Another airline pilot & junk problems

[Armageddon Aviator]

Here's an interesting article on this topic by Paul Bertorelli on Avweb:

http://www.avweb.com/blogs/insider/AVWebInsider_ScannerBlowback_203643-1.html

And a thought provoking article by Daniel Greenfield suggesting a new and radical approach should be employed at airports:

http://sultanknish.blogspot.com/2010/11/breaking-siege-mentality-of-airline.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+FromNyToIsraelSultanRevealsTheStoriesBehindTheNews+(from+NY+to+Israel+Sultan+Reveals+The+Stories+Behind+the+News)

 

[gprellwitz]

As Paul Bertorelli notes, the ACLU is taking an interest in this, and is encouraging people to send e-mails to DHS using a form they provide at http://action.aclu.org/site/R?i=mhkv5iAQIg6gbPXV16OOOg..

 

[flyersfan31]

I was waiting for a plane in Medford OR, not long after the clear plastic bag diktat. All these people, standing in lines, holding their clear plastic bags full of 3oz toiletries. It looked absolutely, positively ludicrous. Of course, I forgot about the diktat, so I just had my usual dopp kit in my backpack (the sum total of my luggage). Did I run out to find a clear plastic bag?? Hah. TSA person rummages through bag, sees illicit toiletries, moves it on through the xray. What a ffing joke.

 

[Matthew]

Just stumbled across this article, written by an "airline pilot" (I have no idea if he uses his real name or not...). It's an attempt to put things in context:

http://www.salon.com/news/air_travel/index.html?story=/tech/col/smith/2010/11/10/airport_security

 

[chucky]

Patrick Smith has been writing columns for a while, both for Salon and for the New York Times, and maybe others. As far as I know it's not a pseudonym. I like his columns, although I don't always agree with him and he can get a touch condescending at times.

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

USAtoday says pilots let off screening

 

[flyingcheesehead]

USAtoday says pilots let off screening

Divide and conquer.

 

[Greg Bockelman]

Divide and conquer.

I would be interested to know what your thoughts are, Kent. As I see it, it is a good thing. If passengers see the flight crews not going through those damned things, maybe they will get up in arms about it and actually ***** about it to someone who has a chance of getting it changed for everyone.

 

[wsuffa]

I would be interested to know what your thoughts are, Kent. As I see it, it is a good thing. If passengers see the flight crews not going through those damned things, maybe they will get up in arms about it and actually ***** about it to someone who has a chance of getting it changed for everyone.

Not Kent, but I have mixed feelings about it. I agree that your view may happen, OTOH there are plenty of sheeple that think it letting pilots and flight crews out of the invasive screening is perfectly fine. They realize that the pilot is flying the plane, they have learned that the crew has total control on-board, and they've missed the entire point that TSA was making by screening crew.

That said, there are *some* of your colleagues (and many of the cabin crew) that think passengers should be invasivly screened to "protect them". I'm not suggesting you're in this category, but I've flown enough and seen enough to understand that there are quite a few in that category. Add in human nature ("we're not subject to the Rapescan and frisk, so it doesn't bother us if others are"), and you have a situation where you no longer have a pretty cohesive and important group fighting for the rights of everyone.

That is, until folks stop booking flights.

From the TSA's perspective, they can remove a very vocal group from the screening and cause the PR level to drop markedly. After all, we've seen TSA meet with groups representing flight crews, but no such meetings with passenger groups or civil libertarians.

I see your point, but I think it more likely that this is a "divide and conquer" tactic than anything else.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

I would be interested to know what your thoughts are, Kent. As I see it, it is a good thing. If passengers see the flight crews not going through those damned things, maybe they will get up in arms about it and actually ***** about it to someone who has a chance of getting it changed for everyone.

I kind of enjoyed pointing out the silliness of having the pilots screened. On Twitter, someone actually said to me "I think crew members should have their own line and get scanned. What makes an angry crew member not bring down a plane?" Um, DUH!!! How does a scanner change that?

Besides, pilots are a very large group of very frequent travelers. Now they're being appeased, and they're less likely to put up nearly as much of a fight on this issue, leaving the group of loud complainers much smaller. Like I said, divide and conquer.

I had a rather depressing conversation about this with my mother the other day. She completely buys into the illusion of safety that the TSA provides, and is all for the scanners.

 

[Greg Bockelman]

Besides, pilots are a very large group of very frequent travelers. Now they're being appeased, and they're less likely to put up nearly as much of a fight on this issue, leaving the group of loud complainers much smaller. Like I said, divide and conquer.

Keep in mind it is only when they are in uniform that they are exempt. We still are subject to all that crap when we are traveling out of uniform. In that regard, we are still just passengers.