EDITORIAL – Pgh takes safety measures with air analyzer

Pittsburgh International Airport has a new security system that allows passengers with a fear… Pittsburgh International Airport has a new security system that allows passengers with a fear of flying or an anxiety caused by the events of Sept. 11, 2001 to breathe again.

We’ve all seen the competitors: metal detectors, a machine that can detect harmful substances on bags and even dogs that can sniff out a limited number of drugs. But now a swift new machine that detects trace amounts of explosives and narcotics through air analysis has arrived and may prove to be very useful, reported the Associated Press this past week.

The machine issued by the Transportation Security Administration checks for residue of explosives by blowing air onto passengers through trace portal technology. Like most security measures at the airport, passengers will be randomly chosen.

While officials say that this new addition will shorten lines, they haven’t really specified how, considering that all other security measures haven’t really changed. This machine is a fast and efficient way for airports to check for more than just metal weaponry. If it’s just an addition to the process, not a replacement, how will lines move more quickly?

New machines are being developed that can trace a substance on an individual even if days have passed since they’ve come in contact with drugs or explosives.

However, there are some drawbacks. According to I-mass.com, false positives have occasionally arisen, and while we’d all rather be safe than sorry with more security measures, it seems to further prolong the process of traveling.

All things considered, these new machines are good things. With Pittsburgh expecting another machine during the holiday season, it seems that this is a change for the better. Pittsburgh seems to be doing a good job at trying to become a city that is marketable to travelers.

The airports in Pittsburgh are rarely congested and are designed very well overall. Besides the occasional baggage-gone-astray, traveling isn’t as nearly bad as it is in Washington, D.C., or Philadelphia. Also, perhaps other changes to security should involve more specificity concerning those on terrorist lists, such as adding birthdays, so people aren’t wrongly accused.

Overall, trace portal technology seems like a more comprehensive way of looking for explosive residue than cloth detecting and dog sniffing. It shows that advancements in technology can really be valuable.