We cannot continue with this embarrassment of the hardworking TSA. I suggest law enforcement-like ID be issued to every member of congess. Of course that privilege will have to be extended to their senior staff members. Eventually appointed federal officials will have to be included. Also all federal judges. And on and on and on.
Senator Kennedy has gone up a notch in my opinion. He flies on a public airline. Amazing. I was so sure he flew on corporate jets like most of the other senior congress members do.
1) An initial "T." is on a super-secret "no-fly" list? If true, there would be numerous citizens complaining in public forums. Oh, I am so sorry. "T. Kennedy" was just added to the list more than 3 weeks ago! Return to 1).
2) The system as explained publically is marking each boarding pass one of three ways. Normal, enhanced security, and stop for law enforcement review. In practice it appears the third step has been converted to "no boarding pass can be issued sir or madame." This is swell. We as a country are truely sporting; give terrorists second (and third, etc.) chances at trying to board flights, as well as letting them know, with no penalty, which ID's are in our super-secret "no-fly" list.
A disabled little old lady at the exit window seat, and a bag sticking out into the exit row isle.
In subsequent correspondence, Southwest stated they were required to let disabled persons sit in the exit rows. Further, they stated the FAA regulations were "gray areas".
About a year ago I was ordered off a Southwest Airlines (SW) flight by a very rumpled, and very fat, SW pilot named Thomas Marquardt. (If by chance you run into him at your airport, see how fat he looks to you. I have never seen one like him before, and I have previously seen thousands of pilots.) My "crime" was I reported two safety violations in the middle emergency exit row to a cabin attendant.
I stopped in the boarding area to write some notes about what had just happened. Several minutes later I was surrounded by seven SW ground employees. Three were agitated. After some chatter among them, I was asked my name.
They had no idea who I was!
I spoke my name. Several ran to a boarding area computer. After several minutes one came back and told me they could not find my name. After some thought, I pulled out my boarding pass stub and gave it to that employee. Apparently they were able to find me from it.
I was then told they needed to verify if I had checked baggage. The computer said I had none, and the three frantic employees ran back toward the aircraft. Several minutes later it backed away from the gate and left.
To me, this episode says more about SW boarding practices than anything else. It is also another confirmation to me that US airlines use the ID requirement issue primarily to impede the continuing secondary market in airline tickets.
This episode also caused me to see an enormous gap in the present airline security system. I leave it to you insightful ones to discern it from my episode description.
I just read the "slip" opinion. The facts in the opinion do not match the recorded incident. Hibel was not asked for his identity. He was repeatedly asked to "show his papers." (Such a request from anyone in authority sends chills down my spine.) Have we reached such a place in the USA where the Supreme Court manufactures facts to support their opinion.
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We cannot continue with this embarrassment of the hardworking TSA. I suggest law enforcement-like ID be issued to every member of congess. Of course that privilege will have to be extended to their senior staff members. Eventually appointed federal officials will have to be included. Also all federal judges. And on and on and on.
Senator Kennedy has gone up a notch in my opinion. He flies on a public airline. Amazing. I was so sure he flew on corporate jets like most of the other senior congress members do.
This story is FAKE on several levels.
1) An initial "T." is on a super-secret "no-fly" list? If true, there would be numerous citizens complaining in public forums. Oh, I am so sorry. "T. Kennedy" was just added to the list more than 3 weeks ago! Return to 1).
2) The system as explained publically is marking each boarding pass one of three ways. Normal, enhanced security, and stop for law enforcement review. In practice it appears the third step has been converted to "no boarding pass can be issued sir or madame." This is swell. We as a country are truely sporting; give terrorists second (and third, etc.) chances at trying to board flights, as well as letting them know, with no penalty, which ID's are in our super-secret "no-fly" list.
A disabled little old lady at the exit window seat, and a bag sticking out into the exit row isle.
In subsequent correspondence, Southwest stated they were required to let disabled persons sit in the exit rows. Further, they stated the FAA regulations were "gray areas".
About a year ago I was ordered off a Southwest Airlines (SW) flight by a very rumpled, and very fat, SW pilot named Thomas Marquardt. (If by chance you run into him at your airport, see how fat he looks to you. I have never seen one like him before, and I have previously seen thousands of pilots.) My "crime" was I reported two safety violations in the middle emergency exit row to a cabin attendant. I stopped in the boarding area to write some notes about what had just happened. Several minutes later I was surrounded by seven SW ground employees. Three were agitated. After some chatter among them, I was asked my name. They had no idea who I was! I spoke my name. Several ran to a boarding area computer. After several minutes one came back and told me they could not find my name. After some thought, I pulled out my boarding pass stub and gave it to that employee. Apparently they were able to find me from it. I was then told they needed to verify if I had checked baggage. The computer said I had none, and the three frantic employees ran back toward the aircraft. Several minutes later it backed away from the gate and left. To me, this episode says more about SW boarding practices than anything else. It is also another confirmation to me that US airlines use the ID requirement issue primarily to impede the continuing secondary market in airline tickets. This episode also caused me to see an enormous gap in the present airline security system. I leave it to you insightful ones to discern it from my episode description.
I just read the "slip" opinion. The facts in the opinion do not match the recorded incident. Hibel was not asked for his identity. He was repeatedly asked to "show his papers." (Such a request from anyone in authority sends chills down my spine.) Have we reached such a place in the USA where the Supreme Court manufactures facts to support their opinion.