Originally Posted By: andrewg
Flying today is like throwing all your rights out the window. The TSA (Nazi like) are everywhere...asking 'may I see your papers'! Then you get the delight of having a semi-strip search while being scrutinized for ANY nervous behavior (like they don't make you nervous anyway). If you're lucky, like me, you get pulled aside for the 'special' treatment (more complete search...metal detectors between your legs, etc.). After all that fun, you get to head toward your friendly gate as you listen to the TSA warnings and threats over the loud speaker. Don't worry though....before your flight you can treat yourself to a $5 cup-o-joe and a $15 cheeseburger. Next...the boarding starts (generally late...constantly being told not to board until your row is called). Upon finding your seat, you get the great joy of attempting to put your bag in an overhead while everybody else is trying to do the same (as you watch a flight attendent CRAM the bags in as tightly as she can....and yours is usually at the back). No worries though.... as you wait for the aircraft to get permission from the tower to depart (usually late again) you'll get to listen to inevitable coughing and sneezing of ill passengers. Once in the air the oh-so-kindly attendants ask you if you want a small bag of cookies (with a mini-size soda) or a bag of peanuts (usually around six to seven nuts...one time I did count ten however). Ah, the joy of flight! That stale air! And the overweight, perspiring bearded man sitting next to you (or is that a woman?). Such fun!
No......I don't think I will fly anymore either unless I have no other choice. I'm done.
Sure, I post rants about the TSA... but as somebody who flies on different carriers probably 2-4 times a month, I have to say that you must be doing something wrong.
They have idiotic operations, silly rules, and I don't feel any safer.
Yes, often you get stuck next to an overweight passenger, get marginal food/drink, etc., but the airlines cannot control fuel prices or the obese nature of Americans (getting worse!). And, so long as we want to keep prices low, the airlines have to apply wal-mart like techniques, which is not good for quality or anything else.
Another situation where we did it to ourselves for the most part...
