4 ms·

First, I don't agree with the use of full body scanners. To be fair, the TSA doesn't know that the guy is a pilot - only that he has the uniform and some sort

First, I don't agree with the use of full body scanners. To be fair, the TSA doesn't know that the guy is a pilot - only that he has the uniform and some sort of identification that says he is - both of which could be faked. Unfortunately nothing is likely to change until it's not isolated incidents of people refusing to go through the full body scanners but rather 10% or more of the flying public. --I'm estimating, of course, but can you imagine the backlogs if just 10% of passengers refused every day and forced the TSA to spend time frisking them?

nkassis 16y ago
Or people will just stop using planes. I started driving when I need to go anywhere now. I really enjoy it. I can make it from my place in Florida to my fathers home in Montreal Canada in less than 2 days. That's no worse than spending an entire day in the airport. At least in the car I get a comfortable seat, radio, and a nice scenery.
- jbarham 16y ago
  > Or people will just stop using planes. Unfortunate and ironic from a safety POV since driving is much more dangerous than flying on commercial flights.
  - nkassis 16y ago
    That's so very true. Maybe someone should explain that to the people in charge of making policies. They are putting people in danger ;p
lkijuhygtfd 16y ago
Then how does he get on the fligth deck? If his ID isn't sufficient to avoid screening - but it is sufficient to allow him to sit in the front seats ?
- tallanvor 16y ago
  It's no different than passengers going through screening - the TSA ID checkers aren't likely to catch a high quality fake ID, and we know that boarding passes can be faked. That's one of - if not the best - arguments as to why it's pointless for the TSA to be checking IDs anyway.
  - lkijuhygtfd 16y ago
    So who does check the ID? If it's not the super trained government appointed guardians of our safety - the clerk at the departure gate ? Surely there should also be a TSA agent standing behind each pilot throughout the flight if they can't be sure of the pilots identity?
    - sorbus 16y ago
      I flew yesterday, and arrived early enough to watch the crew get onto the plane. There was a cursory check of their IDs, but very cursory. The main thing seemed to be that everyone knew each other; the crew had worked together before, and the flight agent who checked their IDs knew them. I would not be surprised if the flight agent was given pictures of the pilots as well as their names, though, which would probably provide the greatest security (identity verified by a trusted third party, the airline, without any chance for the pilot to interact with the verifying document, as happens with passports or other ids. If you never get to see it, you can't tamper with it).
      - lkijuhygtfd 16y ago
        Except that in the US (unless you are at the airline's home base) the checkin+gate staff are probably on contract from some staffing agency or rented from the airport. The 'Delta connection' flight you are on is sub-contracted out to a 2 man outfit with a single regional jet. Pay and conditions are so poor that staff turnover is huge and the number of staff is reduced so that people barely have time to glance at the person. It's one of the hidden costs of replacing the company security guard with the cheap outside agency.
  - 16y ago

nkassis 16y ago

Or people will just stop using planes. I started driving when I need to go anywhere now. I really enjoy it. I can make it from my place in Florida to my fathers home in Montreal Canada in less than 2 days. That's no worse than spending an entire day in the airport. At least in the car I get a comfortable seat, radio, and a nice scenery.

jbarham 16y ago
> Or people will just stop using planes. Unfortunate and ironic from a safety POV since driving is much more dangerous than flying on commercial flights.
- nkassis 16y ago
  That's so very true. Maybe someone should explain that to the people in charge of making policies. They are putting people in danger ;p

lkijuhygtfd 16y ago

Then how does he get on the fligth deck? If his ID isn't sufficient to avoid screening - but it is sufficient to allow him to sit in the front seats ?

tallanvor 16y ago
It's no different than passengers going through screening - the TSA ID checkers aren't likely to catch a high quality fake ID, and we know that boarding passes can be faked. That's one of - if not the best - arguments as to why it's pointless for the TSA to be checking IDs anyway.
- lkijuhygtfd 16y ago
  So who does check the ID? If it's not the super trained government appointed guardians of our safety - the clerk at the departure gate ? Surely there should also be a TSA agent standing behind each pilot throughout the flight if they can't be sure of the pilots identity?
  - sorbus 16y ago
    I flew yesterday, and arrived early enough to watch the crew get onto the plane. There was a cursory check of their IDs, but very cursory. The main thing seemed to be that everyone knew each other; the crew had worked together before, and the flight agent who checked their IDs knew them. I would not be surprised if the flight agent was given pictures of the pilots as well as their names, though, which would probably provide the greatest security (identity verified by a trusted third party, the airline, without any chance for the pilot to interact with the verifying document, as happens with passports or other ids. If you never get to see it, you can't tamper with it).
    - lkijuhygtfd 16y ago
      Except that in the US (unless you are at the airline's home base) the checkin+gate staff are probably on contract from some staffing agency or rented from the airport. The 'Delta connection' flight you are on is sub-contracted out to a 2 man outfit with a single regional jet. Pay and conditions are so poor that staff turnover is huge and the number of staff is reduced so that people barely have time to glance at the person. It's one of the hidden costs of replacing the company security guard with the cheap outside agency.
- 16y ago