www.CostaRicaTicas.com

I don't consider this political but will delete if there are protests:
Here's a precis of an interview with the head of TSA--there's nothing like a True Believer:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... 49266.html

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"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED

The Israelis profile, interview passengers, and so far, have not had problems on El Al. Personally, I probably look like an angry Scottish separatist, but I would not care if I were profiled in the UK, or anywhere. Enough with the friggin' political correctness.

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" Omit no happy hour that may give furtherance to our expedition."

It isn't politics really (and ADMIN, please feel free to delete this if I cross the line)

It's MONEY. Plain and simple.

I've worked in the aviation industry for 16 years now and all the billions of dollars they are spending on security since 9/11 are going into people's pockets. It is NOT making aviation any safer or more dangerous then it was before. I don't care how many million dollar gadgets you put in screening. I don't care how many rejects you give a badge and minimum wage and put there feeling me up for "contraband" . It doesn't make a lick of difference when 75% of the people on the other side of the glass have NOT been vetted before being handed their security badges. That's right. Security clearances take so long and are so backed up that 3 out of 4 applicants get passed after only a basic vet... not the full depth one. Which I find hilarious since I have always had a full vet, being as how I am a maintenance engineer for an airline. But you look out the window of your next flight and those guys loading bags on the plane... well, 75% of them have NOT had the full check done and there's many of them who are ex-cons and many who still work for criminal elements. You don't think your bags go missing all the time just because of incompetence, do you? There's been many rings busted for robbing peoples luggage. Over a hundred people were arrested at Detroit's airport in one such bust.

It sickens me really. I used to take K*D's to the cockpit and show them around during a flight. Not anymore. Ballistic doors to the cockpit. No PAX allowed, etc. They have 30-40 security peeps at the screening area of the airport I work now at any time of the day. Which I laugh at as 99% of them couldn't get a job at the local McDonalds. Every time I go for coffee while departing one of our aircraft, I watch one security guy who looks like an Elvis impersonator chatting up some other women there and they both don't have a clue.

Also, do you know how many people died on a large commercial aircraft between 9/11 and about 2 or 3 years ago? ZERO. It was one of the most safe and non eventful periods in aviation ever. And it happened before most of these changes could take place. ZERO deaths. And yet BILLIONS spent. While the highways I take to my family here in Ontario have about a thousand deaths a year. You don't see billions spent on them, that's for sure.

You want safety? Ask the Israelis. They TRAIN people. They pre-screen passenger lists. They have observers watching security lines and they put armed marshals on their flights. It's a thousand times cheaper and a thousand times more effective.

Sorry for the rant, but I see this shit every day on my job and it burns me to see the government and the media touting security and making things hard for passengers when they are just propagating the biggest money scam in the world.

+++1

_________________
" Omit no happy hour that may give furtherance to our expedition."

“If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquillity of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, — go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen!”
Samuel Adams quote

BTW what time is Dancing with the Stars on tonight?

the underwear bomber AND the shoe bomber bought their ONE WAY tickets with CASH the DAY they flew. neither had LUGGAGE. not to mention their religious backgrounds. its not profiling its phucking common sense. something we severely lack in this country.

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im way deep into nothing special
riding the crest of a wave breaking just west of hollywood

Oops Well a loaded Glock .40 probably looks just like a hair dryer to a TSA agent.
http://gizmodo.com/5714865/the-tsa-let- ... n-airplane

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Living well is the best revenge
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwUtj_YnNoY

I just saw this news article this morning and was going to post it here, but see that PacoLoco beat me to it . What's funny is I made my rant the other night while half way through a bottle of wine and then I see this... lol, almost like a drunken prophecy

But it just goes to show. All the high tech gadgets and the bodies you pile up in front of the problem makes no difference without training and planning. What I said about the Elvis impersonator... well, he's collecting a good wage and wearing a really spiffy uniform and probably well on his way to getting into his co-worker's pants, but - sadly - he's not watching that million dollar scanner so things like loaded .40 cal handguns just SLIP on through now and again.

But the good news is that my shoes and belt have been thoroughly inspected many times so far and pose no danger to the aircraft or it's passengers!

The best quote of that article....

http://www.flickr.com/photos/allenrockwell/2997778809/

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nationa ... e_for.html

http://www.flickr.com/photos/theeerin/1469395664/

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Living well is the best revenge
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwUtj_YnNoY

brilliant and even more amazing are the mensas in the comment sections defending the sleeping beauties.

_________________
im way deep into nothing special
riding the crest of a wave breaking just west of hollywood

In case there are others like me who don't really understand what's what with airport scanners, I thought this Link might be instructive/amusing/enraging:
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20101 ... anner.html

BTW this Inky writer is a CalTech graduate.

_________________
"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED

Verma adds that in its current form, the X-ray scanner cannot see well through turbans, burkas, or other loose clothing.
and it blocks your face and partial genitalia. isn't that the phucking point?

we are a nation run by imbeciles.
and stop complaining about a little low level radiation. even if its just security theater. chances are pretty slim you can actually develop cancer from this. but there is a chance. just the price we pay...

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im way deep into nothing special
riding the crest of a wave breaking just west of hollywood