EDITORIAL- Private Investigator Steven Rambam of New York City and Kerrvillehas done airlines and their passengers a huge favor.

Rambam is the man who, with an Express-News reporter and photographerwatching, breached security at San Antonio International Airport three timeslast week. He was able to take a fake .38-caliber derringer past checkpointsin both terminals.

Security is Rambam's business and airport security is a personal concernof his, not only because he flies a lot, but also because he sees U.S. airportsas vulnerable to terrorists. He has tested and helped improve airport securityfrom Miami to Los Angeles. He also has done security work abroad.

No, Rambam isn't after the security contract in San Antonio. He sayshe has more work than he needs. After getting the fake gun past guards inSan Antonio, he offered a free seminar to employees of Wackenhut Corp.,the firm in charge of security. The offer was declined.

However, the Express-News story on Rambam and the fake gun apparentlyhas had some results. The Federal Aviation Administration sent investigatorsto make a security check. More Wackenhut guards are on duty, presumablytaking a harder look at people going through checkpoints on the way to airplanes.

More is at stake here than just San Antonio. Passengers boarding hereare inside the security perimeter and can transfer to other domestic orinternational flights without being checked again. The assumption at otherairports is that passengers were screened thoroughly in San Antonio.

No one about to take to the skies should complain about increased security.It is better to be inconvenienced than to be blown up at 30,000 feet orhijacked.

Airlines are responsible for airport security, and some take it moreseriously than others. El Al, the Israeli national airline, inspects everypiece of luggage before it goes into the cargo hold or the cabin. Passengerswatch as the inspection is made. Swiss Air also checks all baggage.

Rambam has some sound ideas on improving security here and elsewhere,including trained and screened security people. The city should requirethe airlines responsible for security here to accept Rambam's offer of afree seminar.

The ghastly toll of the bomb aboard Pan Am Flight 103 is just the mostrecent reminder that better security is in everyone's best interests.