TSA gets it right for once

from Fox News

WASHINGTON - Troops headed for Iraq can now linger a little longer over
their goodbyes.
The government will allow the families and friends of troops flying to and
from Iraq to escort them all the way to the airport gates, rather than
getting stopped at security checkpoints.
The Transportation Security Administration (search) sent a memo last week to
airport security directors asking them to develop procedures so members of
the U.S. armed forces can be accompanied to and from their boarding gates,
agency spokeswoman Amy von Walter said on Tuesday.
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (search), R-Texas, petitioned the TSA for the
change that will allow family and friends to meet troops at airport gates on
arrival and wait with them until they depart.
"Our troops deserve every moment they can spend with their loved ones while
home for R&R," Hutchison said in a prepared statement.
Since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, only ticketed passengers have been
allowed past the security gates. Children, senior citizens and disabled
people were the exceptions.
Hutchison pushed for the change after learning that visits with servicemen
and women are often cut short because military charter flights sometimes
arrive six to 20 hours late, and between midnight and 2 a.m. In a letter to
the TSA, she said the exemption would give family and friends more time to
spend with the soldiers between flights.
They will still undergo normal screening, von Walters said.

"David" wrote in message
...
from Fox News

WASHINGTON - Troops headed for Iraq can now linger a little longer over
their goodbyes.
The government will allow the families and friends of troops flying to and
from Iraq to escort them all the way to the airport gates, rather than
getting stopped at security checkpoints.

I have a brilliant idea. How about not sending the troops to fight elective
wars? That way their families do not need to say goodbye and we get to keep
our troops alive and well - for when we really need them to fight real
terrorists and really evil *******s who really are a real threat?

I find it disgusting that more than 500 fine Americans have given their
lives for this wasted cause. Where are the WMD's? Where was the threat to
our freedom? The answer is there was never a threat and we have a REAL
terrorism problem that needs ALL our resources dedicated to it.

-- Bobbus (clandestine publicity agent for some selected Iowa City hotels).

"David" wrote:

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (search), R-Texas, petitioned the TSA for the
change that will allow family and friends to meet troops at airport gates on
arrival and wait with them until they depart.

Now if only they can get their heads straightened out about getting
family and friends to be able to meet people like a mother with a
toddler, a baby, two strollers, a car seat, and three carry-on bags at
the gate, when the rest of the airport staff has totally abandoned
them.

Such a thing happened to my wife at least once. And I got to watch her
struggle down the concourse towards me, while dour-faced and tired
security drones (this was pre-TSA) didn't call to get her the help I
would have been more than willing to give.

Rob

Now if only they can get their heads straightened out about getting
family and friends to be able to meet people like a mother with a
toddler, a baby, two strollers, a car seat, and three carry-on bags at
the gate, when the rest of the airport staff has totally abandoned
them.

I'm no parent so I'll admit ignorance, wouldn't checking a couple of the 3
carry-on items be a good start?

-Andrew

--
Andrew Stanley-Jones | "It's kind of fun to do the impossible."
EE, LongEz N87KJ | -- Walt Disney

ASJ wrote:
Now if only they can get their heads straightened out about getting
family and friends to be able to meet people like a mother with a
toddler, a baby, two strollers, a car seat, and three carry-on bags
at the gate, when the rest of the airport staff has totally abandoned
them.

I'm no parent so I'll admit ignorance, wouldn't checking a couple of
the 3 carry-on items be a good start?

Good question - why is poor planning on your wife's part now the TSA's
problem?

"John Harlow" wrote:

I'm no parent so I'll admit ignorance, wouldn't checking a couple of
the 3 carry-on items be a good start?

Good question - why is poor planning on your wife's part now the TSA's
problem?

Based on info given us by the airport, we thought I would be able to
meet her at the gate.

But as far as that goes: the three carry-on items were all soft-shell
luggage with a tendency to open, and thus could not be trusted to
baggage handlers. Two of them contained baby-entertainment items, and
diapers. The rest of the equipment was gate-checked, since it's
*required* for the ground portion of the journey.

