So I'm flying tomorrow

[FJR_pig]

Picked a real good time to travel, it seems. Flying to Houston tomorrow. Portland - Houston? Sounds safe enough. I'm headed to the airport now to stand in line. Plane leaves tomorrow AM...

If I don't make it, auction my '06 off to a good cause.

 

[Thug]

You know....If everyone decided not to fly for a week the airlines would be forced to improve their security and systems out of sight! So you and I are not inconvenienced buy the ******* rot that goes on now... Anything else is a con...

 

[twowheelnut]

Don't forget to leave the bombs and water bottles at home.

 

[BrunDog]

Oh no... You did not just post this as I sit in the airport waiting for my 3 hour delayed flight... Not after waiting in a 2.5 hour security line this morning, missing my flight, and being late for a critical meeting. No, surely you didn't.

Please hit the <BACK> button on your browser now if you want to remain in blissful ignorance.

Flying out of Atlanta this morning. Despite getting stuck in traffic after some dickwod on the other lane rolled his pickup and every moron has to stop and look over the median as if aliens had landed, I got to the airport 1.5 hours before flight time.

So these ******** from TSA put us in a wandering line that not even the rides at Disney could match. Went around the ticket booth twice, then outside, all the way down the terminal, all the way back, weaving in and out of each baggage claim conveyor, over to the other terminal, then back again. Only to finally get to the security center expecting a thorough examination of everyone's belongings. Yeah right.

No difference. That's right, no difference. Nothing different than usual. No bag searches, no propagandous, M-16 carrying officers yelling in brusque voices. Nothing. Well, other than a couple of garbage cans for people to throw out their toothpaste tubes out. Oh, and the previous 120 minutes worth of an unnecessary airport tour. I could have been carrying a gallon of gasoline and nobody would have known.

So this tells me, quite clearly, that:

1. The TSA is a sham. We are no safer with them than without. I believe we would be in a better economic position without them, as I could use the wasted security-line time being a productive member of society.

2. The TSA does not have any contingency plans in place. They obviously did not train for this event, let alone other, more serious circumstances that could arise.

3. The TSA is a classic, governmental, reactionary mis-organization. So, let me get this straight. Some people crash planes into buildings, and so the TSA get put in place. Then some ******* tries to blow his shoes up, and now we have to smell other people's nasty cheese infused toes because shoes now go on the belt. Then, some psychos plan to blow up planes with liquids, and now we have to dump out our little perfume bottles? Are they kidding me?? Did the possibility of liquid explosives not exist before today?? What a ******* joke.

Better yet is that they flew my (empty) plane this morning anyway, then tried to bill me for the flight change. Now, trying to fly back, my plane is delayed due to "weather". Hahhaaahaha, am I on candid camera?

Anyway, sadly to say, fly at your own risk. Keep your own eyes open. The Transportation "Security" Administration certainly isn't.

-BD

 

[Scab]

Just for ***** and grins, wear sweat pants and poke a chap-stick up your arse. Tell em it's just there cause you ain't got pockets.

 

[twowheelnut]

Just for ***** and grins, wear sweat pants and poke a chap-stick up your arse. Tell em it's just there cause you ain't got pockets.

BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!! :rofl: :good:

 

[evil_henchman]

Just for ***** and grins, wear sweat pants and poke a chap-stick up your arse. Tell em it's just there cause you ain't got pockets.

HA! Then tell 'em their lips are lookin kinda chappy :lol:

 

[Fabone]

Wear your uniform and take the K9. Tell them you work for the governor, whip out your badge. I'm sure they'll move to the front of the line.

 

[6mmbr]

Still don't know how they will prevent some fascist from putting 20 lbs of military plastic up his butt, taking a shower and getting on the plane.

 

[FJR_pig]

Oh, and the previous 120 minutes worth of an unnecessary airport tour. I could have been carrying a gallon of gasoline and nobody would have known.

You are killin' me... :lol:

TSA = Taking Scissors Away

 

[GunMD]

And lets not overlook the fact that I can take my Gameboy, PDA, Laptop, and Blackberry onboard. Yet I still have to trash my unopened bottle of Dasani? Are you phucking with me? :glare:

 

[Dwavey]

Still don't know how they will prevent some fascist from putting 20 lbs of military plastic up his butt, taking a shower and getting on the plane.

