Did you hear about the Clouseau-like Transportation Security Administration inspector who managed to damage nine American Eagle planes at O’Hare this week, resulting in 40 flights delayed or canceled and putting passengers’ and crews’ lives at risk?
That’s just the half of it. The agency is reportedly considering a rule that would give TSA employees unfettered access to any airliner in the country.
It gives me no comfort at all to know that those nice people (whose long noses now allow them into my bags and to throw Grannies off a plane to be arrested just for not following a flight attendant’s instructions), will now be able to break parts of an aircraft and have access to places only trained personnel were allowed to tread — with impunity.
Time to start writing your Congressional representative or Senator. The policy wonks are mad and the implementation wonks are really dangerous.
Timothy O’Neil-Dunne blogs at T2 Impact.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Tim,
This is about the most inane defense of the airlines I have seen in recent weeks. Let me understand your argument. Its ok that the airline left a plane unsecured overnight. Its ok that the inspector was able to gain access to the plane using means that somone up to no go would use. Oh no, its the inspectors fault because he did what he was supposed to do and proved that he could gain access to a parked unsecured aircraft.
We should be outraged that he had the gall to use a part of the aircraft to gain access. Somehow I don’t think that terrorists or smugglers are not going to use an available hand hold. No, we need to to write Congress because an inspector proved that American is not securing their aircraft.
Do you work for the ATA?
Give me a break
Anyone who uses the pitot tubes as a handhold to climb on an aircraft should stay the f away from planes. Yes, we should be outraged.
@John: Do you work for the TSA? The only reason he was able to get that close to the damn aircraft in the first place is BECAUSE he was TSA. He was out there doing an inspection! You think anyone else would be able to get that much unfettered access and proximity without being an employee or TSA? ABSOLUTELY NOT. Now if that were the case, then yes, standards for access need to be tightened, but IT ISN’T. Please pick up the messy pile on the ground
from your straw man attack on the way out…Please. You have some nerve.
Kip Hawley is an idiot. Google it.
Not the first time. . . .