Excess Baggage -- January 18, 2002

Today we get new baggage handling rules. Every checked bag is to be examined for harmful devices and matched with every passenger. It's going to be a mess.

I've had to remove my shoes, have my feet examined, be frisked and my carry-ons searched. But no tall, English speaking, American-born white guy has hijacked or blown-up a plane. In our politically correct world, we inconvenience millions of the innocent just so we won't be called racial profilers.

Thorough background checks of the traveling public would be better. Frequent fliers would have the kind of check that nominees for high office receive. Coded I.D. cards would allow them to quickly get through security. Those who don't want the checks or who travel infrequently could go through the regular security. It would save a lot of needless hassle, time and money.

I'm Cal Thomas in Washington.