For Once, Thank Goodness Washington Doesn't Listen to the Times

David Card | September 10, 2006, 11:43 AM

The NY Sunday Times proposes banning just about all carry-on luggage.

The ban on liquids surely makes sense given the lack of a reliable, efficient way to detect liquid explosives on the passenger screening line. But the other fine distinctions in this directive make us think the best approach would be a ban on virtually all carry-on items, or at least a limit of one small personal bag per passenger to tote travel documents, keys, vital medications, reading materials and any other minimal items that are allowed.

Clearly, the Times does not travel with children, use cell phones or e-mail (it suggests printing it out and reading it), have special dietary needs -- like drinking water -- or care much about adding an hour or so onto travel time. I suspect most of Amuhrica would find profiling less offensive than losing their carry-ons.

UPDATED: Upon further consideration, my analytical framework must be flawed. The same line of reasoning would presume the Times actually uses the subway -- which can't possibly be the case -- since it makes no similar recommendations for that much more vulnerable transport.