New training, technology, and certifications, cannot address the issues faced by passenger screening at airports. No matter what these things attempt to accomplish, the current processes face two significant problems.

1) The redundant task of screening thousands of passengers per day becomes monotonous, and therefore it becomes difficult for the screeners to become engaged in the task day after day.

2) Though screeners attempt to recognize any threats, they are not personally at stake if there is a security breech, apart from possibly loosing their jobs.

These two issues can be addressed by having Flight Attendants working the screening areas. Though significant changes to the operations of airports would be necessary to have Flight Attendants screen the passengers only on their flight, if Flight Attendants are screening passengers for a brief period of time before the flight, they are likely to be screening some of their passengers.

The benefits are that Flight Attendants would only be screening passengers for a brief period of time (maybe 30 minutes), and therefore not become complacent with the task.Also, the Flight Attendants will have the ‘fear’ that any weapon which gets through security may be on their flight, and therefore increase vigilance.

I am not suggesting that there be no full-time screeners, but that Flight Attendants get involved in the tasks, and have a few screeners operate like Pit-bosses, making sure the job is getting done right.

Of course the issues of Union Negotiations, Training, etc. do exist, if security is the goal, these issues can be resolved.

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