On Modern Flight
December 30, 2009 - 9:08 am
Irradiated by Stingray
Irradiated by Stingray
Three brief thoughts.
1. I’m done with TSA. Should some set of circumstances force me to fly again in the future, I will simply perform some ad hoc penetration testing of whatever airport(s) I must use. Following a janitor and/or slipping a delivery boy a $20 is vastly preferable to whatever idiotic, hand-wringing, ineffective bullshit is currently being implemented by the high school dropouts at the metal detector.
2. If I am unfortunate enough to be on an airplane again, and some non-profilable 20-30 year old male of certain persuasions attempts to kill himself and everybody else on the plane, I promise you he will succeed in dying. I have no such plans for myself.
3. Remember when Semtex Underoos was the fucking joke?
December 30th, 2009 at 3:23 pm
I wonder if this will spark a new interest in private aviation, or alternately the railroads? I too take offense at modern airline security, and will avoid it if it all possible.
Jim
December 30th, 2009 at 4:52 pm
Fly with something long, pointy, and sharp, and jam it in his eye or throat. Pens? Something else?
The TSA is a complete waste of time. The govt cannot even keep weapons out of prisons, and they can do strip and body cavity searches.
Oops- did I just give the TSA a new idea?
December 30th, 2009 at 5:33 pm
Chris Anarchangel has had Teh Direct Experience, and produced an excellent post on the Absurd Theater that is the TSA - complete with actor’s and stagehand union.
December 30th, 2009 at 6:06 pm
Oh thanks… just stick me with all the flying… There are plenty of ‘options’ if one is smart about what they carry. And yeah, TSA is pretty much screwed up, AND the noob PU wants to put in charge has said his ‘first’ move will be to unionize them… Oh yea, just make it impossible to get rid of one, JUST what we need. I’d just as soon do away with TSA and just issue people guns if they don’t bring their own (like Air America used to do back in the day)…
January 5th, 2010 at 8:58 am
“I will simply perform some ad hoc penetration testing of whatever airport(s) I must use. Following a janitor and/or slipping a delivery boy a $20″
Was that YOU at Newark airport?!
January 5th, 2010 at 7:06 pm
I’ve been flying less and less for years, and instead have been driving for long distances wherever possible.
In addition to not having to deal with the absurdities that is the TSA, I can carry more luggage with whatever contents I wish, take different routes that pass through various locations (some of which I’ve never seen before), and depending on distance and number of passengers, it can be quite a bit less expensive than flying.
I also know my mechanic (and have been doing a bit more work on the car by myself), so I know exactly how well the vehicle is maintained, what parts it has, etc. I can’t really say the same thing about the airplane.