There's a valuable discussion on the recommend list that is discussing the high alert airports are on. But it has framed this discussion in terms of a likelihood that it is all a tempest in a teapot. (Something the Brits can do quite well.)
But there's a different way to frame the discussion. Suppose you have a ticket on Continental to fly to England this weekend. How would you think about this. Or, gulp, how should I think about it?
The media are telling us now that the treat has been discussed between the British and the US intelligence folk for about a week. The Brits finally decided to step in.
Some commentators in the other diary are pointing out that their actions are extremely expensive, wrecking havoc with at least a day or two's airline traffic in Europe. So this isn't being done for fun. And the Brits are pretty good at local terrorist stuff, others say. There have been terrible mistakes, but overall, the record isn't bad.
So what, really, would you think if you had a ticket on Continental to fly to England this weekend?
AND, just so you know, I'm pretty sure canceling costs $100. You can still use the ticket for a year.
And by the way, don't bother to see if people are cancelling flights on www.continental.com. Might be a good time to pick up cheap seats, BUT THE SITE IS DOWN.
Just one last point: I'm not happy anymore with the idea - being floated just now by Bloomberg - that if one decides not to fly, one is unpatriotically letting the terrorists win. That's because I don't want to act as an apologists for our political position in the world.