Sound Of Impact

2011-06-03T08:45:00.001-07:00

2010-11-23T09:01:00.001-08:00

TSA HATES FAT PEOPLE HERE.

2010-11-23T08:59:00.000-08:00

Gloves spread HERE

2010-11-05T09:01:00.001-07:00

2010-11-01T08:49:00.000-07:00

Story HERE

2010-07-06T09:04:00.000-07:00

CENSORSHIP 101See it HERE.

2007-08-30T08:39:00.000-07:00

Sikhs Angered Over New TSA Hat-Checking Policy

See it HERE.

2007-05-05T08:53:00.000-07:00

TSA Loses Hard Drive With Personal Info

The Transportation Security Administration has lost a computer hard drive containing Social Security numbers, bank data and payroll information for about 100,000 employees.

Authorities realized Thursday the hard drive was missing from a controlled area at TSA headquarters. TSA Administrator Kip Hawley sent a letter to employees Friday apologizing for the lost data and promising to pay for one year of credit monitoring services.

"TSA has no evidence that an unauthorized individual is using your personal information, but we bring this incident to your attention so that you can be alert to signs of any possible misuse of your identity," Hawley wrote in the letter, which was obtained by The Associated Press. "We profoundly apologize for any inconvenience and concern that this incident has caused you."

The agency said it did not know whether the device is still within headquarters or was stolen.

TSA said it has asked the FBI and Secret Service to investigate and said it would fire anyone discovered to have violated the agency's data-protection policies.

In a statement released Friday night, the agency said the external - or portable - hard drive contained information on employees who worked for the Homeland Security agency from January 2002 until August 2005.

TSA, a division of the Homeland Security Department, employs about 50,000 people and is responsible for security of the nation's transportation systems, including airports and train stations.

"It's seems like there's a problem with security inside Homeland Security and that makes no sense," said James Slade, a TSA screener and the executive vice president of the National Treasury Employees Union chapter at John F. Kennedy International Airport. "That's scary. That's my identity. And now who has a hold of it? So many things go on in your mind."

The agency added a section to its Web site Friday night addressing the data security breach and directing people to information about identity theft.

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, whose Homeland Security subcommittee oversees the TSA, promised to hold hearings on the security breach. She said Homeland Security buildings are part of the critical infrastructure the agency is charged with protecting.

"We should expect it to be secure," she said.

House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie G. Thompson, D-Miss., called the security breach "a terrible and unfortunate blow" for an agency he said already suffered from low morale.

It's the latest mishap for the government involving computer data. Last year, a laptop with information for more than 26.5 million military personnel, was stolen from a Veterans Affairs Department employee's home. Law enforcement officials recovered the laptop, and the FBI said Social Security numbers and other personal data had not been copied.

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2007-03-23T08:01:00.000-07:00

TSA Employees Accused of Thefts at LAX

Victims include Paris Hilton, Keyshia Cole

LOS ANGELES, Mar. 22, 2007 - Misdemeanor theft cases are being filed against 10 employees and a transient suspected of pilfering the personal property of travelers at LAX, including hotel heiress Paris Hilton and singer Keyshia Cole, the City Attorney's Office announced today.

Most of the alleged thieves are employed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Transportation Security Administration, said Nick Velasquez of the City Attorney's Office.

A news conference is planned at LAX tomorrow morning to discuss details of the investigation and charges.

"We're a public law office, so whenever there's a significant announcement or a significant legal actions being taken, it's our duty and obligation to tell the public ... that we are working to ensure the safety and security of travelers at LAX," Velasquez said.

Eight of the defendants are TSA employees who work at Los Angeles International Airport and two are employees of an LAX subcontractor, Velasquez said.

City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo will be joined for the announcement by Larry Fetters, federal security director for the TSA; Jack Hook, special agent in charge with the Department of Homeland Security-Office of the Inspector General; and LAPD Capt. Bob Green, commanding officer of the LAPD-LAX Field Services Division.

During the news conference, Delgadillo will also announce the launch of his "LAX Security Enhancement Initiative," according to Velasquez.

2007-03-19T21:32:00.000-07:00

Transatlantic pilot 'more than six times over alcohol flying limit'

Pilot James Yates was almost six and a half times over the drink limit to fly a plane when he turned up at Heathrow

An airline pilot turned up for work while almost six and a half times over the drink limit to fly a plane, a court has heard.

American James Yates, 46, smelled strongly of alcohol and was unsteady on his feet when he turned up for duty at Manchester Airport, it has been claimed.

A First Officer with American Airlines, he was to be one of three pilots on a 10.30am transatlantic flight to Chicago with 181 passengers on board on February 11 last year, Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court was told.

But when he went to go through a security gate for flight crew in his pilots uniform he could not find his identification security pass.

Security staff could smell drink and called in police, who arrested Yates. He then failed a breathalyser test, Martin Walsh, prosecuting, told the jury.

"Police arrived and the defendant smelled strongly of intoxicants, alcohol, and he was asked to provide a specimen of breath," Mr Walsh added.

"He provided a specimen of breath and it was positive."

The first specimen showed Yates had 71 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit for driving a car is 35 micrograms and for an aircraft is nine micrograms, the jury were told.

Yates was arrested and taken to Altrincham Police Station where a doctor took a blood sample.

This gave a result of 129 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood, the court was told. The legal limit for flying an aircraft is 20 micrograms.

"He was approaching six and a half times the legal limit for flying an aircraft," Mr Walsh said.

Yates, from Ohio, US, told police he turned up for work to tell the captain he was sick and unable to perform his duties and it was not his intention to be part of the crew on that flight.

"The Crown say that is untrue," Mr Walsh said.

"He arrived at the airport in uniform. He tried to gain entrance through security checks used by the air crew, not by the passengers."

Yates had earlier missed a bus taking flight crew from a hotel to the airport. When the captain had gone to his hotel room he appeared "dishevelled" and followed the rest of the crew in a cab to the airport, the court heard.

Mr Walsh said: "The Crown's case, in essence, is he clearly had been drinking heavily, had consumed alcohol and when he got to the airport his intention was to go through security check-in with the intention of performing his function of first officer on the flight from Manchester to Chicago."

The flight was delayed and had to land in New York because it only had two pilots, not three as required by law for such a long flight, the court was told.

