How Safe Is Flying Today?Written by Laura Quarantiello
Editor: The following article is offered for your free use provided The Resource Box is included. HOW SAFE IS FLYING TODAY? By Laura Quarantiello © Tiare Publications Group 440 wordsMore than a year after September 11th attacks, many travelers are still wary of boarding commercial aircraft for fear of further terrorist activity. Though government has taken steps to increase air travel safety - including creating of Transportation Security Administration (TSA), placing sky marshals aboard aircraft, and requiring that all airport security in this country be handled by federal employees - they have stopped short of deeming air travel safe, saying that they cannot offer public a blanket guarantee of protection. So how safe is flying today? Should you be concerned next time you step aboard a commercial airliner? Safety at United States airports is better than it ever has been. Only ticketed passengers are now allowed past security checkpoints and all passengers are required to show a government-issued identification card (such as a driver's license or military ID) at ticket counter, security checkpoint, and boarding gate. More passengers and their carry-on luggage are being searched and screened before boarding. Carry-on bags have been limited to one piece plus one personal item per passenger and no knives, box cutters, or other sharp objects are allowed. More explosives detection machines are in place to check luggage and government is moving toward having all bags screened by end of year. A program known as CAPPS (Computer Assisted Prescreening System) is being used at many airports to identify suspicious passengers who are then taken aside and thoroughly searched. There is no question that new security measures have raised safety level. Everyone from skycaps to security officers to flight attendants is now more aware of potential for trouble and are on alert both for suspicious passengers and questionable items in baggage. It is this level of awareness, more than anything else, that makes flying one of safest means of travel there is.
| | The American EdinburghWritten by Ieuan Dolby
The American EdinburghEdinburgh is a lovely place to visit and to live in. Voted as one of nicest and most picturesque cities in Europe it gives a sense of wonderment to all that roam streets for adventure, relaxation or just plain having to go to work. Large buildings stand majestically next to older and less imposing structures, each complimenting other. Windy streets cross easily over new whilst cobblestones fit easy patterns next to newly laid tarmac. All who visit gain a real sense of living for future and of being part of history and culture that is ever so much part of what Edinburgh is all about today! Edinburgh as Capital of Scotland has an extremely large and important financial community and structure. Education with many well known and respected Universities brings many an International Student to Edinburgh, and Museums and historic sites brings tourists in droves at any time of year. Yes, old sits well with new in an old City steeped in culture and vibrating with future prospects and everlasting importance in global stature. Edinburgh has an excellent transportation system partly built around Double Decker Bus. It was on one of these that an American Couple sat having recently arrived in Edinburgh on a Tourist Package from some corner of USA. Typically American they sat there discussing sights as they passed them and tried in time allotted to read all in 101 guide books that were sprayed all over their seats, floor and neighboring chairs. Nothing unusual you may say? And you are right! American tourists make up a large portion of visitors to Edinburgh. Japanese, Australians and fellow EC Members make up rest. I suppose though that Americans and Japanese tourists tend to stand out more than do French or German visitors. For example, one will always spot a Japanese tourist from miles away as he is invariably bowed under a mass of tangled cameras and supports as he tries to get a photograph of Princess Street or Royal Mile. At that point observer always becomes surprised at size and scale of equipment wondering what has happened to ‘Instamatic’ that was heralded as equal to all else! Yes, Japanese tourists are always well noted for carrying cameras of disproportionate dimensions and seem to struggle in their efforts to set them up suitably. Regardless, let us return to Americans. Yes, Americans tend to come to Edinburgh for special reasons and one of these is to “find their roots”. Find Tartan of McDougal as three hundred years ago they were once related or so they say…..All Americans have Scottish Roots! Strange but true! Others come just as tourists but well equipped with all that America has to offer on touristic spots of Edinburgh and then they buy more on arrival. Maps, guide books and tape dialogues seem to pour out of their pockets, their hair and any other place that one could possible imagine. They do in fact seem to spend more time pouring over these advice leaflets than actually looking at historic sites under review.
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