The Greater Good
November 9, 2005
As someone who spends quite a bit of time in Canadian airports, you can understand how this made me feel a bit uncomfortable, but probably not for the reason you think.
I've spent about 125 hours (a little over five days) on an airplane this calendar year alone. (How do I know that? I had some time to kill the other day on a plane.) So, it goes without saying that I have spent quite a bit of time in airports as well. I do seem to notice an uptick in security when I am flying to the US or inside the US, but on domestic Canadian flights, things feel very pre 9/11 security-wise, as the afore mentioned Fifth Estate piece evidently points out.
The Fifth Estate is the CBC's documentary style TV magazine, in a similar vein to 60 Minutes or Dateline. To summarize the story, they followed an expert around as he made his way in and out of secure doors at Toronto's Pearson International Airport. From the article:
Airport security specialist Steve Elson showed how he could decipher access codes for restricted areas in less than 20 minutes. Using a hidden camera the Fifth Estate team followed him as he walked through Toronto's Pearson International Airport, opening one door after the other.
The doors all appeared to have the same access code. "That means I can get access to airplanes, to the ramp, literally get into a jetway door in a few seconds," said Elson.
Wonderful. But you know what's even better? That The Fifth Estate, in all their wisdom and do-goodery, reports this under the guise of watching out for Joe Citizen. Sure...
We all know why they ran it. It's a hot button story that people will watch, and with them come advertising revenue. The funny thing is that when it comes time to lay blame for a terrorist incident, the media runs out of fingers to point. Paradox? I'd say...
If the CBC was really interested in the safety of travelers in Canadian airports, it would have taken the information to the governmental agencies involved (or at least the people at Pearson) to rectify the situation before telling the whole world how to get backstage at Canada's biggest airport. A little pie in the sky? Sure, and I don't expect that to happen any time soon. But don't come patting yourself on the back when all you have really done is drawn a treasure map for those wishing to do harm.
The report does bring some disturbing things to light, not the least of which is revealed in this comment by Mark Duncan, COO of the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority:
"Our last public opinion survey showed that 90 per cent of the people were satisfied with the security process. So we think we've delivered on the mandate we were given."
So let me get this straight. The agency involved in securing airports in Canada assesses its' success with a survey of how secure people feel? Well, I have a feeling that those numbers are going to make quite a swing in the other direction after this story breaks.
All around, not the best news. Here's hoping for a little more media responsibility, a little less thickheadedness from the government, or maybe just faster trains...
Filed under Life in General, News, Rants
Comments
Dad says:
Now that T.O. has a little free time on his hands, maybe he can come up and offer some assistance in plugging the hole. Oh, wait a minute, that's what he has trouble with in the first place! Regardless, please just take him away from here! He'd do well in the Canadien league where you get the running start!
Jarrett says:
Reason #457 ya'll need to move your butts to Orlando!
Kevin says:
I agree with Jarrett....Maybe another long Canadian winter will convince you to move to the sunshine state.
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Mom says:
Another good reason to fly into Albany -- of course, not an option for you. This will ease my unreast with you in the air so much!!!!!