And, no, I wouldn't expect people who aren't parents to understand in
the slightest, wish as I might that they would at least try. Ever had
to fly with a one-year old who is teething?

Poor planning, indeed. Yeesh.

Rob

That is tough. One adult with two children young enough to require a
stroller. Even so, I would think you could (and would want to) reduce it to
two carry-ons for the duration of the flight. The strollers get
gate-checked. The car seats and the rest of the baggage get luggage checked.

One kid and one bag in each stroller. It might be awkward but unless you
have one of those double strollers, that's as easy as it can get -
unassisted.

OK. OK. So she doesn't travel often enough to warrant spending money on just
the right bag that solves this particular problem. Oh, and I can see why you
wouldn't want to pay the extra money to check additional bags or equipment.

Next time, try this. When they come through doing the final walk through for
landing, have her indicate that she will need assistance getting off the
plane and one of those over-sized golf carts. Then, stand in the aisle
struggling with kids and bags until the needed help arrives.

I'm not kidding. This might sound sarcastic but I'm serious!

Or, next time, fly her yourself and avoid all the commercial headaches.

Hmm. Of course, unless there's a reason why you put her on the plane by
herself in the first place. (OK. That one was sarcastic.)
---------------------------------
Travis
"Rob Perkins" wrote in message
...
"John Harlow" wrote:

I'm no parent so I'll admit ignorance, wouldn't checking a couple of
the 3 carry-on items be a good start?

Good question - why is poor planning on your wife's part now the TSA's
problem?

Based on info given us by the airport, we thought I would be able to
meet her at the gate.

But as far as that goes: the three carry-on items were all soft-shell
luggage with a tendency to open, and thus could not be trusted to
baggage handlers. Two of them contained baby-entertainment items, and
diapers. The rest of the equipment was gate-checked, since it's
*required* for the ground portion of the journey.

And, no, I wouldn't expect people who aren't parents to understand in
the slightest, wish as I might that they would at least try. Ever had
to fly with a one-year old who is teething?

Poor planning, indeed. Yeesh.

Rob

"John Harlow" wrote in message ...
ASJ wrote:
Now if only they can get their heads straightened out about getting
family and friends to be able to meet people like a mother with a
toddler, a baby, two strollers, a car seat, and three carry-on bags
at the gate, when the rest of the airport staff has totally abandoned
them.

I'm no parent so I'll admit ignorance, wouldn't checking a couple of
the 3 carry-on items be a good start?

Good question - why is poor planning on your wife's part now the TSA's
problem?

Talk about building in a security problem and creating one rule for
one etc etc.
The great thing about the new security arrangements has been the
reduction in people at gates etc who are not travelling. I bet crime
has also reduced as well.

If people want to say goodbye - do it in the car park for gods sake.

"Travis Marlatte" wrote:

Next time, try this. When they come through doing the final walk through for
landing, have her indicate that she will need assistance getting off the
plane and one of those over-sized golf carts. Then, stand in the aisle
struggling with kids and bags until the needed help arrives.

Yeah. She did. They didn't help at the hub, and they didn't help at
the final destination.

Asking for help from that particular airline (it wasn't Delta, and I
don't recall which one off the cuff) was fruitless. They simply
didn't.

I'm not kidding. This might sound sarcastic but I'm serious!

Well, these days conditions are a bit different. She took Delta with
our two (current) youngest down to Utah from Portland, Oregon, and
fixed herself up a system not dissimilar to the one you recommended.
But for that one the rules were more firmly in place, with the TSA and
all that, so noone's expectations were deflated when a drone from
Huntington decided to play the martinent. The drone never got the
chance to be powerful that time around. And frankly the TSA folks are
much, *much* better trained.

Or, next time, fly her yourself and avoid all the commercial headaches.

Yay! I'm 2% into my instrument rating, with 30 cross country hours to
go! I'll take any 6-place airplane anyone wants to lease to me for
$1/year!

Otherwise, Southwest "luvs" us.

Rob