Mandatory metal detectors at Camden Yards

[Dipper9]

While surely this sentiment makes you a hero, we have had 100+ years of MLB games and I haven't seen any evidence of a single life that would have been saved if a metal detector had been present.

How many years had airplanes been flying before someone decided to fly it into the twin towers?

Just because something never happened before does not predict future events.

[El Gordo]

The world around you doesn't have a metal detector. At a certain point you have to believe in the decency of your fellow man and hope that he will not shoot you and your kids as you walk down your street. There is no reason to think that the people running on to the field are any more likely to have a gun that they intend to use on you than it is that the man in the park where you take your dog has a gun that he intends to use on you. Setting up metal detectors outside of every single public area is futile and a waste of time and resources.

It would only take one incident at a ballpark. There are plenty of nut cases around. If you were a suicidal terrorist think of the impact you would have blowing yourself up at a ballgame. Sure beats a bus. A crowded stadium is not the same as a public park.

[MurphDogg]

How many years had airplanes been flying before someone decided to fly it into the twin towers?

Just because something never happened before does not predict future events.

Yeah, it's too bad they waited until after someone flew into the twin towers before putting metal detectors in airports.

[MurphDogg]

It would only take one incident at a ballpark. There are plenty of nut cases around. If you were a suicidal terrorist think of the impact you would have blowing yourself up at a ballgame. Sure beats a bus. A crowded stadium is not the same as a public park.

If there were plenty of nut cases around that wanted to do this then it would have happened already. It is a solution in search of a problem.

[Living_Legend]

Well not exactly what it sounds like but an entertaining read....

A Man Was Once Shot at an MLB Game and Play Went On

[Dipper9]

If there were plenty of nut cases around that wanted to do this then it would have happened already. It is a solution in search of a problem.

Must be nice to live life with your head in the sand. Glad to see human life is not worth a few minutes of your time to go through a metal detector. Wow!

[DrungoHazewood]

How many years had airplanes been flying before someone decided to fly it into the twin towers?

Just because something never happened before does not predict future events.

If you take precautions to avoid every conceivable hazard you're going to be expending more time and resouces on safety than you are on living. It has to be a balance between safety and everything else.

A free society has countless holes that could be exploited, and you can't possibly patch all of them.

[MurphDogg]

If we outlawed cars and motorcycles tomorrow, accidental deaths would decrease dramatically and our life expectancy would increase. This is an incontrovertible fact. Should we do it?

[El Gordo]

Well not exactly what it sounds like but an entertaining read....

A Man Was Once Shot at an MLB Game and Play Went On

Great picture of the Polo Grounds. I live in the neighborhood and always wondered just what it would have looked like.

[DrungoHazewood]

Must be nice to live life with your head in the sand. Glad to see human life is not worth a few minutes of your time to go through a metal detector. Wow!

I think something like 700 million people flew on commercial airlines last year in the US. Let's say each of them spent an extra hour getting to the airport early to account for all of the security. That's 700 million hours. At $50 an hour that's $35,000,000,000 (billion). Is that worthwhile to attempt to lessen this risk of another terrorist attack? Maybe. But it's at least worthwhile to have the discussion.

[El Gordo]

If we outlawed cars and motorcycles tomorrow, accidental deaths would decrease dramatically and our life expectancy would increase. This is an incontrovertible fact. Should we do it?

I'd have no problem with that as long as they improved public transportation. I don't drive.

[MurphDogg]

I think something like 700 million people flew on commercial airlines last year in the US. Let's say each of them spent an extra hour getting to the airport early to account for all of the security. That's 700 million hours. At $50 an hour that's $35,000,000,000 (billion). Is that worthwhile to attempt to lessen this risk of another terrorist attack? Maybe. But it's at least worthwhile to have the discussion.

Nope. The answer is that I am an asshole.

[Dipper9]

If you take precautions to avoid every conceivable hazard you're going to be expending more time and resouces on safety than you are on living. It has to be a balance between safety and everything else.

A free society has countless holes that could be exploited, and you can't possibly patch all of them.

I agree 100%...which is why you focus on High Hazard Situations. A stadium full of 40,000 people is a high hazard target. An airplane is a high hazard target. These are the areas where you place the security features, like a metal detector. Protecting the masses for minimal time and effort.

And for reference sake, I'm a safety engineer, so my job is trying to find a way to protect the people who don't even want to be protected. So I am a little anal on some things. But not this one.

[schittenden]

If one life is saved by the use of these metal detectors, than that one life if worth the extra 5 minutes it might take us to get through the gate.

This is a very slippery argument... I'm sure we could save many lives by giving up cars. I'm sure everyone was required to wear flame retardant suits when in a car, it would also save some lives. I agree, in this case, the cost is not much, but I generally don't buy the... if it can save just one life argument. It can justify all manner of intrusive regulation.

[schittenden]

I think something like 700 million people flew on commercial airlines last year in the US. Let's say each of them spent an extra hour getting to the airport early to account for all of the security. That's 700 million hours. At $50 an hour that's $35,000,000,000 (billion). Is that worthwhile to attempt to lessen this risk of another terrorist attack? Maybe. But it's at least worthwhile to have the discussion.

Depends. Can we pick who is on the plane?