Medal of Honor fails to impress airline security

[zorch]

http://www.washtimes.com/national/20020119-79003878.htm

   "They just didn't know what it was but they acted like I shouldn't be carrying it on," retired Marine Corps Gen. Joseph J. Foss of Scottsdale, Ariz., said yesterday in a telephone interview.

"I received the medal in 1943 from President Franklin Roosevelt," after shooting down 26 enemy planes in the Pacific, said Gen. Foss, who was a Marine fighter pilot during World War II.
     "It states all that stuff on the back of the medal," he said.

[Widewing]

Originally posted by zorch
http://www.washtimes.com/national/20020119-79003878.htm

   "They just didn't know what it was but they acted like I shouldn't be carrying it on," retired Marine Corps Gen. Joseph J. Foss of Scottsdale, Ariz., said yesterday in a telephone interview.

"I received the medal in 1943 from President Franklin Roosevelt," after shooting down 26 enemy planes in the Pacific, said Gen. Foss, who was a Marine fighter pilot during World War II.
     "It states all that stuff on the back of the medal," he said.

I'm convinced that the only thing that will impress the fools who manage airport security is a fast moving Louisville Slugger across the bridge of their noses.

I saw an elderly woman (she said that she was 84) forced to remove her hat, jacket and shoes because she set off the metal detector.

She was wearing a large pin on her blouse. Obviously, this lady will not be hijacking anything. But, due to the fact that the idiots who do the actual screening are incapable of an independent thought, management feels that a "no exceptions" rule must be in place to cover their asses.

It truly is a sorry state of affairs.

My regards,

Widewing

[Kronos]

I would rather they take a little extra caution, and be safe, rather than sorry later, wouldnt you?

I empathize with the people who have to wait in the long lines, or get held up for something minor, but in these troubled times,  but I think most people understand.

People are quick to forget what's in the past, and complain when they are inconvienenced.  People want security, but dont want to wait for it.

People expect results right away, don't want to wait for it, then get mad when the results aren't readily apparent.  People are quick to point out mistakes, say that something isn't working when they haven't given it enough time to work in the first place.

But, due to the fact that the idiots who do the actual screening are incapable of an independent thought, management feels that a "no exceptions" rule must be in place to cover their asses.

It may not be that the individual's are incapable of independant thought, maybe the management just wants to make the airline industry safer.

I have complete respect for any member of the armed forces, let alone a medal of honor recipient, but why bash an airline or airport for making a judgement call based on thousand's of people's safety to come?


 

  Gen. Foss acknowledges that a commemorative metal nail file — also bearing a Medal of Honor inscription — and a dummy bullet were also in the same pocket of his sports coat as the military medal. Those items were seized before he boarded the plane, but he was allowed to keep the Medal of Honor.
     Metal nail files and other instruments with blades are prohibited from aircraft cabins under Federal Aviation Administration regulations that went into effect after the September 11 terrorist attacks.

If they had taken the medal of honor itself, you might have a good point, and hopefully they sent the nail file back to his home address, since it was obviously not an ordinary nail file.

[zorch]

http://www.acepilots.com/usmc_foss.html

[Widewing]

Originally posted by Kronos
I would rather they take a little extra caution, and be safe, rather than sorry later, wouldnt you?

There's nothing wrong with intelligent security. As it stands now, the key component missing is the intelligence. What logic is employed where elderly American citizens are forced to disrobe or be subjected to searches that clearly are a waste of manpower and valuable time? My God, I received less attention when I visited Israel. Concentrate on the threat!

Search their luggage, search their carry-on bags, but for crying out loud, let them keep their dignity.

Until the security companies are forced to pay decent salaries, and hire U.S. citizens, airport security will remain the sham it is.
What kind of dedication and professionalism can one expect from these $6 an hour bumpkins? I recently read where the typical airport security company has an annual employee turnover rate of more than 200%.

Target the threat and the hell with the PC whiners who squeak about profiling. Geez, if 800 pound gorillas are known to be the threat, do you concentrate any resources on hamsters?

My solution is simple: Non U.S. citizens Muslim men will strip to their underware, and fly in an airline supplied jumpsuit.  

My regards,

Widewing

[RightF00T]

Widewing what would be your response if an 80-year old actually did hold up an airline?  No reason to hold exceptions as its better to be safe than sorry.

[Revvin]

You start making exceptions for one where does it all end, whose to say someone could have snatched that nail file from him to use as a weapon. From reading the story it seems like the Medal Of Honour was used by the writer of the article just to give the story more impact. You have to ask after all what has happened why did that veteran (and whoever was with him/arranged the flight) knowing the current alert status at airports decide to carry a nail file which has already been stated as being banned from being taken on a flight not to mention other metallic objects such as the medal and bullet. If anyone wasted his, security and other passengers time it was him the security guards were doing their job by finding this stuff on him.

