The Nose Knows

(fm the BC thread "President Obama urges America to learn")

Those who know me from my ramblings in here know that my admiration for our 4 footed friends and their educable noses knows no bounds. Unfortunately it isn't a workable answer. A detection dog can only be in search mode for 20 minutes before they have to take a break. They have a better union than their handlers do. The cost of training enough teams to clear the traffic at a even a Category II mid-size airport would be prohibitive. For a Cat X hub like any of the NY airports, fuhgedaboutit. Given that the threat keeps evolving, dogs aren't trained to detect peroxide, we would still need the mechanical inspection systems. Dogs have their uses, primary screening of passengers and carry on baggage is not among them.