And after that happens everyone will have to submit to a cavity search done by some guy named Bubba who has fingers the size and temperature of popsicles :huh:

 

[wallypiper]

Just curious.

I travel a lot. In fact, I'm in my second straight week at home right now and that is the first time this year I've been at home two weeks in a row. And I fly out of ATL.

Since you ended up in the middle of this snafu, what really caused the long lines? If procedures at the checkpoint were the same old crap (I totally agree about TSA - they are not doing anything to make us safer, just grouchier) why the super long line?

My guess, which is based on my experience of the very noticeable difference between flying in February and flying in July, is that the delay was mostly caused by endless numbers of people ignoring the security rules and trying to get through the checkpoints with liquids in their bag. I know the change was abrupt and poorly publicized prior to yesterday but you would think that after about the first 10 people had to toss out their bottle of Scope, the rest would realize what's happening and dump it before they get to the front of the line.

I'm just ranting. I hate traveling during the summer when the airports get clogged by people who think that since they only travel once a year the rules don't apply to them. I see it all the time. "Yeah, I know you can't take a sword on the plane normally but I bought this one especially for my nephew Bartholomew so I should be allowed an exception."

Flying in the offseason is much much easier. Everybody in line knows and obeys the rules and they just keep moving.

 

[NoCage]

I'm flying out of B'ham. tomorrow morning. Of course, I bought non-refundable tickets 2 days before the dickwads got busted in Britain.

As far as U.S. airport "security" goes... a guy that worked with Israeli airport security told someone I work with, "Your (U.S.) problem is that you look for weapons; you should be looking for terrorists". To me, that says it all. Is it profiling? Hell yes. Do I give a flying ****? Hell no. I haven't seen very many grannys trying to blow things up.

I'll bet Stef will have fun getting back to Italy.

 

[wallypiper]

"Your (U.S.) problem is that you look for weapons; you should be looking for terrorists"

How astute that is. Note that the recent plot was foiled by intelligence investigation, not airport security. Airport security would not have stopped it and, in fact, would not stop it if they decided to go ahead with it next week. My understanding is that they were planning to bring several essentially benign substances and items on board the plane separately, then assemble and detonate a device after they took off. If the nutcases are willing to die to accomplish this, we cannot stop them at the airport checkpoint without strip searching every passenger. Also, I heard this morning that a plot that was basically the same was uncovered a couple of years ago in Maylaysia, although the less dedicated extremists in that case had planned to get off of the planes at intermediate stops after assembling and hiding their devices on board. Again, the plot was uncovered by intelligence investigation, not by airport searches. For some reason the earlier discovery did not garner the media attention and TSA breast beating that this one did, probably because it was in southeast Asia instead of Great Britain.

 

[radman]

I will not be getting on another aircraft ever unless the FAA starts licensing diabetics, and I can fly my own. What was once an enjoyable form of transport has turned into a 3 hour school bus ride through hell. No thanks, I'm riding or taking a train.

 

[kaitsdad]

I will not be getting on another aircraft ever unless the FAA starts licensing diabetics, and I can fly my own. What was once an enjoyable form of transport has turned into a 3 hour school bus ride through hell. No thanks, I'm riding or taking a train.

+1

I wish they'd hurry up and finish that bridge to Sydney. :angry2:

 

[boardsNbikes]

My guess, which is based on my experience of the very noticeable difference between flying in February and flying in July, is that the delay was mostly caused by endless numbers of people ignoring the security rules and trying to get through the checkpoints with liquids in their bag.

Ain't that the truth. I remember the first summer after IDs were required. Every other fool in front of the check-in or security line was claiming something like "but I've never needed an ID to fly before and I've been flying since the stone age." No ma'am...your once a year flight to visit your grandkids does not constitute you as a frequent flyer. I guess you missed reports of the new ID requirements in the papers, television and radio.

+1 on the effectiveness of the TSA. They're like a Kryptonite rotor lock, they'll dissuade the casual thief but the professional just laughs at the impediment.

 

[bramfrank]

Am in the lounge Toronto, having flown up from Las Vegas on my way back to Montreal.

I walked up to the counter at T2 in McCarran and was at the gate with my carryon no more than 10 minutes after reaching the ticket counter (they had to rebook my flight).

Terminal change in Toronto and 1 minute to get through security.

What threat?