Yates is not charged with attempting to fly an aircraft while over the limit as he did not gain access to the plane.

He denies a single charge of carrying out an activity ancillary to an aviation function, that of acting as first officer, while over the limit.

The case continues.

2007-03-06T08:46:00.000-08:00

Off-Duty NWA Worker Charged With Assault On Flight

(WCCO) Minneapolis An off-duty Northwest Airlines employee was arrested after a woman on a flight from Seattle complained that the man had ejaculated on her.

The FBI identified the man as Samuel Oscar Gonzalez, 20, of Lakewood, Wash. He was charged in federal court with simple assault, a misdemeanor.

It happened on the redeye Monday morning from Seattle to Minneapolis. The woman was headed back to college.

Near the end of the flight, the FBI said Gonzalez sat next to the woman as she was trying to sleep. He touched her, which she described as spooning, lifted her shirt and then got up and left. Court documents said she felt a warm fluid on her back, clothes and seat after he walked away. She told the officers he had ejaculated on her.

The woman told the flight attendants about the incident. They moved her to another seat and called police from the air. The crew also moved the man to a seat near the front of the plane until the end of the flight.

Northwest Airlines Corp. said the flight crew asked that police meet the flight from Seattle when it arrived early Monday in Minneapolis, and that's where officers arrested Gonzalez.

The victim told her boyfriend she was told Gonzalez is a Northwest employee.

"I know she was really upset, just kind of confused about what's going on, what's happening," said the victim's boyfriend, Mark, who asked to be identified only by his first name.

Northwest said that Gonzalez was an equipment service worker, a category that includes baggage handlers, but said he was not working at the time.

They released a statement that said, “The NWA employee has been suspended pending a review of the incident. Northwest is cooperating fully with law enforcement authorities on this matter."

The FBI said Gonzalez was detained after his initial appearance in federal court on Monday. He could face up to six months in jail.

2007-01-03T16:30:00.000-08:00

2006-12-17T09:44:00.000-08:00

Fewer air controllers could lead to more mistakes, union says

WASHINGTON — Nearly 1,100 fewer air traffic controllers are guiding planes through the nation's skies than three years ago, even though flights are increasing.

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association, the union that represents those who "move tin," says some facilities are critically understaffed, causing delays and increasing the possibility of mistakes by tired controllers working 10-hour days and six-day weeks.

"Without a doubt, I would say this rubber band has been stretched as far as it's going to go and it's not a matter of whether it's going to break, but when it's going to break," said Hamid Ghaffari, president of the union's Pacific region.

The union, embroiled in a labor dispute with the Federal Aviation Administration, claims staffing problems played a role in three air crashes this year, including the Aug. 27 crash of a Comair jet in Lexington, Ky., that killed 49 of 50 people aboard.

One controller was handling tower and radar services when the Comair flight took off from the wrong runway and crashed. FAA policy required two controllers. The FAA says a second controller wouldn't have made a difference; the union says it might have averted tragedy.

"Lexington proved that it's going to happen, and it's going to happen again," said Steve McCoy, union representative at the Northern California approach control facility in Sacramento.

The FAA says the nation's airport towers and radar facilities are adequately staffed to move planes efficiently and safely, and hiring and training is on track to cope with a wave of retirements that has begun.

"We are not understaffed today, broadly," FAA Deputy Administrator Robert Sturgell said. "There are some small number of facilities where we do need to increase staff. There are also many facilities where we are fine, where we are even overstaffed."

For example, Sturgell said, Atlanta's tower lacks enough personnel, but towers in St. Louis and Pittsburgh, where some airlines have either stopped or reduced operations, have too many.

Federal officials did not provide facility-by-facility staffing levels, but figures provided to Gannett News Service and The (Louisville) Courier-Journal by the controllers' union show towers and radar facilities in California, Chicago, New York, Dallas and other high-volume locations are moving airplanes with as few as 60% of the number of controllers that the FAA and the union agreed constituted full staffing in 2003, the most recent benchmark.

ONLINE DATA: Look up staffing at your airport

At Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport's tower, the nation's busiest, 34 controllers handle takeoffs and landings, well below the 55 that the union and FAA agreed in 2003 were needed. Since then, traffic has increased and a new runway has opened, complicating the workload.

"We're working six-day work weeks because we do not have the staffing," said Vince Polk, a union safety chairman who works in the tower.

Internal FAA operations logs reveal that staffing problems in November caused controllers to increase the separation, or distance, between planes out of Charlotte; Washington-Dulles, and New England airports. Union officials say that can cause delays for airlines and their passengers.

Personnel shortages also forced the FAA to take the unusual step of placing green trainees in some of the most high-pressure facilities, such as the Atlanta tower and Dallas-Fort Worth approach control, according to the union.

While some new technologies are being put into air traffic control facilities, it has not changed the need for more controllers, according to NATCA President Pat Forrey.

"God forbid that we have a major catastrophe or accident because of a staffing shortage," he said. "I think that's probably the great exception to the rule, but every time you make that more a probability or a possibility, you're threatening the safety of the system and the traveling public."

Safe vs. stressed

Union officials, the FAA and aviation analysts agree on at least one thing: the United States has an enviable safety record in aviation.

Major commercial aviation accidents are extremely rare. The Comair crash was the first major accident in the nation since Nov. 12, 2001, when an American Airlines jet crashed in Queens, N.Y., killing 265 people.

The number of times planes get too close in the air has dropped while the number of times planes end up on the wrong runway has been relatively flat from 1998 to 2005, FAA statistics show.

The industry's safety record "speaks for itself — it's the safest it's ever been," said David Castelveter, spokesman for the Air Transport Association, which represents most major U.S. airlines.

But operational errors — mistakes made by controllers — rose from 894 in 1998 to 1,506 in 2005, according to FAA data. That's a 68% increase.

An operational error can be as minor as letting planes get a tenth of a mile closer than the rules allow or as significant as putting two planes on a collision course.

At Washington Air Route Traffic Control Center in Virginia, controllers committed 23 operational errors between Oct. 1 and Dec. 11, said Rich Santa, the union representative there. That's 10 more than the same period last year.

Union figures show 363 controllers and trainees at the center. That's slightly above the 2003 authorized level the union originally provided to Gannett News Service, but the union later said the center had a higher authorized number of 412.

"We are tired," Santa said. "They're working us like crazy."

