arnisador
03-11-2010, 11:21 PM
Flight attendants press for hand-to-hand combat training as anti-terror measure (http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/item.aspx?type=blog&ak=82223.blog)
The Association of Flight Attendants is pushing Congress to fund combat training as part of a four-point plan that the union says would improve security inside aircraft cabins. The Los Angeles Times (http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-travel-briefcase6-2010mar06,0,6470983.story) reports the union "hopes that lawmakers will include money to put some of their ideas into action under an upcoming funding bill for the Federal Aviation Administration."
According to the Times, the attendants' four-point plan includes: "Mandatory hand-to-hand combat training for all crew members"; portable communication devices that would allow attendants to speak with pilots during emergencies; a standard maximum size for carry-on luggage "so that flight attendants can look for suspicious passengers instead of struggling with oversized bags"; and the ability to shut down in-flight Wi-Fi "during high-threat periods to prevent terrorists from communicating with collaborators on the ground."
As for the combat training, Association of Flight Attendants spokeswoman Corey Caldwell tells the Times it's an important measure since it's currently voluntary. Caldwell says that means attendants choosing to take such training must do so on their own time. "For better or for worse, once the cabin doors close, the flight attendants are the last line of defense," Caldwell tells the Times.
From a longer version of the same story:
Flight attendants union wants combat training (http://articles.latimes.com/2010/mar/06/business/la-fi-travel-briefcase6-2010mar06)
The labor group is pushing for new rules to strengthen in-cabin security, including hand-to-hand combat instruction, personal radios and standardized size limits for carry-on luggage. (http://articles.latimes.com/2010/mar/06/business/la-fi-travel-briefcase6-2010mar06)
WeCu Technologies (as in "we see you") claims it has devised a method to identify airline passengers with bad intentions by reading the reactions of passengers to certain "stimuli."
In the system being tested in Israel, projectors at airport terminals would flash different images associated with a certain terrorist group or symbols that only a would-be terrorist would recognize.
The assumption is that people cannot hide their reactions to certain images, just as anyone might react to a photo of a close relative suddenly appearing on a wall. The technology would use hidden cameras aimed at the passing face to capture and analyze even the most subtle reactions. Even an averted glance or a slight increase in heart rate could signal a passenger's intentions.
If the cameras pick up suspicious looks or movement, the passenger can be pulled aside for further screening.
The Association of Flight Attendants is pushing Congress to fund combat training as part of a four-point plan that the union says would improve security inside aircraft cabins. The Los Angeles Times (http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-travel-briefcase6-2010mar06,0,6470983.story) reports the union "hopes that lawmakers will include money to put some of their ideas into action under an upcoming funding bill for the Federal Aviation Administration."
According to the Times, the attendants' four-point plan includes: "Mandatory hand-to-hand combat training for all crew members"; portable communication devices that would allow attendants to speak with pilots during emergencies; a standard maximum size for carry-on luggage "so that flight attendants can look for suspicious passengers instead of struggling with oversized bags"; and the ability to shut down in-flight Wi-Fi "during high-threat periods to prevent terrorists from communicating with collaborators on the ground."
As for the combat training, Association of Flight Attendants spokeswoman Corey Caldwell tells the Times it's an important measure since it's currently voluntary. Caldwell says that means attendants choosing to take such training must do so on their own time. "For better or for worse, once the cabin doors close, the flight attendants are the last line of defense," Caldwell tells the Times.
From a longer version of the same story:
Flight attendants union wants combat training (http://articles.latimes.com/2010/mar/06/business/la-fi-travel-briefcase6-2010mar06)
The labor group is pushing for new rules to strengthen in-cabin security, including hand-to-hand combat instruction, personal radios and standardized size limits for carry-on luggage. (http://articles.latimes.com/2010/mar/06/business/la-fi-travel-briefcase6-2010mar06)
WeCu Technologies (as in "we see you") claims it has devised a method to identify airline passengers with bad intentions by reading the reactions of passengers to certain "stimuli."
In the system being tested in Israel, projectors at airport terminals would flash different images associated with a certain terrorist group or symbols that only a would-be terrorist would recognize.
The assumption is that people cannot hide their reactions to certain images, just as anyone might react to a photo of a close relative suddenly appearing on a wall. The technology would use hidden cameras aimed at the passing face to capture and analyze even the most subtle reactions. Even an averted glance or a slight increase in heart rate could signal a passenger's intentions.
If the cameras pick up suspicious looks or movement, the passenger can be pulled aside for further screening.