Shouldn't *we* pay for airport security? It's crippling the airports & Govt won't pay (A serious piece for Oldiemum!)

[WendyWeber]

BBC

Assuming the facts and figures in this piece are correct, surely the cost of security should be added to ticket prices? It is for our benefit after all.

I can see the "targetting the state" argument but if the Govt pays, people who never fly are effectively paying for the rest of us.

They are capitalists, no? Happy to take the profit when all is going well? Happy to profiteer and distort prices within the confines of the airport? Happy to treat their workers with contempt, refuse to recognize unions?

F*ck them sideways with a sharp stick.

you could argue the Gov accelerated the threat at airports and everywhere come to that?

The profiteering is done by the outlets though, isn't it? To pay for the costs of operating within the airport, presumably; and the airport operators have to pay the govt for the privilege of operating?

Hm. Would like to see a chart of who gets what!

We've had some form of airport security since the mid-70s though, Jools - when the first Middle East hijacks started - that wasn't our Govt's fault (or was it....).

I think we should have proper transport police that are over airport security

not employ security firms that all have different ways of working

eg my dh went to work yesterday and saw one man with a cone !!!! till he got to the main terminal where there was Loads of security gaurds and in his words police with guns standing round chatting

lets have a dedicated force to keep us safe that all have same rules but are subsidised by airports and governments and can be under one umbrella

Luggage security is a bit random too - there was an undercover TV programme about it recently, where they'd hired any old bod to watch the security scanners as the hold luggage went through and some of them were reading newspapers and not even looking. (I think this was at Birmingham but I'd guess any of them would be the same)

yes all security is ran by security firms

firms that say to pilot in uniform with pass in hand "do you have anything in your bag by which means you could take control of the aircraft" er yes!! and who on regular ocasions has had to be reminded to check the airports staff passes

we are all paying the security price for this government and their actions...
and agree with policywonk

perhaps government should have the balls to charge them tax on fuel and use this money to increase security in airports

AW, just seen this. Really touched!

I also think that it's not reasonable for the state to be expected to pick up the bill for this. Any costs incurred by airports can be passed on to retailers renting space on the site (making monopoly profits, as we know) and passengers, surely?

do you think we'd have such tight security if america wasn't involved in some way?
like if 9/11 had never happened, if they still didn't really know what it was like to have a terrorist attack, would we be trying so hard to keep up with them?
what about when the IRA were bombing here. did they have such high security then?

and surely this is protecting the whole country not just the airport so why shouldn't the gov foot the bill.