Airport security and my daughter

[Orthonym]

Well, as I've said on another thread:

For me, the last straw was the Photo ID/Secret Internal Passport Law, back in '98 or thenabouts.


As to right or wrong shoes, if I ever HAVE to fly aboard a commercial airliner under current conditions (Think: Dad died, and he and I have to get to the cemetery before he starts to swell up and turn green, or something) you betcha I'll keep some, ah, aromatic, well-used, and RIGID socks in reserve to display to those busybodies when they demand I unshoe.

 

[jungleman]

The only way we are going to stop this bull???? is to boycott anyone who tries this stuff. Boycott with your wallet. We have the power.

 

[Daniel T]

What about he chef who had his frying pan confiscated? Think that was on the list?

He actually managed to get it back. Of course, he's famous, has a TV show, and has a lot of fans who wrote a lot of letters and made a lot of phone calls. I'm guessing the TSA manager had to track down the peon who took it home and told them to bring it back. I doubt that's going to happen for this buckle, though.

I dated a girl who worked for the TSA. She spent a few months stationed at Dulles Int.. She was always suprised by people getting angry about crap like this. Needless to say, we didn't date long.

As an aside, having them call the cops is a bad idea. The cop isn't going to care that you're being treated unfairly, he's just going to arrest you for causing a distubance. At minimum, you'll miss your flight, even if you're in the right. It's up for you to decide if it's worth it.

 

[Correia]

A good friend of mine was out of work last year, and took the TSA entrance exam. He said that a monkey could have passed it.

After the test some of the other testees ( ) complained about how hard the test was, and that they hoped that they had passed. My buddy told them that if he had failed it he would have went home and killed himself.

Luckily he was able to find work.

 

[MicroBalrog]

Mineta? LOL! Hope he doesn't know russian.


(Minet - russian for fellatio).

 

[GSB]

We've all heard that young female passengers seem to get selected for more personal "searches" an inordinate ammount of the time.

This is absolutely true (and I'm not saying this merely because I read it or heard it somewhere -- I'll leave it at that). And they are not above making suggestive comments either. And don't you dare open your mouth in defense of your wife or girlfriend during one of these humiliations or they'll threaten to have you arrested. These people think they are untouchable.

 

[cidirkona]

So how'd the trip to the airport go?

-Colin, fellow Tucsonan

 

[Bainx]

Hey LennyJoe, how bout going over to the thread shown below
and telling a couple of Patriot Act defending jokers about this happening.
I'm sure they will tell you that "its all OK and in good accordance to our constitution" and that the authorities are absolutely in their right to take the belt buckle.

You would have to pay me big bucks to fly the "Nazi Harassment Skies" these days!http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?threadid=51457

 

[AZLibertarian]

To offer a minor defense of the TSA...they have an absolutely impossible mission--Perform a thorough search for dangerous items in a short time span without unnecessarily intruding into one's privacy. An associated problem is that they purposely let the public believe that once through screening, there are no weapons. Absolute perfection is demanded, but of course, it is not possible. Ask any prison guard.

With that said, the TSA are a bunch of maroons. BTW, their second administrator, Admiral Loy, has been "kicked upstairs" to a promotion to some Assistant Secretary in the Homeland Security Department. There is currently no head of the TSA. This allows the TSA to avoid sending their head to Congress to answer complaints.

The Air Marshals have recently moved out of the TSA and into the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (BICE). They were quite unhappy working in the TSA, and BICE has at least some common sense (for a .gov, that is).

And finally, Standing Wolf, is still correct. Sec. of Transportation Mineta needs to find other work.

 

[CZ 75 BD]

Christmas shopping...

TSA style

 

[AZLibertarian]

I forgot to add that anytime you go through screening, you're entitled to ask for a private screening. This may get you to the supervisor at the checkpoint where you can plead your case about the danger your belt buckle poses to aviation safety.

 

[wingman]

This is the reason I wont fly commerical however i know its impossible for many
to stop but if enough did some action would be taken, the only vote we "really"
have anymore is with our money.

 

[Zedicus]

well, Hopefully the last time I have to take a trip on a commercal plane it will be when I return to the U.S.

I like flying, but the socalled "security measeres" is enough to make you want to either drive or go by boat....

