Several recent articles surrounding the 9/11 anniversary have appeared, quite  appropriately echoing sympathies for all those affected not only now, but throughout the following generation.  However, a few have begun to question the efficacy and  “inconvenience” of long-standing procedures at the checkpoint -  shoes, pocket knives, most liquids, some foods, and a seemingly endless list of genuinely  weird “stuff” that people insist they cannot be without while in flight.  Sept. Eleventh notwithstanding, their narrative questions the continuing level of threat in/to the United States.  Look at the history: in the 1970’s a lot of hijacks to Cuba.  In the 1980’s, 36 hijack events worldwide, 3 of them in the US.  In the 1990’s, 22 worldwide, 1 in the US and one was a prisoner transport.  The 2000’s had 17, 9 of them in the US, including 9/11.  The 2010’ had a world total of 9 (0 for the US) and so far in the 2020’s, just 2 and 0. In 2020, TSA found 3,257 firearms on half  the number of 2019 CV-19-constrained passengers; well over 4,200 so far this year . Bottom line:  in the US, it works.  Elsewhere, not so much.

Related question:  is Covid-19 masking a safety or security issue.  Answer: both, plus a national health concern and an international death threat as “certain people”  (you know who you are) have determined themselves to be immune as 219 million cases and 4.55 million deaths  worldwide (41.4M / 664K in the US) as of today – mid-September have been counted, and refugees from around the world who have never been vaccinated for anything are arriving as we speak... some apparently carrying a newly arisen strain of measles.  I bet the anti-maskers got those shots when they were 8 years old.

So where does that bring us?  TSA is a regulatory agency, not  law enforcement, but has thankfully  been given the task of policing first-offender anti-maskers to the tune of $1500, doubling fines for repeat offenders as high as $3,000.   Operators throughout the transportation network have reported over 4,000 face mask-related incidents, with almost 4,000 warning notices sent and 126 so far referred for civil penalty. FAA has issued much higher fines for not wearing masks on airplanes and for other disruptive behavior.   FAA has proposed penalties totaling more than $1 million, including many $9,000 fines for not wearing masks on airplanes.  Yes, you can be fined by both agencies, as well as by the local jurisdiction where you were caught.

And then there’s the anti-vaxers.  CBP at O’Hare picked up a shipment from China of fake CV-19 vax cards (with “Moderna” misspelled); 1500 more in Alaska, and 3,017 in Memphis.  Other airports are now alerted, but not yet reported in. 

Who are all those anti-maskers and anti-vaxers going to so much time, trouble, and expense, and risking ten grand in fines, rather than just stopping by the local clinic for a free shot and a free mask.  I really have to stop saying “how stupid can you be”; people are starting to take it as a challenge.