Letters to the Editor
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I understand
Oh, my goodness, I understand.
I've been wedged into the middle seat in the very back seat of an airplane, and have said "They ought to pay us!" and received blank stares.
The most depressing part about traveling is the acquiescence of people to being treated like cattle, watching people being passive, not questioning, complying.....
What about all the people who sat on the tarmac, while toilets overflowed, and there was no food, and people were having medical emergencies..where was the person, or people, who said "enough" and popped the emergency shute, and got out of the airplane, and walked to the terminal?
It's really scary.
Susan
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back in 1933...
esso, ibn saud, and fdr closed a deal: while there was a barrel of oil left in arabia, saud was master there, and the u. s. army guaranteed it.
65 years later, america is terrified of terrorists. if you can make the connection, you're much smarter than dubya.
if you can't, bombs are gonna drop out of the sky from nowhere because the world outside of the usa is a mysterious place. while you're waiting for the next one, in an airport security line, think about this: how much money, time and misery has alqaeda cost you aside from the actual casualties and destruction of 9/11?
they've already won, especially if you give up your civil rights out of fear. america the brave? don't think so.
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Yawn
A tedious post. Flying ceased to be fun about 25 years ago. Who cares what Garrison thinks. We've all complained about it. He adds nothing new.
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I'm with you
Every time I stand in that line to get through security I debate whether or not I will take off my shoes voluntarily or wait and see if they make me. One thought keeps ringing in my head while the line shuffles forward - "one person, one nutjob tried to blow up his shoes and now we all have to pay. It's not right, it's ridiculous, leave my shoes alone." The only reason I don't scream this out loud, is because I've paid so much for my ticket - I don't want to be escorted out of the airport. Hopefully someday we can finally discard these stupid regulations. I've heard from the news that American's have decided we are willing to sacrifice some of our comfort and civil liberties in exchange for security. Personally, I never agreed with that decision. I don't feel safer, and I'd prefer to keep my shoes on.
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I do not have speaking engagements
and therefore do not have to fly, ever. A lot of people who remember when flying was fun also remember when it was something only rich people could afford to do with any regularity. Me, I expect I'll never get to see Little Rock, what with the price of fuel and all, so it's nice to hear about the waffle house they have there.
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Cattle Call
"There it was, plain as the nose on your face, but it was just too awful to discuss. "
Well, people certainly don't feel free to discuss the travesty and outrage of airport "security" measures at the airport - as kiojn1 says, we've paid too much for our tickets.
We don't want to be "detained" and miss our flights (would we need to buy another set of tickets, at the over-the-counter last-minute price?) We definitely don't want to be put onto the ultra-secret, no-appeal No-Fly List, and never be allowed to board another aircraft for the remainder of our natural lives.
And there's always, lurking in the background, the definite possibility that detention would be the least of our problems - we could be disappeared: imprisoned, tortured, flown all around the world for more and exotic forms of torture, and if we're lucky, ultimately dumped somewhere in the toolies of some third world country years later, with at least a vague chance of finding our way back home to our loved ones, who've been beside themselves since the TSA men took us away before the family could board that routine flight to Grandma's.
Frankly, it makes the remote possibility of a plane crash - once the most frightening thing that could happen - look benign in comparison.
It's truly too awful to discuss - but we must. Thanks, Mr. Keillor, for kicking this one off.
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It could be worse...and it usually is
Reminds me of a flight out of Anchorage (where all departing flights are scheduled after midnight to accommodate the rest of the world) when after boarding they had announced there was a breach in security and we would all have to exit the plane and go through security again. The Flight Attendant insisted this would only be a few minutes and we would all be happily along our way. Back at the security line, we were told the terminal would need to be swept through with dogs, but only a few more minutes. Imagine that, they've taught dogs to use brooms, I guess they are going to outsource all of our maintenance engineers now. Anyway, every fifteen minutes they kept announcing only a few more minutes and we'll be on our way. After 90 minutes of this, of which our dedicated baggage screeners and their supervisors stood at attention with their latex gloves on, I wondered why they couldn't pull a couple of these stiffs to go look through a few trash cans or something. Low and behold, our tax dollars at work (NOT!!!).
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The TSA Dog-and-Pony Show...
...is designed to make the Merkin Sheeple feel both scared shitless and snuggly wuggly, while accomplishing very little actual "security." Someone in the government did a psychological analysis and determined the more inconvenienced we are, the more likely we are to be reminded that: a) there are terrorists out there! And they want to kill us!, and b) the government is strong and powerful and doing something about it!
Honestly, it's the biggest farce I've ever seen in my life. The day I can travel with a couple of tubes of hand lotion and a bottle of water is the day I'll feel "safe" and "secure." Not this useless exercise in phony security.
Back when they were requisitioning baby formula and toddlers' sippy cups I put a bag full of sandwiches and condiments from the Stage Deli through the x-ray machines and no one said a peep. I guess mayonnaise, mustard and dill pickles can't be turned into bombs?
Oh and one more thing. I am sick and tired of taking my goddamned shoes off at the security checkpoint. The only reason to do that is to remind us of Richard Reid the "shoe bomber." So when Osama bin Laden invents the exploding pen, I suppose we'll all have to toss our writing implements before boarding an aircraft.
Wake up, people. It's all propaganda and manipulation.