Larry Newman, a commercial pilot and the Air Line Pilots Association's air traffic services group chairman, said his group believes there is a "slow but steady erosion in our safety net."

Controllers sound "more stressed out," Newman said.

Flight operations per controller, one measure of workload, was at 9,348 in fiscal 2006, down from 1999. But it's higher than in fiscal 2003 when the average was 8,779, FAA numbers show.

Systemwide, the number of flight operations — by commercial airlines, private planes and military aircraft — that controllers handle has risen from 138.4 million in 2003 to 140.7 million in 2005, according to FAA data.

But that's no cause for alarm, federal officials say. Overtime is down and safety yardsticks indicate staffing is appropriate, the FAA's Sturgell said in an interview.

Initiatives to increase controller productivity, changes in schedule to make controllers available when needed, along with other policies and technology will improve efficiency in coming years, the agency has said.

Sturgell cited Atlanta as an example. At that airport, new technology has cut pilot-to-controller communications 30% to 40%, reducing the workload, he said.

Numbers debated

Figures showed 14,618 air traffic controllers working in more than 300 FAA facilities nationwide at the end of the federal fiscal year in September. That compares with 15,691 controllers three years ago.

Whether each facility has the number of controllers it needs is hard to say.

The FAA did not respond to an Oct. 4 request, filed under the Freedom of Information Act, for the number of controllers working at each facility. The agency is working on a new staffing standard for each facility but doesn't expect to complete it until spring.

GNS and The Courier-Journal relied on facility-by-facility statistics gathered by the union and compared them with the "authorized numbers," which the union and FAA negotiated in 1998 and adjusted through 2003.

Federal aviation officials argue those benchmarks are no longer relevant, though about half the nation's air traffic facilities have staff levels at 90% or more of their authorized levels.

On average, staffing by certified and trainee controllers is 89% of the authorized figure. That average includes 29 facilities with more controllers than the authorized level.

The union says those staffing numbers look better than they really are because it can take up to five years for a trainee to become fully qualified.

Trainees comprise 20% to 30% of some controllers at some facilities as the agency tries to keep up with a wave of retirements of controllers who were hired after President Reagan fired more than 10,000 striking controllers in 1981.

The FAA plans to hire 11,851 controllers through fiscal 2015, for a total of 16,102, to offset retirements and meet the expected 25% increase in air traffic.

Accidents, incidents and delays

The union claims staffing problems contributed to two fatal air crashes this year in Indiana and Illinois involving small planes.

On April 20, five Indiana University graduate school music students were killed when their small plane crashed in fog south of Bloomington.

On Oct. 26, an Indiana economic development official was killed when his plane crashed near Lawrenceville, Ill., on approach to Mid-America Air Center airport.

"We have reached the conclusion that the absence of an experienced approach controller at Terre Haute TRACON (Terminal Radar Approach Control) working these flights definitely had an impact on these events," NATCA Great Lakes Regional Vice President Bryan Zilonis said in a statement.

The FAA's Sturgell said he couldn't comment on whether staffing played a role in the accidents.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating and had no comment, said spokesman Terry Williams.

At the Los Angeles Air Route Traffic Control Center, a controller missed seeing an airliner and a military jet getting too close earlier this month because he was handling too many planes, said NATCA's Ghaffari.

The NTSB confirmed that on Dec. 6, a United Airbus and a Navy DC-9 came within two-and-a-half miles of each other at the same altitude over Beatty, Nev.

Operations logs from numerous air traffic control facilities show that controllers have spaced out traffic due to staffing shortages, which the union said can lead to delays.

For example, on Nov. 7, the Washington Air Route Traffic Control Center sent an advisory that it needed 20 miles between planes leaving Charlotte, to a certain navigation point instead of the normal five miles. The reason given was "staffing."

Asked whether there were delays anywhere because of staffing shortages, the FAA's Sturgell said, "I'm not aware of a facility that has been consistently understaffed to the point where it's causing a delay at a particular place."

John Nance, a former airline pilot, aviation analyst and author, heard a lot of the same debates over safety in the 1980s, before and after the controllers' strike. Between 1985 and 1989, more than 1,400 people died in multiple aviation disasters.

The FAA is "stressing the system already stressed to the max — that's dumb," he said.

"What we've basically got here," Nance said, "is the FAA trying to ignore history and we are going to pay a heavy price if this continues."

2006-12-07T06:57:00.000-08:00

Woman’s tail wind downs jetliner

NASHVILLE - In case of emergency . . . pull finger!

Flatulence brought down an American Airlines [AMR] flight early Monday. It is believed to be the first incident in which gastrointestinal gas has forced an emergency landing.

American Flight 1053 was enroute from Washington Reagan National Airport and bound for Dallas/Fort Worth, when alarmed passengers reported smelling struck matches, Lynne Lowrance, a spokeswoman for the Nashville International Airport Authority told the Tennesseean newspaper.

Despite the odoriferous menace, the plane landed safely. The FBI, Transportation Safety Administration and airport authority responded to the emergency, Lowrance said.

The passengers were taken off the plane with their luggage to go through security checks. Bomb-sniffing dogs found the matches. Astute FBI agents managed to identify and question a passenger who admitted she struck the matches to conceal a body odor issue caused by a medical condition. The flight took off again, but the woman was not allowed back on.

“American has banned her for a long time,” Lowrance said. It is unclear whether she intends to create a stink over the ban. She was not charged although it is illegal to strike a match in an airplane.

2006-11-21T13:39:00.000-08:00

Nursing Moms Stage Airport Protests

SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. -- With babies at their breasts, nursing mothers staged airport protests around the country Tuesday after a woman was ordered off a plane last month for breast-feeding her daughter too openly.

About 25 women turned out at Burlington International Airport, sitting on the floor near a Delta Air Lines ticket counter amid signs saying "Don't be lactose intolerant" and "Breasts - Not just for selling cars anymore."

Similar actions were planned at more than two dozen other airports.

"We're not here to blame anyone," said Chelsea Clark, 31, wearing a "Got breast milk?" T-shirt as she nursed her 9-week-old son in Burlington. "It's about raising consciousness about our culture's sexualization of the breast. Breast-feeding needs to be supported wherever and whenever it happens."

