Insanity of Flying in 2006

[HockeyMom]

My husband just came back from a 7 day business trip to Geneva. He said there was a special security section for all flights to the USA, along with flashing lights and warning signs. Apparently, to other countries it is no big deal?

Anyway, he forgot to pack his 5 bottles of prescription meds in his checked baggage. Since these were all in pill form, he thought it wouldn't be a problem. WRONG. Every single bottle was not only taken out and examined, all of the caps to the bottles were thrown out and then the bottles and pills put in zip loc bags. He was told that liquid explosives could be put into the pill bottles if they had caps on them. When? Where? AFTER he had gone through security? Since this was a very long overseas flight he had to take these meds while on board. How many people know that they have to carry their pill meds in zip loc bags?

I am flying down to Florida next month and bringing a plum pie with me. Now, how in the hell given the insanity of flying in 2006 am I supposed to do that? Cooked fruit equals JUICE. LIQUID EXPLOSIVES! Even if I freeze the pie, it would still show up under ex ray as a liquid. Put it in my checked baggage with my clothes??? Yeah, right.

I can remember watching the Twilight Zone as a kid. I now feel as if I am living in it.

[niallmac]

1. If OBL says ooga booga again all passengers will be shrink wrapped.n/t

[brokensymmetry]

2. May I suggest...

don't take the pie. I suspect they'll just make you
throw it out.

I haven't been on a plane in years. Nor do I intend
to be.

[Warpy]

6. I was planning a trip to Boston as soon as my vision improves

I guess I'll just take Amtrak.

I hope they don't ruin Amtrak in the meantime.

[bliss_eternal]

15. You should be ok.

A relative travels it regularly--just a couple of months ago in fact and said he preferred it to the plane and all it's hassels. :)

[Warpy]

21. Thanks for the words of encouragement

My only concern is all the smokers in the dining car. I'll have to fast during the trip.

[bliss_eternal]

24. They don't have smoking and no-smoking sections?

It's been almost a decade since I've traveled a long distance on the train, and don't recall...

[Warpy]

25. I've never seen those gray rolls of tobacco smoke

stop at a velvet rope, have you?

I'm really allergic. Trying to breathe around a smoker is like trying to breathe underwater.

[bliss_eternal]

28. As an asthmatic, I can relate!

I had to laugh aloud when I read the part about the smoke stopping at the rope. :rofl:

I immediately realized I was talking to a fellow allergen sensitive soul. Forgive me, friend. I'm so used to talking to those that aren't. Those that aren't don't seem to understand that even someone that smoked in the area a full 24 hours prior will set people like us off, much less someone in the general vicinity.

When my dh still smoked, he was absolutely amazed at how easily I could detect smoke on his clothing, in his hair.

:hi::hug:

Maybe one of these days, Amtrack will create non-smoking cars so those that can't be exposed at all will have a place of safety. ;)Well, I can dream can't I?

[Warpy]

29. As I understand it, passenger cars are smoke free

with smokers repairing to the club car and dining car to suck nicotine into their lungs. I may be wrong. If I am, I'll just drive.

Of all my allergies, this one sucks the worst because it's the hardest to avoid. Smoke goes everywhere.

After my mother finally quit smoking (due to my pop telling her she didn't have the guts to quit), she got some secondhand clothing from a very wealthy friend who still smoked. She couldn't stand the smell, had to hang them out on the back deck to air out before she could take them all to a dry cleaner's.

She asked me if she'd smelled like that when I was a kid. I didn't just say yes, I said HELL yes.

[mn9driver]

3. All the security craziness should be gone by Thanksgiving

Once the election is over there won't be any need to scare people for a couple more years.

[everythingsxen]

4. I would say...

if you want to transport that pie, you would be better off shipping it via UPS/DHL/USPS; freeze the pie and pack it with those cooly freezy bag thingys. Mark it fragile and have it overnighted.

I'm just sayin' ...

[grasswire]

5. you're gonna have to...

...pack the plums in your checked baggage and make the pie after you get to your destination.

[napi21]

7. Call the airline you're flying on and ask them. They are usually

very helpful. What you described COULD be only international flights too. I don't know.

I used to be very knowledgeable about the restrictions, but they're changing darn near every day recently.

Call and tell them where you are flying from and to, and how can you transportyour pie without it being damaged.

[The_Casual_Observer]

8. They can't afford to lose face after that all time bullshit panic

about the liquid bomber thing. The charade needs to be maintained at least through the Nov 2006.

[earth mom]

23. Exactly! Gotta keep everyone on edge and afraid so they will get votes!

:eyes:

[6000eliot]

9. My partner was searched twice in Canada last week,

BY THE SAME PERSON! When I politely pointed out the absurdity of this, I was ordered to step away.

