4 ms·

Gonna make a rare politic statement here: Who's up for a sit-in protest at SFO?

by geuis 15y ago

a3camero 15y ago
I was happy to return to my domestic airport security after coming back through SFO. This type of "security" is alienating foreigners. I opted out of these scanners at SFO and was hassled by security as to why I would want to do that and then they waited about five minutes before beginning manual screening, despite having staff on hand. I assume it's to discourage people from opting out. Nice city, nice airport, bad security.
- calloc 15y ago
  I love it when they start yelling "Opt-out" into their radio's to let some supervisor know and then they give you the scowling look while asking you why you'd want to opt-out.
- 1010011010 15y ago
  Yes, they intend to make the screening as unpleasant as they can get away with to encourage use of the nakie-scanners.
- ams6110 15y ago
  These security procedures have got to be having a depressing effect on domestic air travel also. I know that I now fly only if I absolutely have to.
  - jdp23 15y ago
    Yes it has; the specific amount isn't known. Back in the early 2000s when they changed the checked baggage search policy, it's estimated that it had a 6-8% affect on travel -- there are some nice papers from profs at Cornell who analyzed it. Somebody I know who's talked with airline CEOs confirms that they're concerned, but still hopeful that it will be transient. Airlines were ridiculously profitable in 2010; 2011 will be a tough year for them in any case because of fuel prices. When people ask me what they can do to help get rid of these policies, I tell them the best way to make an impact is to stop flying [or reduce as much as possible], tell your airline why, and suggest that all your friends, relatives, and colleagues do the same.
  - rdl 15y ago
    Domestic security procedures are responsible for about 50k extra miles on my car in the past 24 months of driving. Anything from Vancouver, BC to San Diego to Colorado is pretty much in a driving radius from SF; Austin, DC, NYC, Miami, and Boston are the only CONUS destinations I'm likely to travel to which are beyond it.
drags 15y ago
Why not apply for a permit, dress up as business travelers and pass out literature promoting your position? Seems that would avoid feeding into the "Why are a bunch of crazy leftists clogging up my airport" stereotype _and_ ensure you get to stay there for more than 5 minutes before being hauled away by airport police. See: https://www.sfoconnect.com/public/sfo-rules-and-regulations https://www.sfoconnect.com/public/sfo-rules-and-regulations for more info.
- subway 15y ago
  I dunno about you, but when I'm going through SFO, I actively avoid the folks in the "Free Speech" cubicles.
Sukotto 15y ago
Every time I see one of these signs[1] at the airport I feel strongly tempted to paste the word "theater" at the end of the last sentence. I'm too scared of getting arrested and, in turn, having that arrest blow my chances of immigrating[2]. [1] http://www.flickr.com/photos/katiekills/5616870009/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/katiekills/5616870009/ [2] Though the more of this sort of BS I see, the less I really want to stay here in the US. :(
- roc 15y ago
  Whoa... take out liquids? When did that start?
  - benmccann 15y ago
    I think quite awhile ago, but I always ignore it and they rarely care. Perhaps once they made me take them out after they'd gone through the x-ray machine and made me put my bag through the x-ray again.
    - pyre 15y ago
      They rarely do care, but they did the one time that I was trying to get some luggage through with a couple of Xmas gifts that were jars of food. Also while trying to take a souvenir snow globe home I found out that TSA says that snow globes are banned even from checked luggage. Huh? I had to ship the fucking thing home. edit: Just checked the TSA site and apparently they can go into checked luggage. That's a change because I remember looking it up at the time and thinking that it was insane the ammunition was allowed in checked luggage but snow globes weren't.
- StavrosK 15y ago
  Whenever I see one of those signs, I always think "in ten seconds, security will occur". They're absurd.
- geuis 15y ago
  You have a perfectly valid reason to fear about that too. We need the best people from around the world to come to the US and make a life here if they want.
rdl 15y ago
Who's up for: * Boston-Washington Chinatown Bus style service on the West Coast -- LTE/wifi enabled, clean bathrooms, non-sketchy people, luxury. Cover SFO-SAC-SJC-MRY-SLO-LAX etc. Maybe buses to/from Vegas, Portland, Seattle. The problem is the distances are much longer, but maybe it would work? * Charter service taking off from non-TSA airports, using IT to allow last minute bookings, etc. Priced around domestic first class, maybe around full-fare coach for long prebooking, or at coach rates if a company commits to e.g. 8 interchangeable-passenger seats per flight on every monday and friday flight or something. I think a lot of companies could use 2 seats every week from SFO-NYC, and then just book commercial or buy at higher prices if they end up needing more for periods of peak demand. A lot cheaper than a corporate jet.

