TSA Relaxes New Security Measures

Here’s the good news: As we reported yesterday, the Transportation Security Administration has relaxed the in-flight guidelines put in place following last week’s attempted terrorist attack. The AP reports that at “the captain’s discretion, passengers can once again have blankets and other items on their laps or move about the cabin during the tail end of flight. Restrictions on in-flight entertainment systems that show the plane’s path were also lifted.”

At this point, it seems airport security measures, which were also stepped up last week, will remain so. Screeners have increased their use of pat-downs and bag checks. This has led to long lines at airports across the globe.

Unfortunately, the guidelines put in place—and now revoked—have not been applied consistently, reflecting confusion that seems to stem from the TSA’s vague framing of the rules. The AP reports that “On some flights [on Monday], passengers were told to keep their hands visible and not to listen to iPods. Even babies were frisked. But on other planes, security appeared no tighter than usual.

“The Transportation Security Administration did little to explain the rules. And that inconsistency might well have been deliberate: What’s confusing to passengers is also confusing to potential terrorists.”

Ben Mutzabaugh at Today in the Sky points out that “most of the inconveniences reported by AP came on international flights.”

Those are inconveniences many will accept as necessary—for now. (Weigh in on inconveniences you’d accept or sacrifices you’d make here)