[Chipper Chat]

10. I flew 3 days ago with just carry-on luggage.

My suitcase was opened. The security person had to remove my dirty laundry (tee-hee)to get to the toilet kit. She confiscated a Maybelline mascara which I use for eyebrow coloring. I mean, how much explosive can you make in a tube of Maybelline? But she left the aloe hand gel and Cortison 10. Go figger.

PS: All this talk of plum pie is making me drool.

[SheilaT]

11. I was an airline ticket agent

at Washington National Airport (DCA) from 1969 to 1979, which means I started before any security measures. And let me be the first to tell you that it's all bullshit. I used to be able to tell passengers that if you couldn't do without it for three days, do not check it, carry it with you. which covered things like prescription medication, and important business papers you were going to need at the meeting next day.

I used to fantasize being rich enough to always fly first class. Now my fantasy is to be able to afford to fly by charter and totally bypass the security nonsense.

I have not flown since the recent increase in "security" and I don't plan to fly until it gets more sensible. There is simply no common sense being used. Someone's prescription medication being taken out of the bottles and put into a ziplock bag? Huh? How does that make us more secure? Lots of people take prescription medication, and far be it from me to question anyone's medical status, but shouldn't there be some basic awareness of what prescription meds are, and the simple fact that people need to take those meds on a regular basis?

And simply pass on the plum pie. Bake it at your destination, or explain to the intended recipients that it wasn't going to pass through security.

Airline security has always been something of a joke. It's original intention, in the early 70's, was to stop the hijackings to Cuba. And it succeeded. Plus, the political landscape changed, and there wasn't quite the same desire to hijack an airplane to Cuba.

The real stupidity here is to assume that someone will try to repeat the events of the eleventh of September, five years ago. What foolishness! While our government is distracted by putting prescription pills into zip-lock bags, someone will instead, well, I won't be able to guess or predict, nor would I try to do so on an open forum. But be assured that if there ever is another mass terror attack of some kind in this country, it will not involve hijacking airplanes. Been there, done that.

But meanwhile, we all have to put up with the stupidity of our governmental agencies.

[SoCalDem]

12. I would suggest baking the pie when you get there

:)

[imouttahere]

13. While I think that this recent security stuff is b.s. of the highest order

no amount of security nonsense, including a body cavity search, is going to keep me from getting out of this ridiculous country at least once a year. For sanity's sake, if nothing else.

[Nay]

20. Amen to that. If I didn't get to go to Canada for 2 wks every year,

I would go stark raving mad. This country is beyond stupid and on its way to drooling insanity. If I didn't have just a few more years to retire, I would no longer be here.

[imouttahere]

22. I'm glad I'm not the only one that feels this way!

[alittlelark]

14. I got on a plane 4 weeks ago w/ a burrito I bought in the airport

They gave me a container of salsa that was confiscated and discarded by the airline attendant.


I was WAAAAAY pissed. I asked if I could pour the salsa on the burrito (6 hr trip to Hawaii w/o REAL FOOD) - I was looked at as though I was a lunatic as the salsa went into a blue bag.



NEXT STORY - coming back from a funeral in Pueblo exiting via Denver (8-10-06)- I was WAYYYYY LATE. I had misread my ticket. I used the toll roads so I could speed my way to the airport.... Airline personel tell me my 'carry on' bag cannot be checked - too late. I dump 2 expensive aromatherapy products and a razor.... realize I will miss the plane and accept that they will dump the rest.

I go through the line - COMPLETELY CLEAR - I've got hair gel, liquid vitamins, too0thpaste, shampoo, conditioner, GREEN CHILE in bags,.....
They were REAL and COOL - they let me through and I made my flight.

[JohnyCanuck]

16. Why did they let you take the Burrito on the flight?

Seems to me they were completely ignoring the possibility that you could have been planning a poison gas attack.

[alittlelark]

18. Given that it was a 5+ hr trip to Hawaii

That gas in the right bod could have crippled the plane - Forcing it to land on Maui instead of Kauai........



THE HORROR!!!!

[zonkers]

17. Plum pie my ass. I'm puttng you oon a watch list right now.

[johnnydrama]

19. I've decided

That unless I really have to, i'm not flying until Bush is out of the Presidency.

I don't fly much anyway, but i'll drive 8-10 hours if I have to.

Who knows when Bush is going to decide it's time to scare America by phonying up some terra alerts, so he can
inconvenience millions of flyers.

Forget it.

[splat@14]

26. Maybe cutting my own throat, but I work for an airline and I hate to fly.

[maseman]

27. I fly every week

Last week coming home from Phoenix...3PM, Friday, and one fucking line where one out of four metal detectors was manned by the TSA. ONE LINE - ONE MACHINE. That's great. While Shrub's War on Toiletries continues he cuts TSA staffing. I guess it isn't a problem for someone who has two helicopters and a 747.