Gonna make a rare politic statement here: Who's up for a sit-in protest at SFO?

by geuis 15y ago

Gonna make a rare politic statement here: Who's up for a sit-in protest at SFO?

I was happy to return to my domestic airport security after coming back through SFO. This type of "security" is alienating foreigners. I opted out of these scanners at SFO and was hassled by security as to why I would want to do that and then they waited about five minutes before beginning manual screening, despite having staff on hand. I assume it's to discourage people from opting out. Nice city, nice airport, bad security.

calloc 15y ago
I love it when they start yelling "Opt-out" into their radio's to let some supervisor know and then they give you the scowling look while asking you why you'd want to opt-out.
1010011010 15y ago
Yes, they intend to make the screening as unpleasant as they can get away with to encourage use of the nakie-scanners.
ams6110 15y ago
These security procedures have got to be having a depressing effect on domestic air travel also. I know that I now fly only if I absolutely have to.
- jdp23 15y ago
  Yes it has; the specific amount isn't known. Back in the early 2000s when they changed the checked baggage search policy, it's estimated that it had a 6-8% affect on travel -- there are some nice papers from profs at Cornell who analyzed it. Somebody I know who's talked with airline CEOs confirms that they're concerned, but still hopeful that it will be transient. Airlines were ridiculously profitable in 2010; 2011 will be a tough year for them in any case because of fuel prices. When people ask me what they can do to help get rid of these policies, I tell them the best way to make an impact is to stop flying [or reduce as much as possible], tell your airline why, and suggest that all your friends, relatives, and colleagues do the same.
- rdl 15y ago
  Domestic security procedures are responsible for about 50k extra miles on my car in the past 24 months of driving. Anything from Vancouver, BC to San Diego to Colorado is pretty much in a driving radius from SF; Austin, DC, NYC, Miami, and Boston are the only CONUS destinations I'm likely to travel to which are beyond it.

drags 15y ago

Why not apply for a permit, dress up as business travelers and pass out literature promoting your position? Seems that would avoid feeding into the "Why are a bunch of crazy leftists clogging up my airport" stereotype _and_ ensure you get to stay there for more than 5 minutes before being hauled away by airport police. See: https://www.sfoconnect.com/public/sfo-rules-and-regulations https://www.sfoconnect.com/public/sfo-rules-and-regulations for more info.

subway 15y ago
I dunno about you, but when I'm going through SFO, I actively avoid the folks in the "Free Speech" cubicles.

Sukotto 15y ago

Every time I see one of these signs[1] at the airport I feel strongly tempted to paste the word "theater" at the end of the last sentence. I'm too scared of getting arrested and, in turn, having that arrest blow my chances of immigrating[2]. [1] http://www.flickr.com/photos/katiekills/5616870009/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/katiekills/5616870009/ [2] Though the more of this sort of BS I see, the less I really want to stay here in the US. :(

roc 15y ago
Whoa... take out liquids? When did that start?
- benmccann 15y ago
  I think quite awhile ago, but I always ignore it and they rarely care. Perhaps once they made me take them out after they'd gone through the x-ray machine and made me put my bag through the x-ray again.
  - pyre 15y ago
    They rarely do care, but they did the one time that I was trying to get some luggage through with a couple of Xmas gifts that were jars of food. Also while trying to take a souvenir snow globe home I found out that TSA says that snow globes are banned even from checked luggage. Huh? I had to ship the fucking thing home. edit: Just checked the TSA site and apparently they can go into checked luggage. That's a change because I remember looking it up at the time and thinking that it was insane the ammunition was allowed in checked luggage but snow globes weren't.
StavrosK 15y ago
Whenever I see one of those signs, I always think "in ten seconds, security will occur". They're absurd.
geuis 15y ago
You have a perfectly valid reason to fear about that too. We need the best people from around the world to come to the US and make a life here if they want.

rdl 15y ago

Who's up for: * Boston-Washington Chinatown Bus style service on the West Coast -- LTE/wifi enabled, clean bathrooms, non-sketchy people, luxury. Cover SFO-SAC-SJC-MRY-SLO-LAX etc. Maybe buses to/from Vegas, Portland, Seattle. The problem is the distances are much longer, but maybe it would work? * Charter service taking off from non-TSA airports, using IT to allow last minute bookings, etc. Priced around domestic first class, maybe around full-fare coach for long prebooking, or at coach rates if a company commits to e.g. 8 interchangeable-passenger seats per flight on every monday and friday flight or something. I think a lot of companies could use 2 seats every week from SFO-NYC, and then just book commercial or buy at higher prices if they end up needing more for periods of peak demand. A lot cheaper than a corporate jet.