Check my luggage, Please.

[Sarguy]

How many of you are being screened at the gate while nonrevving? They have hit me two times in a row and I possess a sida badge for that airport!!! Taking shoes off and opening belt buckles, etc. Did we not all just submit to mandatory fingerprints? And the military has my dna. We have all gotten new I.D's with more barcodes and magnetic strips than Charlie Manson and they continue to harass us. I am all for profiling but has anybody seen a 6'3" 210lb arab? I'm having a tough time with it since the last inspection was done by some guy who had not beeen in the US long enough to master the english language. I am also growing tired of seeing the 85 yr old woman in a wheel chair getting grilled. They even chose to screen my sister in law (who has Down syndrome) and traveling on a friends and family pass with my wife. Yet some woman with a loaded 357 makes it onboard! Can I get a little love here? How many screeners died on 9/11/01?

 

[Purple Haze]

Preach it, brother ---- my blood is starting to boil just thinking about it!

 

[MetroSheriff]

My wife was non revving home to Dallas from SFO on Delta. At the security checkpoint at SFO, the boob at the check point made her remove my son's (2 1/2) diaper. She thought he was kidding, but he stated that he needed to ensure nothing was being concealed.

A DIAPER!!!

Oh something was being concealed alright, hey jacka$$, you want fries with that???

The TSA is nothing more than the paragon of big government, knee-jerk, reactionary, politically correct dog and pony show, BS politics. It pains me to think of the morons in D.C. sitting on Capitol Hill slapping each other on the back for a job well done, wading thru a cesspool of self-indulgent platitudes about how they are keeping America safe.

In reality, those people who depend on air travel for their business and those of us who depend on their dollars to make a living, look at the absurdity and shake our collective heads like a senior staff NCO acknowledging a direct order from newly minted 2d Lt.

I hope someone in Washington comes to their senses before the industry is in a shambles and were all drivin' CoachLiners for a big gov'ment subsidized Greyhound.

 

[Vik]

Oh I'd love to find out where that security checkpoint is that likes to check diapers.

Evil thoughts of a great prank involving soiled diapers is coming to mind. At the risk of sounding more immature than I already have, you can use your imagination to figure it out

 

[172driver]

Maybe they could've just put your son on the belt and X-rayed him...

Seriously, though, has anyone been through MCO with the feds running security now? Is that happening elsewhere too? They seem much more professional to me. Looks like they do a very good job, no-nonsense, military like.

 

[azpilot]

My wife was non revving home to Dallas from SFO on Delta. At the security checkpoint at SFO, the boob at the check point made her remove my son's (2 1/2) diaper. She thought he was kidding, but he stated that he needed to ensure nothing was being concealed.

A DIAPER!!!

I remember a Burt Reynolds movie in the '70's where he could get his horse to crap on cue. Too bad you can't do that with a child. "Uh, Miss could you hold my baby for a moment?"

I agree with everyone one else about the politics involved. It's campaign time in AZ and the ads are driving me nuts. "I will cut taxes, save medicare, improve education, fight terrorism..." Blah Blah Blah. Gosh haven't we be hearing that for the past 50 years or more? Any new politicians we may get this year will legislate the same bologna as the formation of the TSA. With that said we are still the greatest country in the world. I think the security issues will get resolved eventually. It may take years though. They need another distraction to take away the attention of airport security. Too bad that our government doesn't get that if another attack happens it most likely won't have anything to do with airports or aircraft.

Peace,
AZPilot

 

[shamrock]

They have hit me two times in a row and I possess a sida badge for that airport!!!

Happens to me all the time in ATL. They see my SIDA badge and their eyes light up. "Excuse me sir, could you step over here for a moment?" I figure they expect me not to have anything illegal or questionable in my bag so they can keep up the illusion that they are screening but don't have to work too hard at it. Looks like they get the screeners and ASA rampers from the same pool.

 

[HexWRX]

The screener of who checked your son's diaper for a concealed bomb should be commended for his dedication and vigilance! He should be promoted and put in charge of training all new screeners. But logically, one must ask, "If a baby can conceal something deadly in its diaper, imagine the weapons of ass destruction the elderly and incontinent can conceal in their larger, adult diapers! all elderly people should now be checked for diapers, and should they be found wearing one, the diaper should be checked for concealed weapons!

This is a major hole in all that stands between the security of our homeland and gee I should run for office.


Can you believe this BS?!

(That whole first bit was bitter sarcasm, btw)

 

[waka]

Hey folks,

I'm not justifying the silliness practiced by security screeners but face it, a determined terrorist could very well resort to hiding plastic explosives in a baby's diaper or in granny's wheelchair. As ridiculous as it sounds, it could happen.

 

[Hovernut]

How does fast-tracking immigrants to get citizenship and paying them twice than before make them into Uber-Screeners?

Those gate screeners in ATL need to get some personality! Boy, you try to be nice and all you get is attitude! The thing that really sux about the screening is when the flight is full and you have to find room for your bag after everyone else has filled up your rows!

