Defending The Skies Against Congress And The Elderly

theodp writes "After watching a burly airport screener search her lymphoma-stricken father, forcing the frail and faltering 78-year-old to hand over his oxygen meter, stand at attention with arms spread for a wand search, take off the Velcro strap shoes that he'd struggled to put on, and strain to keep his balance as his belt was tugged repeatedly, a Newsweek columnist wonders: have we lost our common sense when it comes to passenger screening?" An anonymous reader writes "CNN reported that Kennedy wasn't alone in being listed in the airport watch list as reported in a Slashdot article. Rep. John Lewis, D - Georgia, a nine-term congressman, has been stopped many times because his name appeared on an airline watch list as told to Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on border security. He contacted the Department of Transportation, the Department of Homeland Security and executives at various airlines in an effort to get his name off the list, but failed. Instead, he received a letter from the TSA indicating he has cleared an identity check with the agency even though he might still be subject to extra security checks."

Comments

Security?

[MasterSLATE]

Airport security has gotten worse and worse. What next, peopel without arms and legs cant get on planes? Oh wait, that already happened.

Re:Security?

[Cliffy03]

I sympathize with anyone who has anything negative to say about the government.

Note to Michael Moore:

Don't bother flying.

Re:Security?

[Rosco P. Coltrane]

There aren't enough deep-fat fryers to keep up with demand for Bio-Diesel on any reasonable scale. Sorry, won't work.

If you want fat-powered vehicles to work on a large scale and sustainably in America, put Americans on bicycles.

Sounds reasonable to me.

[Anonymous Coward]

Congress and old people do far more damage to this society (and me personally) than any "real" terrorists. This all sounds fine to me. *shrug*.

The terrorists aren't going around telling us "we're the greatest generation" all while bilking my generation out of enormous quantities of cash via taxes to give them free medical care, free prescriptions, social security, etc. And Congress... well... that one is obvious.

limbless can't fly

[Hanzie]

Blockquoted from parent linked article:

After Price had checked her luggage, she alleged that she was stopped by an Air France agent who told her that "a head, one bottom and a torso cannot possibly fly on its own."

Well, in one sense, it is quite true, since if she could fly on her own, she wouldn't need Air France in the first place. However, since she was denied transportation only after her luggage was checked, it would appear that she could manage other forms of transport on her own.

I would hazard a guess that Air France is currently contemplating dropping off that particular employee mid-flight to allow him to demonstrate his particular ability to fly on his own using his arms and legs.

I'm certain that this would more than satisfy the poor woman who was so shabbily treated by Air France.