Many people live in fear because they believe their lives are in constant danger. I ride mass transit, go out in public, and visit large arenas and landmarks. I do not, however, take unnecessary risks when it comes to my personal safety.

When we stop living in the spirit of “pursuing the American Dream,” we may as well wave a white flag of surrender.

Events such as the recent bombing in Glasgow remind us of our vulnerabilities. I pray that the U.S. is spared another 9/11, however, we must continue to take steps to ensure our safety on all fronts, at home and abroad. Those who seek harm to the U.S. will work to find every weak link in the chain of protection.

Today, we spent the day exploring security measures at DFW International Airport, the world’s third busiest airport. We looked at what steps the airport has taken since 9/11 to beef up security and protect against possible attacks.

The airport has a policy restricting unattended vehicles at the terminal. In Glasgow, that’s what exploded, consuming the terminal. Photographer Greg Johnson and I positioned ourselves in the nearby parking garage, while David walked around outside the terminal.

He wanted to see exactly how long cars were waiting outside the airport and if any were unattended. Our vantage gave us an excellent view of the loading area outside the terminal.

David spoke with several people who were waiting outside the terminal, as passengers arrived. We counted a number of cars that waited as much as a half-hour outside the terminal, however very few were left unattended. Drivers who left their vehicles were immediately asked by airport security to return to their car.

After interviewing the director of information at DFW, David headed to the live truck to write his package.

He hatched a very creative idea for demonstrating safety measures in his live standup. After introducing the story from the terminal, he moved outside to show concrete pylons and then tapped on blast-proof glass.

It was interesting to see him talk out several ideas, taking what could have been a routine story to a different level.

DFW International Airport constructed several new terminals following 9/11, with security features built into the architectural design. Unforeseen gaps in security are inevitable, however, steps are constantly being made to improve passenger safety.

The views expressed in this blog do not necessarily reflect the views of the corporation and employees of WFAA-TV, Belo Corp., or Northwestern State University. They are solely the opinion of the author. All content © Copyright 2007 Lane Luckie