Emily Gillette, 27, of New Mexico was ordered off a Freedom Airlines flight about to leave Burlington International Airport on Oct. 13 after a flight attendant asked her to cover up with a blanket while breast-feeding her 1-year-old daughter. Gillette refused and was removed.

The airline, which operated the commuter flight for Delta, later disciplined the unidentified worker. But the incident struck a nerve with women's rights supporters.

At Boston's Logan International Airport, Ali Crehan Feeney came with her 3-year-old daughter Moira, who wore a pink T-shirt with the phrase "Little Lactivist" written on the front.

"We're just appalled that was allowed to happen," Feeney said.

2006-10-05T15:59:00.000-07:00

Unlikely Terrorists On No-Fly List

Oct. 5, 2006(CBS) 60 Minutes, in collaboration with the National Security News Service, has obtained the secret list used to screen airline passengers for terrorists and discovered it includes names of people not likely to cause terror, including the president of Bolivia, people who are dead and names so common, they are shared by thousands of innocent fliers.

Steve Kroft's investigation, in which an ex-FBI agent who worked on its al Qaeda task force says the list of 44,000 names is ineffective, will be broadcast this Sunday, Oct. 8, at 7 p.m. ET/PT.

The former FBI agent, Jack Cloonan, knew the list that was hastily assembled after 9/11, would be bungled. "When we heard the name list or no-fly list … the eyes rolled back in my head, because we knew what was going to happen," he says. "They basically did a massive data dump and said, 'Okay, anybody that's got a nexus to terrorism, let's make sure they get on the list,'" he tells Kroft.

The "data dump" of names from the files of several government agencies, including the CIA, fed into the computer compiling the list contained many unlikely terrorists. These include Saddam Hussein, who is under arrest, Nabih Berri, Lebanon's parliamentary speaker, and Evo Morales, the president of Bolivia. It also includes the names of 14 of the 19 dead 9/11 hijackers.

But the names of some of the most dangerous living terrorists or suspects are kept off the list.

The 11 British suspects recently charged with plotting to blow up airliners with liquid explosives were not on it, despite the fact they were under surveillance for more than a year.

The name of David Belfield who now goes by Dawud Sallahuddin, is not on the list, even though he assassinated someone in Washington, D.C., for former Iranian leader Ayatollah Khomeini. This is because the accuracy of the list meant to uphold security takes a back seat to overarching security needs: it could get into the wrong hands. "The government doesn't want that information outside the government," says Cathy Berrick, director of Homeland Security investigations for the General Accounting Office.

Berrick says Homeland Security would probably agree that leaving such names off the list is a concern. The Transportation Security Administration is trying to fix the list through a program called "Secure Flight," says Berrick, but after three years and an estimated $144 million spent on the program, there's "nothing tangible yet," she says.

Even if the list is made more accurate, it won't help thousands of innocent travelers who share a common name on the list and who get detained, sometimes for hours, when they attempt to fly.

Gary Smith, John Williams and Robert Johnson are some of those names. Kroft talked to 12 people with the name Robert Johnson, all of whom are detained almost every time they fly. The detentions can include strip searches and long delays in their travels.

"Well, Robert Johnson will never get off the list," says Donna Bucella, who oversaw the creation of the list and has headed up the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Center since 2003. She regrets the trouble they experience, but chalks it up to the price of security in the post-9/11 world. "They're going to be inconvenienced every time … because they do have the name of a person who's a known or suspected terrorist," says Bucella.

Cloonan, when shown a copy of the list from March 2006, tells Kroft, "I did see Osama bin Laden, both with an "O" in the first name and "U" in the second…I was glad to see that. But some of the other names I see here…I just have to scratch my head and say, 'My God, what have we created here?'"

2006-09-13T08:08:00.000-07:00

Newly Banned Items Often Fly Past Airport Screeners

Wendy Shanker was passing through security at the St. Louis airport Friday when the X-ray machine detected a potential weapon inside her carry-on bag. A screener dug into the satchel and found a pair of scissors that Shanker used for knitting. The scissors' blades were shorter than the 4-inch federal limit so the screener plopped them back into the bag.

But he missed something else: Shanker's two-ounce container of Neutrogena hand cream, a substance banned since federal authorities clamped down last month on allowing liquids and gels into airline passenger cabins.

"They focused in on the scissors and didn't seem to see the cream," said Shanker, who didn't realize it was in her bag until she was on her way to Washington Dulles International Airport.

Like Shanker, many people are inadvertently taking banned liquids and gels through security in their pockets and carry-on luggage, according to interviews with several dozen travelers at local airports and with pilots and security officials.

Others, however, say they're simply not going to tolerate the new rules. They admit that they ignore the restrictions, slipping expensive cologne, perfume, lip gloss, lotion and other ointments into their carry-on bags or into their pockets in hopes of sneaking them past security. Some of the items get flagged by screeners, others do not.

Unlike Shanker, the cream and liquid smugglers refused to give their full names. One woman said she slipped her Blistex lip balm into a pocket because her lips dry out on flights; another stashed her perfume in her carry-on because she didn't trust baggage handlers; another kept a small container of body lotion in her purse to apply in the aircraft lavatory.

A business executive said he always traveled with hand sanitizer in his pocket because he worries about germs on planes. He has made about 10 trips since the restrictions went into effect and hasn't been caught.

Since the rules went into effect, most travelers have abided by the law, packing their hand cream, hair gel and toothpaste in their checked luggage or leaving the items at home. The flouters, however, say they hate the hassle of long waits at baggage carousels and worry that their expensive bottles of perfume will be broken or stolen if placed in their checked luggage.

A 33-year-old teacher, who was traveling with her 7-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter, brought her cosmetics case in her backpack on a trip from Orlando to Dulles Friday morning.

She would give only her first name, Nicole, saying that she worried about getting in trouble. At first, she admitted to a reporter that she was carrying a $75 hydrating gel in her backpack. Then, she revealed lip gloss, toothpaste, a bottle of expensive Chanel perfume and a $300 container of facial cleanser neatly packed in a bulging cosmetic case. Screeners never noticed the items, which she had no intention of checking, she said.

"There is no way I'm putting my Chanel in a checked bag," she said. Then she looked down at her two children: "Who knows what's in their bags?"

