TSA Decision to Swab Passengers’ Hands a Good Move for National Security
Security means that we can confidently get onto an airplane without the worry that our flight could result in someone trying to blow themselves and the aircraft into smithereens, right? Well, after 9/11 and the recent Christmas Day bombing attempt that left the bomber injured in an, ahem…unfortunate place, the government is now taking steps to swab passengers’ palms for explosive residue for added protection in the air.
Though the TSA (Transportation Security Administration) had been previously only swabbing some pieces of carry-on luggage for traces of explosives, now they are saying that taking it one step further and swabbing palms is the best move. Though CNN describes swabbing luggage as searching for “the needle in the security haystack”, security experts are saying that the TSA’s decision to swab hands is an excellent decision.
Criminal background searches cannot be done on passengers prior to boarding a plane, but the TSA can make huge strides toward preventing a recurrence of the Christmas Day bombing by testing passenger’s hands before boarding an aircraft. The TSA has just announced that after beginning a random swabbing of hands in the immediate time period after the Detroit, Michigan attempted bombing of Flight 253, they will now expand their swabbing operations immediately.
Since employment background screening is already done on airline employees, security personnel, and airport staff, these additional measures of hand swabbing are expected to greatly improve the level of security in-flight as well as boost airline passenger confidence. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano made a statement to CNN saying, "We know that al Qaeda [and other] terrorists continue to think of aviation as a way to attack the United States. One way we keep it safe is by new technology [and] random use of different types of technology."
Not only do airlines and passengers feel that this is a good move on the TSA’s part, security expert Tony Fainberg also applauded the practice of hand swabbing. He went on to comment to CNN that he felt that “Looking at the hands means you will probably get a better dose [of traces of explosives].” The new procedures will add and swabbing to places in the boarding process including the checkpoint lines, during screening, and even at the gates. The TSA hopes to one day have machines available that will automatically check passengers’ hands for explosives residue.
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