georgetg

The irony here is that the TSA agents have been exempt from screening since they switched to the blue uniforms with the metal shield...the shield sets of the metal-detector...

At some point this is a simple OSHA issue.
Regular long-haul flying at high northern latitudes already pushes or exceeds in some cases the set annual limits for radiation-workers...

Adding regular exposure from screening at the airport will increase the exposure...

Links:
Radiation Hazard at Aircraft Altitudes
Radiation Exposure Aloft -- Are You Being Nuked?
http://www.irpa.net/irpa10/cdrom/01004.pdf

YMMV

Cheers
George

acl65pilot

George. They have to pass though the metal detectors and their bags are screened at the start of the shift. I have seen it done many times.

clipperskipper

I watched this on CNN earlier and also am having a problem with this hastily adopted procedure. I can only recommend talking to your union officials until TSA comes up with a better solution.

buzzpat

Guys

On the whole security issue. Yesterday, I DH'd three times (yep, three times, great scheduling system we have). Any way, at two of the stations, SAN and SLC, the gate agent had to input all of my personnel info, to include my passport info, into the system before I could be listed for a DH. What's up with that? Its crew travel! I'm already through security. Any ideas? This is BS. (I did, however, get first on both flights so it wasn't all bad).

georgetg

Sure they have "passed through" the metal detector, but their uniform alerts on the detector and theyare not subject to secondary screening as a result...

I understand the importance of screening...
The latest plot is a sign that our screening methods are causing "the other side" to rethink their strategy.

As long as our methods are one step ahead...

Cheers
George

forgot to bid

Hey now, 1 bad apple and some local or national news reports and the whole skipping security in ATL grinds to a halt and so does the airport.

Sink r8

A question for you: are the procedures for the passengers more relaxed, or do they also have to have their package handled if they don't want the scan? It's kind of hard to make the argument to the public that we don't have to take the kind of treatment they now have to take because of the underwear guy. And it's hard to make the argument that the package is off limits, considering the attempt (on one of our planes, btw) to use the package zone for the opposition's business.

I do think we have a legitimate argument for some sort of "other" procedure because the frequency of travel gives us only two bad choice: to get your family jewels tailhooked, or nuked. In light of other events, such as the FedEx fisherman/handyman, we're kind of stuck having some kind of check, however.

It gets a little tricky when you start going beyond the complaining, and try to figure out a dignified solution. I'm not saying there isn't one, and I'm not saying we're dassertive enough finding it, but I am saying I don't see anything real obvious. Besides, I think a public forum isn't really the place to have a meaningful discussion about credible alternatives... which leaves us to simply complaining.

Splash

Have any pilots with valid ID's ever tried to get handguns or other weapons through security checkpoints?

newKnow

Sink,

I'm sure passengers have to go through the same thing if they choose to bypass the scan. But, if they choose to be groped, they can sit in their nice little seat in the back of the airplane and fume about it for the duration of their flight.

We, on the other hand, have to review weather, logbooks, do walk arounds, brief flight attendants, load flight plans, check fuel slips, make pa's, taxi, takeoff and land, immediately after the offense.

This groping is really what I have an issue with, because of the description the guy I'm flying with gave of the reaction his previous captain had. He said he had reconstructive surgery of a knee or something and set's off the regular detector every time and every time he will have to go through the "frisk" when there is no body scanner available.

I made a joke of it at first, and asked if he could ask for a female TSA agent to do it. But, in light of the above description of what the frisk involves, I don't think it is a joking matter.

When you are deadheading in the back of a jet, you don't want your pilot to be "visibly shaken" because of some new TSA procedure and I don't think it's reasonable to expect us to get used to it.

If that is what ALPA is proposing, they are about to get an earful from me.

Sink r8

At least one. Enough said.