The federal government banned most gels and liquids from passenger cabins last month after British authorities said they had foiled a plot to bomb transatlantic flights with liquid explosives. Officials with the Transportation Security Administration said they were confident their security efforts in place at the time would have prevented the plotters from getting through security checkpoints at U.S. airports. But they said they couldn't take any chances and hastily enacted the ban early on Aug. 10.

TSA officials have no way of tracking people who succeed in disobeying the ban, but screeners have caught people trying to sneak items through checkpoints, said Ellen Howe, an agency spokeswoman. Anyone caught could face fines of several hundred dollars, Howe said, although she said it was too difficult to determine whether any fines have been levied.

TSA officials point to a 20 percent increase in checked bags as an indication that most travelers seem to be complying with the rules.

"Travelers must realize this isn't a game," Howe said. "The threat is real and it continues, and we appreciate the public's cooperation. Is it the perfect system? No. But does it make it right to sneak things through security? No, it doesn't."

Security experts said the experiences of travelers interviewed at Reagan National and Dulles airports highlighted what they say are security gaps in the current product bans. A well-trained screener must notice the sometimes-subtle signatures of containers of gels and liquids on X-ray machines. The devices are much better at picking up the shapes of dense and metal objects, such as knives, guns or bomb components, security experts said.

Metal detectors at security checkpoints cannot sense plastic items that may contain liquids or gels.

"There are obviously limitations to this ban," said Clark Kent Ervin, a former inspector general at the Department of Homeland Security.

Ervin supports the restrictions but thinks they are flawed because authorities rely heavily on screeners' interpretations of X-ray images.

"It depends entirely on screeners' alertness and training," he said, "and there are problems with both."

Pilots groups have criticized the measures, saying they notice the security holes all the time. They say authorities should focus more on developing systems to identify potential terrorists, not just their weapons.

Gary Boettcher, a pilot and president of the Coalition for Airline Pilots Association, a trade group that closely tracks security issues, said he constantly sees people drinking from illicit bottles of water or putting on lip gloss when he walks through the passenger cabin. Most of the time, he said, it doesn't bother him.

"They are just doing their routines like they always did," Boettcher said. "An old woman drinking a bottle of water doesn't concern me. . . . The whole screening process is a facade to make the public feel safe, to show that the government is doing something."

Passengers said they didn't feel any safer after reaching their destination and realizing they had inadvertently left a banned item in their carry-on bags.

Libby Cole, 21, who flew into Dulles from Vermont on Friday, said she rushed to catch an early plane and didn't know until she landed that she had two lip glosses in her carry-on bag.

On a past trip, TSA screeners caught one out of two lip glosses, she said.

"I don't think this does anything, because obviously, if this can get through," she said, holding onto one of her lip glosses. "I think it's just kind of a pain."

2006-08-30T11:33:00.000-07:00

2 Ex-Air Marshals Get Prison Terms

HOUSTON (AP) -- Two former federal air marshals have been sentenced to prison for accepting $15,000 bribes to bypass airport security and smuggle cocaine on a flight to Las Vegas.

Burlie Sholar III, 38, and Shawn Ray Nguyen, 32, admitted in plea bargains that they accepted the money to use their positions to smuggle 33 pounds of cocaine.

U.S. District Judge Kenneth Hoyt on Monday sentenced Sholar to nine years in prison on charges of bribery and conspiracy. Nguyen received a shorter sentence of seven years and three months because he cooperated with investigators, prosecutors said.

They could have faced 10 years to life in prison and fines of $4 million on the smuggling charge and 15 years in prison and $250,000 fines on the bribery charge.

2006-08-15T15:02:00.000-07:00

Report: X-Rays Don't Detect Explosives

X-ray machines that screen airline passengers' shoes cannot detect explosives, according to a Homeland Security Department report on aviation screening.

Findings from the report, obtained by The Associated Press, did not stop the Transportation Security Administration from announcing Sunday that all airline passengers must remove their shoes and run them through X-ray machines before boarding commercial aircraft.

The shoe-scanning requirement was ordered as the government fine-tunes new security procedures since British police last week broke up a terrorist plot to assemble and detonate bombs aboard as many as 10 airliners crossing the Atlantic Ocean from Britain to the United States.

Among the new procedures are a ban on liquids and gels in airline passenger cabins, more hand searches of carryon luggage, and random double screening of passengers at boarding gates.

On Sunday, the TSA made it mandatory for shoes to be run through X-ray machines as passengers go through metal detectors. They were begun in late 2001, after the arrest of Richard Reid aboard a trans-Atlantic flight when he tried to ignite an explosive device hidden in his shoe. The shoe scans have been optional for several years.

In its April 2005 report, "Systems Engineering Study of Civil Aviation Security _ Phase I," the Homeland Security Department concluded that images on X-ray machines don't provide the information necessary to detect explosives.

Machines used at most airports to scan hand-held luggage, purses, briefcases and shoes have not been upgraded to detect explosives since the report was issued.

TSA spokeswoman Yolanda Clark said putting shoes on the X-ray machines makes the screening process more efficient and eliminates confusion. "We do not have a specific threat regarding shoes," Clark said. "In an abundance of caution we require all shoes to be removed and X-rayed to mitigate a variety of threats."

The Homeland Security report said that "even a 1/4-inch insole of sheet explosive" could create the kind of blast that reportedly brought down Pan Am flight 103, the airliner that blew up over Lockerbie, Scotland, in December 1988, killing 270 people in the air and on the ground.

"To help close this gap, the percentage of shoes subjected to explosives inspection should be significantly increased," the report said.

The Homeland Security report recommends that explosives trace detection, or ETD, be used on the shoes and hands of passengers when the screeners determine they must be checked more thoroughly.

"Within the current state of the art, they afford the only meaningful explosives detection capability at the checkpoint," the report said.

ETD involves a screener using a dry pad on the end of a wand to wipe a surface _ baggage, shoes, clothing _ and then putting the pad into a machine called an ion mobility spectrometer. The machine can detect tiny particles, or traces, of explosives.

Screeners do use ETD on passengers who have been selected to be screened a second time after going through the checkpoint.

TSA chief Kip Hawley recently acknowledged that the threat from liquid explosives isn't going away _ and new security measures designed to thwart the threat may be around for awhile.

The agency is testing equipment to detect liquid explosives at six airports, Hawley said, and he called the technology "very promising."

