ABU Space on long plane flight

[bambinod]

No, it isn't. You can make a reasonable argument that they take it too far, but Lockerbie should have disabused anyone of the notion that security isn't necessary. To say nothing of 9/11, and of course, the recent Metrojet Flight 9628.

Besides, going by ship won't spare you security. Ocean liners and cruise liners actually have even tighter security, since they have more time to screen luggage and people than airlines do.

The airlines are a lot more concerned with attention to detail though, and are looking more carefully for smaller things even if they're more rushed. A bomb the size of a pack of cigarettes can take down a large passenger jet if it's at any substantial altitude when it goes off. I can't even imagine what size bomb you'd need to sink an ocean liner quickly. Even if you managed to light the ship
on fire from stem to stern, it would take time and at least a good hunk would get off on lifeboats. The problem with an airplane is emergencies can threaten everyone on board in seconds, and even if there's time to think about it there's nowhere safe to escape to. And that makes people worried or afraid. That's the goal of terrorism in a nutshell.