Just another thought...everyone laughs at the thought of a harmless little old man hijacking a plane but how much strength does it take to press a button on a timer or to light a fuse on a bomb..would you still be laughing if a harmless little old man had just blown a plane up?

[Tac]

I applaud both the guys that throughfully did their job with the old lady AND the medal of honor guy.

FYI, its very easy to forge medals. It is also highly unlikely that those outside the military even know WHAT a medal of honor looks like, and even less know how to tell the real thing apart from a fake one. Them airport screeners did not take any chances and did their job as they should have. We need more screeners like them.

FYI, the elderly are very commonly used as CARRIERS to smuggle things in airlines. Heck, if they can pass cocaine and heroin, they can sure as hell pass a fiberglass or space-age plastic knife (not show up on metal detectors) or bomb components (which they would be, of course, ignorant of).

Imo, this war hero should be amongst the first people to understand that vigilance is paramount in these times.

[Widewing]

Originally posted by RightF00T
Widewing what would be your response if an 80-year old actually did hold up an airline?  No reason to hold exceptions as its better to be safe than sorry.

What would I do? I'd forward the script to the editor of the Twilight Zone, 'cause it'll never happen on planet Earth. I'll repeat it like a mantra, focus on the threat. Moreover, any effort spent on pie in the sky mythical threats wastes available resources.

Every time I climbed into my S-2E Tracker, I was aware that was a multitude of possible mechanical or electrical mishaps that could add to the already considerable risk. Yet, there was no way I could inspect every system on the aircraft and ever expect to fly the mission. So, I performed preflight and relied on probability to take care of the unknowns.

I'd say that the chances of the pilot being drunk is a million times more likely that some old geezer hijacking an airliner.

My regards,

Widewing

[Fatty]

The old guy needs to drop the self-importance routine and quit holding up the damn line.

[Widewing]

Originally posted by Revvin
You start making exceptions for one where does it all end, whose to say someone could have snatched that nail file from him to use as a weapon. From reading the story it seems like the Medal Of Honour was used by the writer of the article just to give the story more impact. You have to ask after all what has happened why did that veteran (and whoever was with him/arranged the flight) knowing the current alert status at airports decide to carry a nail file which has already been stated as being banned from being taken on a flight not to mention other metallic objects such as the medal and bullet. If anyone wasted his, security and other passengers time it was him the security guards were doing their job by finding this stuff on him.

Just another thought...everyone laughs at the thought of a harmless little old man hijacking a plane but how much strength does it take to press a button on a timer or to light a fuse on a bomb..would you still be laughing if a harmless little old man had just blown a plane up?

Hasn't this gotten silly beyond measure? I've been involved in competitive boxing since I was 11 years old, and still compete (masters division). I promise you, I'm more dangerous with my bare hands than any terrorist wielding a nailfile. So, should I fly with my hands wrapped in duct tape?  As to former Governor Foss: I'd be comfortable flying with Joe if he showed up with a bazooka under his arm. What does it say about this country when people are terrorized by the thought of an old man bringing a nailfile onboard an airliner?

In reality, the threat of hijackers crashing an airliner was recognized years ago. It was ignored. Now, rather than concentrating on real threats, we run around like Chicken Little seeing everyone as a potential terrorist. Focus on the real threats or you water down the effort by chasing spooks in every closet. Paranoia is not security, nor does it ensure safety. Besides, this is just another case of deadbolting the barn after the livestock has long since escaped. You can bet that the terrorists already have another method planned, fully expecting us to waste our resources as we are doing.

My regards,

Widewing

[Fatty]

Debating airport security measures is fine.  Doing so at the security checkpoint is not.

[Creamo]

No toejam. Git the fek out of the way, we need to board.

"whose to say someone could have snatched that nail file from him to use as a weapon

They could have, but you don't get 72 virgins for a nail file stuck up your ass, and having the toejam beat out of you by 200 pissed off passengers.

Arm the pilots and have them shoot at people that hit you with luggage that can't possible fit in the overhead bin I say.

 And before takeoff mind you, bullets and airlines do look like the movies, unlike our resident Boeing assistant to a assistant to a engineers assistant that has no clue.

[Swager]

They should never of let 86 year old Foss onboard.  He could of easily used the MOH to knock out the entire flight crew and took over the plane.  After that who knows what else he could of done.

He may have been smuggeling microfiche files of the USA's most advance weapons system in that MOH.  In the hands of the NRA, total destruction would of occured.

Thank God the airport security personnel are focusing on the real problems.  I feel soooooo much safer!!

[lazs2]

It should be mandatory for everyone to carry a gun onboard.   If you have forgotten yours the airline will provide you with a "loaner"  upon boarding.   All security can be used for bomb detection.   If someone wishes to crash into a building then all the other passengers can "vote" to agree on this new destination or not.
lazs