Bag Checks at All Entry and Exit - Research Proposal Example

Covering letter The purpose of this essay is to crate awareness in the public to allow bags checks at all entry and exit points of their travel in order to ensure safe journey. This was an interesting experience to write an essay on such a sensitive topic. This is a social issue and involves human attitudes. I realized that people do cooperate when convinced through arguments and statistical facts. This is a time consuming and patient process. I learnt patience with the moods and attitudes of different travelers. This paper is strong enough in persuasive techniques and convincing arguments. It is still felt that more data on bag check failure and the ensuing incidents can augment this essay. When I shared this idea and approach with the teachers and my fellow students, they really felt great about this novel topic and readily made themselves available for all sort of help. This essay got good response from all over. I need further research on the molding techniques of human attitudes. This essay if further developed into a full-scale dissertation, can make an important ingredient of public policy on counter-terrorism and homeland security. Proposal Why bags checks are necessary at airports Out Lines of essay March 19, 2008 1-Bag Check _ purpose-………………………………………………………………. 2-Security against terrorists-…………………………………………………………… 3-Prevention of drug pedaling…………………………………………………………… 4-Why bag checks-……………………………………………………………………….. 5-Problems with people’s attitudes-……………………………………………………. 6-How to work on people’s attitudes………………………………………………… 7-Incentivisation-Mass media –………………………………………………………. 8- Responsibility of aviation industry. 9-Final recommendations. ………………………………………………………………. Abstract of the proposal Terrorism and drugs smuggling have marred our society and economy. Terrorists and drug peddlers use different methods of transporting their devices to transport their contraband goods within a country and across borders. Using traveler’s bags is one of their conventional techniques. Checking bags of the travelers at the exit and entry points at air ports helps the counter terrorist efforts of airport security forces and anti-narcotics authorities. Some people who are regular travelers look at this practice as a cumbersome exercise and show some reservations against this exercise. They are often found arguing with the authorities about their innocence and wastage of time. Some VIPs make it an egocentric issue. This attitude is in no way correct. A bag check provides security and confidence to all the travelers across the board. And this practice should continue unabated and uninterrupted. A need to work on the attitudes is required. The attitudes that should be more permissible and cooperative with the security authorities for the sake of ensured security of travelers. Besides making it a legally binding upon all the travelers, the persuasion techniques on part of the authorities can also be more effective. The airport authorities should be more polite, considerate, tolerant, and patient with the passengers. The psychology and temperaments of passengers becomes different than ordinary citizens. They are found tired, hurried and impatient. Therefore only the persuasive techniques work in getting their bags checked. Topic: Argumentative essay on bags checks. Traveler’s bags have historically been used for the terrorist’s activities. There are reasons behind that. The bags carried by travelers are usually opaque in colors and tough in the materials, these are made from. The bags usually contain the immediately needed stuff (http://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/shopping.html) by the travelers and do not attract the attention of other passengers due to travel anxiety. Therefore both the terrorists and drug peddlers take advantage of this situation. They either mix up their bags with the innocent passengers or try to stuff their things into the genuine bags, or at the top of it they try to replace the similar bags of passengers with their own ones. In this effort they try to successfully meet their nefarious ends of terrorism and narcotics smuggling. This has usually been noted by the investigative agencies that terrorists or their agents cause provocation in the other passengers for hurriedly check in and check outs for the flights. This is usually their abortive attempt to succeed in their devilish aims. The most important thing for the ordinary travelers to understand is that they must get their bags checked in their own favor. Security is of prime importance for the all the innocent lives on board. A little mistake or ignorance can cause a heavy loss to lives and economy of a country. There are numerous examples of heavy human and economic losses in the history of aviation. Nothing is more important than a human live. Next comes the precious airborne jet worth billions of dollars. God forbid, if a single terrorist succeeds in getting into a jet liner then the whole crew, all the passengers and the liner itself is gone forever. Now -a -days suicide bombers do their best to intrude into the flights bound for Europe and America. They put their best possible efforts to get their devilish tools, bombs and materials to blow the flights in the name of God. Therefore there is no reason to take any chance with any individual at any time. Devil can play his game at any time whenever human eye gives it a chance. Therefore arguing in favor of checking bags at airports across the board is just like pleading for the safety of human lives. The other angle of this risky issue is the drugs trafficking. If we save a situation from a terrorist and allow a drug trafficker this means that bomb will kill people in one blow while drugs will kill the people in a slow mode. It will strangulate the youth of the country and will sabotage the economy. Therefore drug trafficking is as much risky as the terrorist’s bomb. Therefore no risk with checking bags can be taken at all. In persuasive techniques, the media can play a very significant role. Billboards at and around airports can effectively convince people who underestimate the role of bag checking at the airports. Televisions can show plays and dramas to enhancing the image of bags checks as a counter terrorism effort. Radios can air the talks and programs to change the attitudes of travelers towards soliciting their cooperative attitudes for checking their bags at the airports. Newspapers and magazines can publish big stories about this topic sensitizing the public about this issue. The most important role can still be played by the aviation industry. The airlines should take the most important responsibility in this connection. They should not only exert themselves in advertising the benefits of checking bags, but they make this process as simple as possible. The speedy and agile technology can make all the passengers more willing for this practice and make checking bags their regular habit. The easiest and finest methods can solve this problem once and for all. For instance travelers with children may be provided with sweets and candies while the airport staff scans the bags (Deborah Jacobs; 2007). This should be an automatic process and least cumbersome for the travelers. Checking bags at the airports and making it a usual, happy and acceptable practice is actually a behavioral change in the travelers. This needs concentric, persistent and amicable effort both at conscious and unconscious level of passengers. There is no short cut to this process. All the airport authorities, mass media, intelligentsia and civil society at large have to put their hands together in making it a successful campaign. Terrorism and drugs trafficking are two main reasons to have the bags checked at the airports. No country can afford the transport of dugs and narcotics in her borders. The events of 9/11 have unfolded many new realities on us. Terrorism has to be encountered at every front. Human lives and public properties have to be saved at all costs. Every traveler has to understand this sensitive bottom line of the problem. Therefore there is no reason to take a chance with any devil at any cost. Every human life has to be protected with every best possible effort. Hence bags checks at the airports have to be taken as much seriously as a human life itself (Michael Powell and Michelle Garcia July 23, 2005.) Bibliography; 1-http://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/shopping.html 2- Deborah Jacobs, ACLU-NJ Executive Director Let us know about your experiences with random searches 3-Michael Powell and Michelle Garcia July 23, 2005 Washington Post New Yorks Subway Riders Face Bag Checks With Somber Tolerance Read More