But, he said, "with a million and a half to 2 million passengers every day, it is not practical to think that we are going to take every bottle and scan it through these liquid scanners."

"We are not going to wait for the perfect device to be deployable," Hawley said in an interview Friday. "We're going to look for a total system to be at the level to make us comfortable."

The agency wants to make better use of a limited resource _ airport screeners, whose numbers have been capped by Congress at 45,000. The TSA handles security for 450 commercial airports.

Among the changes the TSA is considering, according to TSA spokeswoman Ellen Howe:

_Hire more people to take baggage-handling responsibilities from screeners so the screeners can focus on security responsibilities.

_Have screeners, instead of contract employees hired by airlines, check IDs and boarding passes.

_Expand a program that trains screeners to look for unusual behavior in passengers that might indicate malicious intent. Called SPOT _ Screening Passengers by Observation Technique _ it's used in at least 12 airports, Howe said.

Those changes may require approval by Congress and agreement with airports and the airline industry, which might have to bear some of the cost, Howe said.

The airlines might go along with the plan, an industry spokesman said.

"We favor this proposal provided it doesn't add costs to the carriers," said David Castelveter, spokesman for the Air Transport Association.

2006-07-10T19:27:00.000-07:00

HPD, airport security at odds over incident

Man allowed to board aircraft appeared to have bomb components

Houston police and the federal Transportation Security Administration disagree over who is responsible for allowing a man with what appeared to be bomb components board an aircraft at Hobby Airport last week.

Although the FBI eventually cleared the man of wrongdoing, police officials have transferred the officer involved and are investigating the incident while insisting that the TSA, not police, has the authority to keep a suspicious person from boarding a flight.

"Our job is not to be the gatekeepers," police Capt. Dwayne Ready said. "That burden falls squarely on the airline and TSA to make that final decision.

"We are looking at our role in the situation to make sure our policies were adhered to," he said. "During follow-up, we are finding that there simply was not a material threat."

TSA spokeswoman Andrea McCauley said screeners have the authority to stop people from going beyond the checkpoint to the boarding areas, but they rely heavily on local police.

"It's just agencies talking with each other," Ready said, downplaying the disagreement.

Details of the dispute

McCauley and Ready would not comment about the June 26 incident, but a confidential TSA report obtained by the Houston Chronicle details a dispute between screeners and a police officer on duty at the airport.

The report states that a man with a Middle Eastern name and a ticket for a Delta Airlines flight to Atlanta shook his head when screeners asked if he had a laptop computer in his baggage, but an X-ray machine operator detected a laptop.

A search of the man's baggage revealed a clock with a 9-volt battery taped to it and a copy of the Quran, the report said. A screener examined the man's shoes and determined that the "entire soles of both shoes were gutted out."

No explosive material was detected, the report states. A police officer was summoned and questioned the man, examined his identification, shoes and the clock, then cleared him for travel, according to the report.

A TSA screener disagreed with the officer, saying "the shoes had been tampered with and there were all the components of (a bomb) except the explosive itself," the report says.

The officer retorted, "I thought y'all were trained in this stuff," TSA officials reported.

The report says the TSA screener notified Delta Airlines and talked again with the officer, who said he had been unable to check the passenger's criminal background because of computer problems.

FBI involvement

The incident gained enough attention at higher levels of the TSA that the FBI was asked to investigate. The TSA issued a statement saying its screeners "acted in accordance with their training and protocols."

FBI Special Agent Stephen Emmett in Atlanta said agents there investigated the passenger.

"It was looked at and deemed a non-event," Emmett said, declining to give further details.

Meanwhile the officer involved in the dispute, J.O. Reece, has been transferred to a desk job, "the same place they send officers who are relieved of duty," said Chad Hoffman, attorney for the Houston Police Officers Union.

Hoffman said Reece doesn't understand why he was transferred "when it seems clear from the onset of the investigation that he didn't have probable cause to detain anybody and that his actions were consistent with the law and HPD policy."

2006-05-18T11:49:00.000-07:00

A New Tack for Airport Screening: Behave Yourself

Airport screeners plan to shift tactics, focusing less on scissors and more on passenger behavior

In the four years since it was created, the Transportation Security Administration has been trying — and often failing — to find dangerous things that passengers might bring onto an aircraft. Now the TSA is aiming to become less obsessed with scissors and cigarette lighters and focusing more on passenger behavior. Government sources tell TIME that the agency will announce in the next few weeks that it will introduce a race-neutral profiling program at the country's busiest airports, among them New York's John F. Kennedy, Los Angeles International and Chicago's O'Hare. The program has an awkward title, Screening Passengers by Observation Techniques, but a clever acronym, SPOT. It has been tested over the last three years at several airports in the northeast, including Boston's Logan Airport, where two of the 9/11 hijacking teams launched their operations.

Unlike the TSA's troubled and controversial use of computer databases to scan for individuals whose names occur on passenger "watch lists," SPOT is based on observing passenger behavior. George Naccara, the TSA's Federal Security Director who has been overseeing the SPOT program in Boston, is a big booster. "This system is conducted by trained personnel and closely monitored by supervisors," he says. "It provides another significant layer of security."

Here's how it works: Select TSA employees will be trained to identify suspicious individuals who raise red flags by exhibiting unusual or anxious behavior, which can be as simple as changes in mannerisms, excessive sweating on a cool day, or changes in the pitch of a person's voice. Racial or ethnic factors are not a criterion for singling out people, TSA officials say. Those who are identified as suspicious will be examined more thoroughly; for some, the agency will bring in local police to conduct face-to-face interviews and perhaps run the person's name against national criminal databases and determine whether any threat exists. If such inquiries turn up other issues countries with terrorist connections, police officers can pursue the questioning or alert Federal counterterrorism agents. And of course the full retinue of baggage x-rays, magnatometers and other checks for weapons will continue.

So far, the results for SPOT have been encouraging. According to Naccara, the SPOT program has resulted in the arrest of more than 50 people for having fake IDs, entering the country illegally or drug possession. It also has caught one of its own: several months ago a representative from the Department of Homeland Security tested the system by trying to get a fake weapon through the screening checkpoint; he was successfully stopped by a STOP screener. The TSA will also consider deploying SPOT teams to other transportation systems like train and bus stations.

