Courtesy

There is a reason I would never fly Southwest, but oh no they are now spreading onto the primary airlines like United. Who are they? They are the basic Americans who believe they own the whole world and can be arrogant and discourtesies to others. I am sitting here in my seat watching in disbelief as the man in front of me finishes a meal he brought with him from the airport, calmly takes all the trash returns it to the original bag and stuffs it under his seat (which is where my bag is by the way). Ok maybe once, but then he buys a meal onboard and proceeds to do the same with the snack box. But wait it gets better. He finishes his cup of coffee and take his cut and throws it under his seat as well. I now have a mini-landfill directly in front of me. When he gets up to go to the bathroom, I ask if he would like to take some of his trash back with him. He looks at me like I am absolutely crazy, like how dare I imply he should clean up his own trash. For those of you who fly United he was a blue ticket! (for everyone else, this is a person with no affiliation with mileage plus and is thus a recreational or non-seasoned traveler).

Even getting through the airport security was a nightmare. Keep in mind that I travel virtually every other week, many times with as many as 6 trips a month, so suffice to say I know the routine at security. I am actually quite lucky San Francisco has a dedicated security screening line to first class and senior status members such as myself. I Show my ticket and ID and this security employee tells me my bag is too large. Now keep in mind it is maybe 2 inches too large using their own measuring system, but have been carrying it on every flight for multiple months. I tell her not to worry it is ok with United. She is of course a brick wall and asks me to have the United rep next to her agree. I talk to the United rep who immediately says no problem. She tells the security woman no problem, and walks away. But wait we are not done with this representative of the United States federal government. She is on my left and proceeds to talk over me to the other employee on my right in a foreign language. (probably telling her that she should speak English in front of her clients didn’t get on her good side, on the other hand I felt I was justified as she was being rude to begin with). They tell me now I need to get a United supervisor as the other rep was only a mere employee not management. Are you bloody kidding me? I tell them to call their supervisor instead. They do, I explain the situation and as she begins to tell me that just this once…. I turn my back and walk into line. There is no way this is a security issue, this is just them on an ego trip, especially when the airline rep agreed with the customer.

Oh wait we are not done yet. So I approach the screening area and of course empty my pockets, identify my badge and prepare to walk through. Traveling as much as I do, I have light shoes without a stitch of metal and in every other airport just sails through. The screener asks if there is metal, I say no. He says we recommend taking them off, but ok. Cool ok I am walk through and sure enough no annoying beeping declaring that I have some metal anywhere in or on my body. He they tells me to move to the second screening area. I inquire as to why, he tells me because I didn’t listen to him and take off my shoes. Let me get this straight, since I took the option that I am allowed by TSA policies, and PASS the test, this piece of work was offended and decided to second screen me. He takes me aside and asks me when my flight is. I ask why, and he replies so he knows how long he has to search me. Ok this is so not happening, I decide not to answer and tell him to get on with it. Now a normal person would think if you were worried about my shoes after all, ok take them, but now his tiny little pride is offended, so he conducts the full search from testical to wallet and hair to toes. I pass with flying colors (again) and he is very disappointed.

As I walk away from being molested by these outstanding federal employees I have to reflect on the differences between our American attitudes and European. I have been to London which has more terrorist bombings and events in a single calendar year than we have had in decades. They don’t require you to strip or even remove electronics from your bags. Don’t get me wrong, they are careful, but they use technology and highly skilled individuals to ensure proper screening. As compared to our way of solving a problem. Taking under skilled (or just no skilled) staff and creating massive processes that inconvenience everyone. Like what is up with having no less than three members of the security staff check ticket and ID (once to get in line, once at end of line, and once 4 feet later walking through the metal detector). Yet we put up with this. We accept that a 23 year old with zero training is telling us we need to take off shoes, belt, jacket, long sleeve shirt, hat, and anything else he can think of to walk through a machine that does just fine with all those articles on. I find that losing those rights in an airport to be much more upsetting that some of the other rights we have lost since 9/11. We live in such fear of speaking out or seeming to have any opinion whatsoever that we dare not speak out or against such rubbish. Having a screener tell me he is taking me aside for no probable reason other than because he didn’t like my attitude shows an arrogance before not accepted. And yet we do accept, when I or someone else speaks out, they all throw the security for the common good in our face. But yet these excuses are just to placate the ignorant and stupid.

My favorite was when they told kids they could not have their computers using ad-hoc or peer-to-peer networking to play multi-player video games on the plane as it was a security hazard. Let me get this straight using a wireless network which United among other airlines offers on a number of their airlines as a service, now poses a security risk! And yet without batting an eye, the parents quickly close the kids computer and calmly put them away. Have we lost our desire to question these things, to defend our rights? Believe me, I am all about security as someone in planes very often, but common sense should poke its head up every once in a while. Just some thoughts from seat 15A.