Air Travel » Air Travel Ticket » Going, Going, Gone
Question:
>The other thing is, what about other countries? I’ll be willing to bet >(for example) that Japan won’t be so ready to give it up, given what I >experienced at NRT this past Sept.
Its been my experience that the "random" gate search in other countries has only happened on flights to the USA. My most recent example at NRT this past week was that on my intra-Asia flight there was no search, while on the return flight to the USA, there was a search. – - Paul
Response:
16:10:45 GMT: >The other thing is, what about other countries? I’ll be willing to bet >(for example) that Japan won’t be so ready to give it up, given what I >experienced at NRT this past Sept. >Its been my experience that the "random" gate search in other countries has >only happened on flights to the USA. My most recent example at NRT this past >week was that on my intra-Asia flight there was no search, while on the return >flight to the USA, there was a search.
Come to think of it, when I was waiting to depart at DPS, there was a Garuda Indonesia flight sharing our secured gate (ie. gates "2A" and "2B"). The Garuda flight was to NRT and we were going on CO back to Guam. While both sets of pax had to go through the scanners inside the gate, only we were subject to 2ndary searching. I didnt see any guards searching the Garuda pax. at all. Yet at NRT, there was both a CO and an NW flight departing in the same "unsecured" gate area. Both were departing for US destinations and both were subject to gate search. Since I didn’t see any other flights departing to other countries, I couldn’t tell any difference. I’m wondering then if the 2ndary searches at foreign airports are being conducted at the request of the FAA in order for the airport to maintain "category 1" compliance status? Regards, Arnold.
Response:
> Last week as SNA, the gate agent asked the first person in line to pick a > number between 1 and 5. He said 5, and she pulled the 5th person out for > inspection (fortunately, I was 2).
LOL… I would have said pi.
Response:
> Is this a trend? Does this fellow have a future while surrounded by > bone-headed bureaucrats?
Remember TWA800 ? At first, they suspected terrorism and Bill CLinton forced airports to go balistic (by the standard of those days). But over time, the restrictions were eased quitly and airports returned to theior normal selves (without any real security). After 9-11, it was obvious that the same would happen, expcept on a much higher level of paranoya. And it is only normal that those silly srestriction are going to be lifted little by little. The big question is how much security will be relaxed ? Will they allow non-ticketed pax airside again ? In other words, is there a resolve to permanently change airport secirrity to match techniques/levels in other countries, or will commercial pressures result in the government relaxing the rules back to "normal" over time so that the airside stores can regain the number of customers they used to have ?
Response:
> According to Adm. James M. Loy, the HMFIC at the TSA, a "Stupid Rule List" > has been compiled and is being studied. Astonishingly, Adm. Loy (USCG, > Ret.) believes that air travel should have a minimum of useless hassle.
And a maximum of "useful hassles"? :-) > Going: > * Restricting parking within 300 feet of an airport
Already gone from the ATL airport, I think. > * Random searches of passengers at the gate
It was never random, so it never came. > Gone: > * No nail clippers or eyelash curlers in carryon bags
NOT gone yet, for US airlines returning to the US from Mexico (CZM). That was at least 9 months after the Rule was "gone" in the US. — Bob. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Is this a trend? Does this fellow have a future while surrounded by > bone-headed bureaucrats?
Response:
>> * No nail clippers or eyelash curlers in carryon bags >NOT gone yet, for US airlines returning to the US from Mexico (CZM). >That was at least 9 months after the Rule was "gone" in the US.
Same "not gone" in the UK as of a couple of months back.
Response:
> According to Adm. James M. Loy, the HMFIC at the TSA, a "Stupid Rule List" > has been compiled and is being studied. Astonishingly, Adm. Loy (USCG, > Ret.) believes that air travel should have a minimum of useless hassle. > Going: > * Restricting parking within 300 feet of an airport > * Random searches of passengers at the gate
Halleluia!!!! Somebody was out there listening!!! Now, before I get too excited, does this mean that they’ll still do some kind of gate search at boarding (just not "random" – whatever that meant), or is it truly the end of it? And furthermore, what would his response be to those who say that the practice actually *does* have some effect on hindering the carrying of dangerous weapons into the cabin? The other thing is, what about other countries? I’ll be willing to bet (for example) that Japan won’t be so ready to give it up, given what I experienced at NRT this past Sept. As much as I griped about it (random gate searches) in previous threads, and as happy as I am that it seems to be on its way out, I would still prefer to see US airports embrace the "secured gate facility" concept as have most other world airports. In my book its even more effective than the random gate search since you can take more time to search more people and clear them into the "clean" area before boarding.
Response:
According to Adm. James M. Loy, the HMFIC at the TSA, a "Stupid Rule List" has been compiled and is being studied. Astonishingly, Adm. Loy (USCG, Ret.) believes that air travel should have a minimum of useless hassle. Going: * Restricting parking within 300 feet of an airport * Random searches of passengers at the gate Gone: * No nail clippers or eyelash curlers in carryon bags * No carry-on coffee through security checkpoint * Those two dumb-arsed questions asked at the ticket counter about your bags: have they always been in your possession and any strangers ask you to carry packages for them Is this a trend? Does this fellow have a future while surrounded by bone-headed bureaucrats?
Response:
> According to Adm. James M. Loy, the HMFIC at the TSA, a "Stupid Rule List" > has been compiled and is being studied. Astonishingly, Adm. Loy (USCG, > Ret.) believes that air travel should have a minimum of useless hassle. > Going: > * Restricting parking within 300 feet of an airport > * Random searches of passengers at the gate
Yep, that sound like what the ticket counter person at SNA was talking about when he said it would be gone soon. He was one of those people that believed "continuous screening" and a’selecting the first and last person" was the same things. Doh… if it is continuous, you can still pick someone other than the first person as soon as boarding starts. Oddly enough, the gate agent felt differently. I avoided being first and they selected the fourth person. Luckily, I was third. When I am first, they are always selecting the first person. Go figure. Any idea about when this process will be gone?
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> According to Adm. James M. Loy, the HMFIC at the TSA, a "Stupid Rule List" > has been compiled and is being studied. Astonishingly, Adm. Loy (USCG, > Ret.) believes that air travel should have a minimum of useless hassle. > Going: > * Restricting parking within 300 feet of an airport > * Random searches of passengers at the gate > Yep, that sound like what the ticket counter person at SNA was talking > about when he said it would be gone soon. He was one of those people > that believed "continuous screening" and a’selecting the first and last > person" was the same things. Doh… if it is continuous, you can still > pick someone other than the first person as soon as boarding starts. > Oddly enough, the gate agent felt differently. I avoided being first and > they selected the fourth person. Luckily, I was third. When I am first, > they are always selecting the first person. Go figure. > Any idea about when this process will be gone?
I’ll put up with anything as long as they drop this stupid "random screening" at the gate. Last week as SNA, the gate agent asked the first person in line to pick a number between 1 and 5. He said 5, and she pulled the 5th person out for inspection (fortunately, I was 2).
no comment untill now