The SPOT program comes none too soon, since the current TSA system of screening for threats on airplanes has been, well, spotty. Earlier this month TSA screeners not trained in the SPOT program pulled over three Marines in dress uniform for special screening. After being patted down and scrutinized closely, the Marines were finally let go and allowed to continue their duties — escorting the body of one of their colleagues killed in Iraq.

2006-05-01T14:10:00.000-07:00

Transportation Security Administration Slogans

Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.

Doing a job RIGHT the first time gets the job done. Doing the job WRONG fourteen times gives you job security.

Rome did not create a great empire by having meetings, they did it by killing all those who opposed them.

We put the "k" in "kwality."

If something doesn't feel right, you're not feeling the right thing.

Artificial Intelligence is no match for Natural Stupidity.

A person who smiles in the face of adversity...probably has a scapegoat.

If at first you don't succeed, try management.

Never put off until tomorrow what you can avoid altogether.

TEAMWORK...means never having to take all the blame yourself.

Never underestimate the power of very stupid people in large groups.

We waste time, so you don't have to.

Hang in there, retirement is only thirty years away!

Go the extra mile. It makes your boss look like an incompetent slacker.

When the going gets tough, the tough take a smoke break.

INDECISION is the key to FLEXIBILITY.

Succeed in spite of management.

Aim Low, Reach Your Goals, Avoid Disappointment.

We waste more time by 8:00 in the morning than other companies do all day.

Work: It isn't just for sleeping anymore.

2006-05-01T13:27:00.000-07:00

Prostitution Alleged In Homeland Security Contract Award

Federal authorities are investigating allegations that a California defense contractor arranged for a Washington area limousine company to provide prostitutes to convicted former congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-Calif.) and possibly other lawmakers, sources familiar with the probe said yesterday.

In recent weeks, investigators have focused on possible dealings between Christopher D. Baker, president of Shirlington Limousine and Transportation Inc., and Brent R. Wilkes, a San Diego businessman who is under investigation for bribing Cunningham in return for millions of dollars in federal contracts, said one source, who requested anonymity because the investigation is ongoing.

Baker has a criminal record and has experienced financial difficulties, public records show. Last fall, his company was awarded a $21 million contract with the Department of Homeland Security to provide transportation, including limo service for senior officials. Baker and his lawyer declined to comment yesterday.

The Cunningham investigation's latest twist came after Mitchell J. Wade, a defense contractor who has admitted bribing the former congressman, told prosecutors that Wilkes had an arrangement with Shirlington Limousine, which in turn had an arrangement with at least one escort service, one source said. Wade said limos would pick up Cunningham and a prostitute and bring them to suites Wilkes maintained at the Watergate Hotel and the Westin Grand in Washington, the source said.

Cunningham resigned from Congress after pleading guilty last November to accepting $2.4 million in bribes from four co-conspirators, including Wilkes and Wade. The former lawmaker was sentenced to eight years and four months in prison. Wade pleaded guilty to his part in the scheme in February and is cooperating with investigators. Wilkes has not been charged.

The allegations about prostitutes were reported this week by the Wall Street Journal. Asked yesterday about the allegations, Wilkes's attorney, Michael Lipman of San Diego, said: "My client denies any involvement in that conduct." Cunningham's lawyer, K. Lee Blalack II, declined to comment.

The San Diego Union-Tribune yesterday cited a letter from Baker's lawyer, Bobby Stafford, saying that Baker "provided limousine services for Mr. Wilkes for whatever entertainment he had in the Watergate" from the company's founding in 1990 through the early 2000s. The letter also stated that Baker was "never in attendance in any party where any women were being used for prostitution purposes." Reached by telephone yesterday, Stafford would not comment on the letter.

Before starting Shirlington Limousine, public records show, Baker compiled a lengthy criminal record. Between 1979 and 1989, he was convicted on several misdemeanor charges, including drug possession and attempted petty larceny, as well as two felony charges for attempted robbery and car theft, according to D.C. Superior Court records.

The Internal Revenue Service filed a tax lien against Baker in 1996. He lost his house in 1998, and he filed for personal bankruptcy protection in 1998 and again in 1999.

Although Baker's company began receiving small federal contracts in 1998, it also fell into debt, records show. In early 2002, Arlington County Circuit Court ordered Shirlington Limousine to pay American Express Travel Related Services Co. $55,292.

That summer, Howard University terminated a contract with Shirlington Limousine to supply shuttle bus service, citing poor service and other problems.

In 2003 and again in 2004, the company received eviction notices for an office it maintained in a luxury D.C. apartment building. And in September 2004, the company was sued in D.C. Superior Court for $1.8 million, for failing to make payments on buses it bought for the Howard contract. The case was settled last month, with Shirlington Limousine agreeing to pay $300,000.

During these financial troubles, Baker's company won a contract worth $3.8 million with the Department of Homeland Security in April 2004. It appears from federal records that Shirlington Limousine was the only bidder. The contract was awarded under a program that limited competition to businesses in poor neighborhoods.

Baker was able to close his bankruptcy case last April after he made nearly $125,000 in payments to creditors, according to court records.

The Homeland Security Department said it awarded Shirlington Limousine, one of three bidders, another one-year contract for $21.2 million in October.

Homeland Security spokesman Larry Orluskie said the department does not routinely conduct background checks on its contractors. Instead, it relies on a list the government keeps of vendors who have had serious problems with federal contracts, he said.

In Shirlington Limousine's case, only the drivers were subject to criminal background checks, he said.

Past performance is one key factor the government weighs in awarding a contract, Orluskie said. But he said he did not know whether contract officers checked with Howard University before awarding Shirlington Limousine its first contract.

He stressed that Shirlington Limousine has performed well, saying: "We have not had any problems with this service -- we don't question whether they can deliver because they are delivering."

Steven L. Schooner, an associate professor and contracting expert at George Washington University Law School, said that although there is no explicit prohibition against giving contracts to felons or people with poor business histories, the government is obligated to ensure that potential vendors have a satisfactory record of business ethics and integrity, and that they have the financial resources to meet contractual obligations.

"There's a fundamental government responsibility to investigate," he said.

2006-04-21T16:03:00.000-07:00

Supermodel arrested for allegedly hitting flight attendant

Danish supermodel May Andersen has been arrested for hitting a flight attendant on a flight from Amsterdam to Miami, police said.

