An Open Letter to the Airlines
Hello Airlines,
I know you’re slow to move. That’s fine. I just thought you should know why you won’t be moving me anywhere for the foreseeable future.
I used to love flying. It’s one of the reasons I studied aerospace engineering in college. I’ve held a US Passport since I was six years old. I’ve flown hundreds of thousands of miles around the world. So know how much it saddens me to say that flying commercial airlines has become so unbearable that I will no longer be doing it if I can help it. Right now I’ve got trips to San Jose, Reno, Las Vegas, Boston, Seattle, and possible Pittsburgh planned for 2011. In light of recent events, none of those plans include you. The most recent act in the TSA’s security theater is the last straw for me. You’ll get my employer’s money when I have to travel for business, but you’ll not see a dime of my own salary.
I’ve been through airport security in London, Bern, and Geneva. I’ve been scanned in Tokyo and Kuala Lumpur. I’ve had my bags prodded in Delhi, Bombay, and Madras. But I have never been treated in Europe or Asia with the depth of contempt that I’ve experienced from TSA employees in airports in Texas, California, and my home state of Arizona. I realize that you have no direct control over the TSA, but you have the lobbying power to get the Federal Government to back off unless they intend to spend a few billion tax dollars to bail out your failing businesses (again). Until you make noises about alleviating your passengers’ frustrations with the fatally ineffectual TSA, I hope your aircraft remain empty and unprofitable.
Sincerely,
Eseell
November 17th, 2010 at 15:43
*sigh* Unfortunately, our tickets for our flight this weekend are already purchased, and my parents live three days by train away from us, so flying is about the only option avialable to us any more… But you can bet your bottom dollar that if anyone goes groping my jiggly bits, he will feel just as uncomfortable as I do…
July 15th, 2011 at 07:03
If you want to see how it should be done, check out the Israeli airport security. They long ago decided to profile people and how has it worked?
August 24th, 2011 at 06:29
Anybody hear about the little boy that got groped so bad that everyone in line started to feel uncomfortable and complained? What happened to the good old days of flying being a great experience. I know you need tightened security, but having a minimum wage goof ball feel up kids is going a little too far.
March 25th, 2012 at 11:51
I personally couldn’t care less if someone sitting at a scanner could see me “naked” but just don’t inconvenience me or assert your “authority” because that pisses me off.