Little Confidence in Airport Security

I flew on Spirit Airlines from LAX to Detroit on Oct. 8 and returned Oct. 10. I saw bored National Guard troops at the security checkpoints chatting with passengers. In the McDonald’s at LAX I ate my pancakes and sausage with a fork and spoon because no knives were allowed. I heard the ticket agent tell the woman ahead of me in line to get rid of her tweezers.

Then on the plane, both going to Detroit and returning, all 200-plus passengers were given sealed snack boxes with--would you believe it--plastic knives in each one! If it hadn’t been in such bad taste I would have called for all of us to hold our knives aloft and take a picture for the newspapers to show what a sham the “new and improved” security is. I agree with Steve Lopez (“Tighter Airport Security Is Just a Flight of Fancy,” Oct. 5). They should be checking what goes on the planes behind the scenes on the tarmac. My experience proves this in spades.

Kathleen Smith

Los Angeles

*

After spending a weekend in Los Angeles, I went to LAX on Monday to fly back to Minneapolis. My traveling partner and I both had e-tickets, purchased by credit card, and we used the Northwest Airlines e-ticket machine to print up our boarding passes. We waited on a long line to get through security, but at no point were we ever asked for identification.

So, at least at LAX, a stolen credit card could conceivably get someone on an airplane without anyone ever asking for an ID. This is unbelievable in the wake of Sept. 11.

Bill Corbett

South Minneapolis, Minn.