer for the TSA’s inability to install better detection systems.

    In a time when we can detect water vapour on a neighbouring planet, we must be able to build a fool proof explosives detector. I travel internationally every few weeks and have started to take longer routes just to avoid unnecessary American/British stop overs. This must be costing the airlines tons of cash. Although the hand luggage restriction is saving them costs due to the reduced weight on board.

    I just want to go through some scanner, in as short a time as possible without undressing or unpacking all my electronics for inspection. I dont want to rely on some person giving me a free grope/pat down.

    But at the end of the day, body searches are much cheaper than hi-tech scanners and the TSA is providing employment for many people.

  19. Benjamin says:

    If I am flying, I won’t be separated from my novel. There is no good reason to ban books and magazines. Are they going to take the Sky Mall catalogs away as well?

  20. soundwash says:

    The whole thing was rigged to provide a distraction and to allow sweeping new, “more better” security procedures to be added to the Patriot Act upgrade/renewal who’s vote was conveniently delayed on 12/16 so the hand puppets could be marched out and shake a stick “at the broken system” who’s solution is always the same: More government, More Police State, NO Liberty.

    Come one people, how many more times will you need to be suckered into believing this BS before you get a clue?

    There are plenty of other, “hidden in plain sight” very simplistic memes in this account that apparently, only those who actually know how to learn and think on their own can easily spot.

    Think.

    The story reeks of another FBI/CIA stooge setup, complete with FULL video “to remove all doubt”

    ———please…

    -s

  21. astonished says:

    Don’t even think of taking a carry-on bag from Canada to the USA on Air Canada. It’s “not allowed“!


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