Well, this is where I draw the line.
I already wasn’t going to be doing any foreign travel, because my child doesn’t have a social security number and is thus ineligible for a passport.
Now, it looks like I won’t be traveling anywhere by air, ever.
I have put up with a lot of the post-9/11 security theater. I’ve thrown away my lipgloss, been wanded, taken off my shoes, put all my liquids and gels into an appropriate little baggie. I have allowed them to pick away at my privacy and dignity, bit by bit, with full knowledge it’s all a meaningless circus meant to give the sheep the illusion of security.
No more.
I’m a citizen of the United States and the state of Idaho, and I will not be subjected to this bullshit. Period.
There is a solution. Learn to fly. I did. Of course, I did so before 9/11/01 and I did so because I wanted to learn to fly because I love it, but it has paid off in spades. My better half and I can fly anywhere we want (within the USA) with a minimum of trouble, although certain places (anywhere inside the Washington, DC ADIZ comes to mind here) are not worth the hassle*.
Additionally, thanks to the hub and spoke airline system, even though our aircraft is MUCH slower than an airliner, by the time one adds in all the extraneous time involved in airline travel, if airline passengers don’t catch a non-stop we may even beat them to their destination in our old, slow, Piper Cherokee. At the very least, we will come pretty close time-wise and with none of the accompanying TSA/luggage/airport transfers BS, or as shown in your post, “revealing” ourselves to some unknown TSA goob.
Unfortunately, owning and flying our own plane has not been a complete solution. Since my better half is originally from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and I haven’t found a way to get the US Navy to line up a series of aircraft carriers for refueling stops across the Pacific, we still have to use the airlines for our regualar visits to see them. However, overseas security in the Asia Pacific zone (so far) has not been nearly as intrusive as here in the good old USA so we can figure that once we get into the “Secure” zone at LAX, we can relax. Of course, that is “pre” scanner era. We have a trip to KL planned for this year. Don’t know exactly how she will react to being scanned. Me, I have enough extraneous bits and pieces of metal in my body that I pretty much get strip searched anyway.
Best wishes,
bobk
*Contrary to popular belief, general aviation can fly into the Washington DC ADIZ. Of course, to do so you MUST, prior to flight date, be fingerprinted and undergo a background check. Then on the day of flight, you must file a flight plan and before entering the ADIZ establish and maintain radio contact with ATC at all times while in the ADIZ.
Oh lord, I’d be terrified. The older I get, the more flight-phobic I become. I don’t think I’d enjoy flying small planes at all, though major props (har, har) to you!
I also hope they don’t start screwing with private pilots in the wake of the Joe Stack incident. :-\
You might be surprised. I work part-time with a local flight school/aircraft rental/charter operation and I can’t tell you the number of times that we’ve seen someone come in with one of our renters who is obviously nervous (some to the level of nervousness that we make sure we point out where there is a “barf bag” in the plane – and when they come back, they’re smiling, obviously just having enjoyed themselves immensely and saying something to the effect of “I never believed it would be like that!”. Find someone you trust not to demonstrate that they are the second coming of Chuck Yeager and catch a ride. The absolute best days for a intro ride are clear (you want to see what’s going on) and cold (smooth air, almost never turbulence). If you all weren’t so far away, I’d make a point of dropping in to take you and “The Inconvenience” up for a few circuits around the pattern.
Just as a point of reference, my better half wasn’t all that sure about “going flying in those itty, bitty airplanes” when I started. Her first flight in our Piper was the day I got my PPL and she was nervous although she won’t admit it now. She has progressed to the point that on a recent trip we crossed a frontal boundary with strong storm cells about every 20 miles and pop-up cells appearing and disappearing between the strong cells. I flew through the frontal boundary and she used the XM weather radar on our Garmin GPS to give me new headings as needed to avoid the cells as they popped up – for 80 miles till we got to the backside of the front. She is the best co-pilot anyone could wish for. **Disclaimer** Having done it, I do not recommend doing the above. We would have been much better off to find a hotel and let the front pass. It was bumpy (very bumpy at times) and in retrospect, getting home when expected was not worth the danger.
