What can possibly go wrong?
Anyone who has flown on a commercial airline flight recently knows the myriad headaches that can come with getting on a plane. From arriving at the gate three hours early to making sure you don't have any containers of iced tea or cough syrup that might be mistaken for some sort of dirty bomb, flying just isn't as easy as it used to be. A bill recently introduced by Congressman Dan Lipinski is aiming to change that. But so far it hasn't reached its goal.
Lipinski introduced H.R. 2870, otherwise known as the "Securing Cabin Baggage Act". That title doesn't exactly carry the same gravitas as something like "The Patriot Act," but it at least gets the point across. The bill aims to put certain federal restrictions on the size and amount of carry-on baggage airline passengers are permitted to bring on flights; one bag (not to exceed 50 linear inches) per passenger. The restrictions would not include child safety seats, assistance devices for disabled passengers, musical instruments, or outer garments such as coats and hats.
The text of the bill unfortunately does not provide for a vegetarian alternative or any in-flight entertainment, so it looks like we're still stuck with ham sandwiches and "Marley & Me."
Trying to cut down on carry-on clutter is definitely a legitimate concern for anyone who regularly travels by air; the question is just whether or not it is a legitimate concern for congress. The greatest concern, especially at times like these, might just be how much this whole plan would cost. Lipinski's bill would require TSA representatives to inspect and check any baggage that would exceed the federally mandated regulations, all at taxpayer expense of course.
Most people can agree that the waiting involved with boarding a flight is already interminable, adding on the layer of federal agents inspecting and checking baggage would probably result in more stops and starts than a Minnesota recount. In the wake of 9/11, most travelers embraced the added security as "the price you pay" for feeling and being safe on a commercial airliner, but there is such a thing as overkill. Lipinski's bill would surely qualify for that label.
The New York Times noted that "airlines made more than $1 billion last year in fees for checked bags, and more than $500 million in the first quarter of this year alone." But Lipinski sees those revenues as he result of predatory pricing practices. "It's more transparent to raise fares than to impose hidden costs for all these add-ons like checked baggage and food service," he told the Chicago Tribune. However, it really isn't a hidden cost when it is printed on every ticket an air traveler may buy.
At a time when airlines aren't exactly raking in money, eliminating a major source of income through federal regulations might not be the brightest idea. The last thing we need is an airline bailout. Couple that with the fact that the plan would end up costing the public, because turning TSA agents into baggage handlers presumably won't come cheap, not with all the TSA workplace injuries and workers' compensation cases filed for routine baggage handling.
As with most legislation, the devil is in the details.
It would be one thing if Lipinski framed his argument for the bill around legitimate security concerns; instead it seems that the bill's legitimacy lies with somehow making air travel more convenient. Aside from the fact that (if passed) the bill would do anything but make air travel more convenient, the unanswered question still remains, why exactly is the size of baggage a privately run airline allows onto its planes any of the federal government's concern? By the time an answer is thought up, you might already be waiting on a 3 hour line for a 45 minute flight.
A final thought for those truly interested in expediting airline travel: Charge to bring bags on the plane. This would incentifize people to check their bags where they can be more thoroughly scanned, keeps the lines through security shorter, and rewards those who don't spent 10 minutes playing Tetris with the overhead luggage bins while the pile up and flight rage ensues.
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