 

[bad_dad_brad]

This all sucks of course, but I always check my luggage, and make sure I am wearing or carrying nothing remotely unusual. I fly four or five times a year and I find that makes things smooth sailing.

 

[Zedicus]

Last time I flew they nearly stopped me from getting on my plane ath heathrow because I had a non functioning laser pointer keyring....

and again at the gate metal detector over the metal eyelets on my sneakers....

 

[Lennyjoe]

So how'd the trip to the airport go?

Dead end.

Since it happened in NY and not Tucson they couldnt do more than give me the Point of Contact number for NY. Of course that lead to a dead end as well.

Good news though, my daughter got another one. Her friend found one on Ebay for her for only $13 bucks. Its a buckle that looks like a Derringer on steroids. Cool belt buckle though.

 

[Orthonym]

My goodness, had I tried to board the plane with the buckle I had as a kid,

I'd probably have been hauled away in chains. I believe it was made by Mattel, was very large, had a very realistic-looking derringer on it. When you tensed your belly muscles, the (toy) derringer would rotate out and discharge a spring-propelled plastic bullet. I wonder if my Mom saved it somewhere. Lord, I miss realistic cap pistols and toy guns.

 

[AZ Jeff]

The entire premise of "screening in security" is like the premise of "inspecting in quality" in products. All it guarantees is one thing:

Someone will miss something, and thus the system is inherently flawed.

It's impossible to have a zero defects INSPECTION SYSTEM, and that's entire premise upon which the TSA is built!!!

That minor rant aside, my wife recently took my 13 yr. old son to the airport, to see him off. Naturally, she had to pass thru the TSA checkpoint to see him off at the gate.

After she returned home, she observed that she had managed to pass thru the checkpoint with her PEPPER SPRAY in her purse.

But at least we know her shoes were checked for box cutter blades!!!:banghead:

 

[veloce851]

This is the way to fly from now on.
http://www.netjets.com
http://www.netjets.com/home.asp

Since its a private flight no security to deal with.

When this new jet comes out that is suposed to be around $500,000 it will completely change the airline industry. Since more of these jetshare companies will start up.
More power to them. I hate that my tax dollars go to bail out these pourly managed businesses.

 

[Orthonym]

Yep, looks good.

Beats having to decide, "Are we in kindergarten or are we in prison?"

 

[twoblink]

Give them hell..

Stuff like this pisses me off..

Like when I ask for all 30 rolls of my film to be handchecked.. Nope, it HAS to go through the scanner they tell me..

I had a few rolls come out blank before, and so I was like..

SURE..

I'm a pro-photographer, there are 30 rolls of models on here, the gig pays $250,000. Please sign your name, stating that you forced me to scan them, and if they all come back blank, you will pay for the reshoot..

She handchecked my film

You need to bully them... They are rent-a-cops, who have no common sense.

 

[Lennyjoe]

Trust me, had it been me and not my daughter I would of given them hell right then and there.

But I am in the process of voicing my opinion on paper, e-mail and phone.

 

[dustind]

My step mom works for TSA, she was layed off when the machine shop she worked at started closing down. she is a nice person who works hard and has nothing against the goverment. She still has had nothing good to say about her job which is not like her. I should have her visit the forum to chime in.

You will find better coworkers at a Mc Donalds in a poor town. The people that work their could not ever work a real job.

She arrives at 4:00 am and does not know if she will be working that day until 9:00-11:00 am IIRC. So she is paid to read a magazine for seven hours.

The employees have to frequently test the security to see if they can get an object or chemical past. Sounds good except you are trying to fool your fellow co workers who know you are working that day, and you are required to wear your badge while you do it! Gee the security must be great, the employees can never fool their own coworkers... :banghead:

They are going to lay off a lot of the workers, they handed out letters saying if you were or were not at risk of being layed off. She was one of the few who was not at risk of loosing her job. She may even be promoted.

 

[Hal]

*sigh*

I have to fly commercial a few times a year.

Please,,,, for God's sake,,, leave the idea of stinky shoes alone.

Sure, it may be fun to aggrevate a security worker for all of what, 10 seconds.......

problem is I have to endure your stench for the next 4 hours!
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persist, and I will escalte to garlic bagels.