Re: Joe Stack. Yes. It is a problem. The calls for restrictions on GA after incidents like this (thankfully only one other that I remember) have amazing parallels to calls for gun restrictions after shooting incidents. Just as strident and just as uninformed.
Fight the good fight,
bobk
So, I do have a fixed wing license, and about 100 hours in fixed wing, the last being over four years ago.
I’m a helicopter pilot by trade – I have over 750 hours of helicopter flight time, including about 400ish hours of pilot in command time of an MH-53E Sea Dragon. I’m estimating the time because I don’t have my logbook in front of me.
My wife refuses to get in a helicopter with me, but doesn’t have problem with a Cessna or a Piper, if I were to go get a few hours refresher time with an instructor. Go figure. She doesn’t realize that flare to land means two entirely different things. I’m not sure I remember how to land a plane. People are funny I guess.
I’m sure you’ve heard these over and over again, but I can’t resist:
Definition of a helicopter: Thousands of loose parts flying in close formation – hopefully.
Ever notice that there are never any old helicopters laying around at airports like you will see old airplanes parked? There’s a reason for that. Of course, you don’t find many old, high-time helicopter pilots hanging around airports either so I guess it’s a moot point.
:)
Re: flare to land paradox. Makes perfect sense. Get close to the runway, pull back on the yoke (or stick) and it is guaranteed that you will slow down enough to fall out of the sky. How hard depends on how close you got to the runway in step 1.
CAVU to you, Blane.
bobk
Thanks bro, you too!
And yeah, that is the very definition of a helicopter.
the upside: you’re given an option to decline the xray scanner.
the downside: you’ll get searched in a “private location” instead.
So, in other words:
- Have x-ray-visioned body observed by pervy TSA agent
or
- Get felt up by pervy TSA agent
Grrrrreat.
I tip my hat to you, fair lady, for sticking with your principles. If we had alot more folks that think like you, we wouldn’t be having so many of the problems we are plagued with.
But it would be such a NICE x-ray……(ducks,runs for cover…)
ditto on admiring your principles
Rick
What about the Indian actor that had his images of his body scan printed out before he had even left the security checkpoint? He even had an opportunity to sign the pictures.
http://thisistheendoftheworldasweknowit.com/archives/its-happening-famous-actor-autographs-a-copy-of-his-own-body-scanner-image
Now not only can the ‘agents’ fondle your private parts, but they can have pictures to take home.
Second the fly for yourself gig… that’s what I’d do! Luckily, Uncle Sam did pay for the flight training.
I HATE flying commercial anymore. Unfortunately, my job often requires it to get from place to place, and a lot of international flying to boot. I have been telling the wife she better enjoy it while my patience lasts, because it’s wearing thin.
Some news reports I’ve seen/heard indicate that these scanners may not be able to reliably detect the type of device the ‘Fruit of Kaboom’ bomber used.
Additionally, I’ve also heard reports that surgically-installed implants are a potential delivery system for liquid explosives. What now? Full body CT scans with biopsy and chemical analysis prior to flying? Think the security lines are long now?
Between the growing disparity between the airplane seat width and my seat width (I’ll own up to part of the problem but the rest of it is economy of scale on the part of the airlines) and the growing intrusiveness of the TSA I’ve chosen not to fly unless absolutely, positively necessary.
I don’t know what the cost to career advancement is going to be, but for now, if I can’t ride or drive there, I probably don’t need to go there.
If I ever have to fly again I’m planning to write “F*ck You TSA” on my chest with zinc oxide.
That’s exactly where my head was. Bravo to you sir!
you’ll get searched in a “private location” instead.
Does TSA get to choose which private location they get to search, or do you?
*shrug* I like to fly but..haven’t in years. Why? no place I’m in that much of a hurry to be.
I like my state..why should I leave it for any reason? :)
I came up with a rule for myself a while back. [even though I'm currently without wheels] If I can possibly drive it within 12-24 hrs of non stop, caffeine mainlining driving. I’ll do it that way instead.
You obviously don’t read Dick Tracy (Crimestoppers Textbook)
It’s my understanding that a Social Security Number is not actually a requirement to obtain a passport. Dave Champion talked about people getting passports without submitting SSN’s on his show fairly recently.
Of course, if you get a passport than “they” will know you exist and “they” will have an ID number to stick on you.