Attacks increase fear of
flight
By Sarah Szczepanski
Assistant
Features Editor
Many people are thinking twice about stepping on
an airplane after airlines reopened with limited service Thursday.
The worry stems from the attacks on the World Trade
Center and the Pentagon after four planes were hijacked by terrorists.
Kristen Boender, a junior in the School of Education,
has a friend living in upper Manhattan who, despite fear, is still trying
to visit Boender in Lafayette.
"She's worried about it, but she wants to get out
of there for a while; I'm worried because of everything that's happened,"
Boender said.
She has been on airplanes before, but Boender said
she doesn’t like it. "I don’t I think I'll be flying as much,"
she said.
Judy Conger, director of the anxiety clinic at
Purdue psychology and research clinics, said that Tuesday's attacks
could worsen people's fear if they are already afraid of flying.
"It’s just another factor to add to someone's
fear that already exists," Conger said.
Even people that are not afraid of flying are having
second thoughts, she said.
"It suprises me that they were able to pull that
stuff off," said Justin Sellon, a junior in the School of Agriculture
who said he flies often. "It makes you wonder about security."
Sellon still plans to fly, but he said the next
time he is on a plane he will think about Tuesday's events.
The attacks also worried Purdue student Nick Noto.
His mother was a flight attendant for an American Airlines flight that
flew out of New York City one hour before the attacks on the World Trade
Center.
Her next scheduled flight is Sunday, and Noto does
not like it.
"I just told her I would prefer it if she didn't,"
said Noto, a senior in the School of Technology.
He said before the attacks occurred, airlines thought
they had sufficient security, but as made evident by Tuesday's hijackings,
the airline industry's "previous security obviously didn't meet the
requirements needed."
Noto wants to wait and see what other safety measures
the airports are going to take.
The Purdue Airport made additional security for
a scheduled arrival at 11:15 p.m. Thursday from Detroit that did not
occur and the first departure at 7:15 a.m., today, according to Betty
Stansbury, the airport's director.
The airport will allow no unattended vehicles within
300 feet of it, and short-term parking is cordoned off. Only ticketed
passengers will be able to go beyond the screening checkpoint. No cutting
device of any nature can be in the carry on luggage, including small
pocketknives.
"We're asking that passengers arrive at least an
hour before the flight is scheduled to leave for additional security
measures," Stansbury said. "They are subject to additional security
questions, identification requirements and bag searches."
She said the extra precautions will allow the airlines
to continue on safely.
"Air transportation is such an integral part of
society," she said. "You will see additional security measures on top
of what has happened the last few days."
"We have the safest air transportation in the world
and these additional measures that we have implemented will make it
even safer."
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