Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Dr. Kalam frisked. So what?

Why is frisking perceived as an insult? Isnt it a clearly stated policy of airlines and airports to check bags and passengers before boarding? And we all go through this rigmarole everytime we have to take a flight.

Of course, this frustrates us to no end, not to mention the delays involved. If you have to take an 8AM flight, you rouse yourself out of sleep at 4AM, get ready by 5, travel 30km to the airport (thankfully there's no traffic) and reach by 6, and join a line with 15 guys waiting to get into the airport. More people waiting to check in their bags, and even more at the security check. At times, a train journey feels infinitely more comfortable. We have learnt to grin and bear it. The VIPs, I assume, dont go thru any of this.

The only inconvenience they have to put up with is a security check, which hardly takes 30 seconds. And they have a problem with that! Make no mistake, they are not of a superior race. We have enough civilians that have contributed to the economy as much or more than our politicians.

We also know how fragile the security situation is. Take the delhi airport shooting, for example. If anything, they should lead by example, and willingly follow the same security process as we do. That should send a strong message to the people. Unfortunately, we are only good at sending strong messages - we are yet to learn how to follow it up with actions.

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