Some of the DAL FA's need to lighten up, too. I've been back and forth from MCO to STL due to family illness and I've run into some real sourpuss agents and FAs. What's the deal with people? Even when you're cordial and jovial, they brush you off or are just plain rude!

TSA at MCO seems to run O.K. The uniforms sure are purdy! I wonder if I can work p/t during reserve?

 

[1900laker]

Yeah,

I mean, the seats in the airplane might themselves be made of explosives. Who is checking those. Not to mention the lifevests. When is the last time someone actually opened one up to see if it contained a small explosive device inside. EMK's, bullhorns, supplemental Oxygen bottles, rafts, etc. COME ON. There is no way you can check out everything. And besides that, once again it has been shown that they are not catching everything that is coming on board even with NORMAL screening techniques let alone searching diapers. Look at the woman with the 357 magnum in here x-ray screened carryon who made it onto a revenue flight to PHL and it was only discovered while she was making a connection.

Here is again a good case where arming of flight crews will help to solve several problems, including crewmembers being harrassed in screening. The bill is coming and it will pass congress next month. One problem it will help to solve is having another backup to our non-100% capable screening, and our non-100% cockpit doors (remember the crash ax guy). Secondly, once crew members are concealed carriers, that is going to end screening as we know it. They will have to have alternate screening available exclusively for crewmembers which will only entail a detailed identification match. No use searching for nail clippers when I will be carrying a Sig .40!

I know this part is a bit off topic, but I heard a guy talking the other day (overheard his conversation) and complaining that "What happens if the pilot snaps and shoots somebody?" I wanted to say, well maybe that will stop him from doing a split-S into mother earth. I wish opponents would just think a little farther than the end of their noses before spouting their idiocy. Nuff-said

 

[flight-crew]

Just a little FYI for all of you jumpseaters and non-revs who are getting harrassed by the random check.

There are a few things that I always do (and completely your prerogative):

1) Request that the person checking your bag use latex rubber gloves. If they already have gloves on, request that they change their gloves and put on a new clean pair. This is your right.

2) When they ask "Sir, may I check your bag." I ask them not to check it until they are done screening me. That usually involves the pat-down, wand, unbukling the belt, and taking off the shoes. After that is complete and only after that, do I allow them to start rumaging through my stuff. I am not about to let some idiot who doesn't even have a high school diploma go through my stuff without my supervision.

3) I also make it clear to them that I have all of my items in a particular order and my clothes folded up, and that I want them in that very same order when they are done.

4) And lastly, I take my sweet a.ss time with everything. If the flight is right at departure time, I'll usually slow down even more. Maybe this will eventually send a message to the airlines when more and more of their flights are delayed. They cannot deny you boarding if you were originally there on time.

 

[flight-crew]

And just to respond to 1900laker,

There are two things that we are all eagerly awaiting for that will make life soooooo much better.

1) The Universal Access System for flight crews. This would basically be an electronic smartcard which would allow for quick and immediate positive identification of crewmembers. You would bypass security and not have to go through any type of random screening. Obviously a system like this would compliment the carrying of guns by pilots.

2) The return of cockpit jumpseat access for offline pilots on all airlines. Again, with the implementation of the Universal Access System, offline cockpit jumpseating would be returned.


As to how long all of this will take, only time will tell.

 

[A Squared]

1900laker,


>>>>>>Secondly, once crew members are concealed carriers, that is going to end screening as we know it. They will have to have alternate screening available exclusively for crewmembers which will only entail a detailed identification match. No use searching for nail clippers when I will be carrying a Sig .40!

Uhhhhhhhh, I hate to burst your bubble, but you must not have been paying attention to the level of inteligence we're dealing with.

If pilots were authorized to carry firearms, you would go through screening, declare your weapon, and they would *still* take away your tweezers.

Any attempt to point out the stupidity of taking tweezers away from an armed pilot, would at best, be met with a blank stare and an explanation that they can't allow anyone to carry unauthorized items on board which might be used as a weapon. At worst, it would get you dragged off in handcuffs.


You think I'm kidding? DOn't bet on it. I recall reading an account by a former british serviceman who had fought in the Faulklands. He and his unit travelled to war in a chartered commercial aircraft. They boarded fully equipped, and each soldier carried his rifle on board .... but, because they boarded at an airport terminal they had to pass through security screening. The screeners made each soldier run his FN-FAL (or whatever the brit service rifle was) through the x-ray machine ...... hey idiot!!!! It's a fully automatic rifle!!! what do you think they might be concealing inside it??? Tweezers??????


Sorry man, we are up against a level of stupidity that is just unfathomable

regards

 

[1900laker]

Alright I get the point,

Your right. I was hold a glimmer of hope that some intelligence may be on the horizon with this thing, but look how many years it has been without any common sensical approach.

And Flight-crew, your right. The Universal access card is the "key" (so to speak) to it all. Without it, none of our hopes will come to fruition.

Oh well, I don't have to worry about this for a while. I start my furlough tomorrow. With military duty lined up, I won't be returning to work till next may sometime, even if there is an earlier recall. Lots of time on my hands to harass congressmen and the media over this though.