The 23-year-old bombshell was aboard Martinair Flight 643 on Thursday. She was ''loud and disruptive all throughout the flight,'' according to a Miami-Dade police spokeswoman.

Airport police arrested the woman when the flight landed. She continued her unruly behavior with officers, police said.

Andersen was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital to check for signs of alcohol or drug abuse, then booked into Miami-Dade County Jail.

The leggy model has worked in advertising for J. Crew and Victoria's Secret, and has posed in Sports Illustrated's famed swimsuit edition.

She has been charged with simple battery, resisting arrest without violence and disorderly intoxication.

2006-04-21T11:28:00.000-07:00

Airline Meals

If flying isn't scarey enough, check out the food they are going to serve you HERE.

2006-04-18T12:09:00.000-07:00

Mystery Silence At Sea-Tac Control Tower Prompts Investigation

SEA-TAC AIRPORT - For 25 minutes in the wee hours of April 11, the control tower at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport did not respond to airplane traffic.

"There were two planes affected - one trying to take off and one trying to come in," airport spokesman Bob Parker said Monday.

The unexplained silence, which started at 3:15 a.m. that day, ended at 3:40 a.m. when a Port of Seattle staff member drove to the guard shack at the base of the control tower.

"They went over to the guard shack at the tower and he (the guard) was able to raise someone," Parker said.

Airport officials said that a Boeing 747-400 flown by Taiwanese carrier EVA was on its final approach to Sea-Tac at around 3:15 a.m. when it radioed the control tower for permission to land.

There was no response. Eventually, the airliner reached a dispatcher at the airport's departure control facility, who is not in the control tower, and made a plan to remain airborne until a controller could be reached.

Meanwhile, a Delta Airlines jet attempting to back away from the airport's south satellite got no response when it sought clearance to leave.

The airfield - the runways and taxiways - was cleared of maintenance workers until the tower resumed communications, Parker said. "They followed procedure and left the immediate area," he said.

The EVA plane landed safely once contact was reestablished. The matter is being investigated by the FAA, which oversees air traffic control, Parker said. The FAA would not comment on the incident.

2006-04-04T20:48:00.000-07:00

Homeland Deputy Arrested in Seduction Case

The deputy press secretary for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security was arrested Tuesday for using the Internet to seduce what he thought was a teenage girl, authorities said.

Brian J. Doyle, 55, was arrested at his residence in Maryland on charges of use of a computer to seduce a child and transmission of harmful material to a minor. The charges were issued out of Polk County, Fla.

Doyle, of Silver Spring, Md., had a sexually explicit conversation with what he believed was a 14-year-old girl whose profile he saw on the Internet on March 14, the Polk County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.

The girl was an undercover Polk County Sheriff's Computer Crimes detective, the sheriff's office said.

Doyle sent the girl pornographic movie clips and had sexually explicit conversations via the Internet, the statement said.

During other online conversations, Doyle revealed his name, that he worked for the Homeland Security Department and offered his office and government issued cell phone numbers, the sheriff's office said.

Doyle also sent photos of himself to the girl, but authorities said they were not sexually explicit.

On several occasions, Doyle instructed her to perform a sexual act while thinking of him and described explicit activities he wanted to have with her, investigators said.

Doyle later had a telephone conversation with an undercover deputy posing as the teenager and encouraged her to purchase a web camera to send graphic images of herself to him, the sheriff's office said.

He was booked into Maryland's Montgomery County jail where he was waiting to be extradited to Florida, the sheriff's office said.

There was no immediate response to messages left on Doyle's government-issued cell phone and his e-mail, and he could not be reached by phone at the jail for comment.

Homeland Security press secretary Russ Knocke in Washington said he could not comment on the details of the investigation. "We take these allegations very seriously, and we will cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation," Knocke said.

Doyle, who is the fourth-ranking official in the department's public affairs office, was expected to be placed on administrative leave Wednesday morning.

2006-04-02T13:08:00.000-07:00

Office of Special Counsel Investigating TSA Officials at Buffalo Niagra Airport

According to an anonymous source, an investigation directed by the United States Office of Special Counsel has begun at airports in the Buffalo area. The investigation follows a number of controversies surrounding the Buffalo Niagara International Airport and surrounding airports over the last year.

The U.S. Office of Special Counsel is an independent federal investigative and prosecutorial agency. OSC’s primary mission is to safeguard the merit system by protecting federal employees and applicants from prohibited personnel practices, especially reprisal for whistleblowing.

The agency provides a secure channel through its Disclosure Unit for federal workers to disclose information about various workplace improprieties, including a violation of law, rule or regulation, gross mismanagement and waste of funds, abuse of authority, or a substantial danger to public health or safety.

The Buffalo Niagara International Airport is the largest Category II airport in the country.

According to the source, several high ranking TSA officials are among the subjects of the investigation, including: David F. Bassett, Federal Security Director at Greater Rochester International Airport; Lawrence (Larry) Fogg, Buffalo's current acting Federal Security Director; and Tom Koch, Assistant Federal Security Director of Operations at Buffalo International.

Bassett and Fogg have reportedly been instructed to meet with the TSA's Northeast Area Federal Security Director, George Nacarra, in Boston next month.

Buffalo area airports have been the subject of controversy for some time.

Two TSA training officers were terminated from employment by the agency earlier this year after blowing the whistle on unsafe practices at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport. Thomas Bittler and Ray Guagliardi reported a number of security violations to management, including the failure of screeners to test some bags for explosives as required by federal law.

"I've seen so many violations, I don't know where to begin," Guagliardi said.

"I trained these people," Bittler said, "so I knew what they were supposed to be doing."

But local TSA management failed to heed the warnings and act on the reports, the two have said. In fact, management's reponse was to tell the security-conscious trainers that they were responsible only for assisting screeners, not for supervising them.

"When I questioned what was going on," says Bittler, "I was told to keep my mouth shut and do what I was told whether it was right or wrong."

Both men claim that TSA officials told them that they should never have complained.

"If you people would just learn to shut your mouths, you would still have your jobs," one supervisor reportedly told Bittler.

Management's response seems to contradict TSA's own published policy. According to the agency's Interim Policy on Employee Responsibilities and Conduct, TSA screeners are required to "Report known or suspected violations of law, regulations or poplicy through appropriate channels and fully participate in inquiries."

The same document states that supervisors must "provide positive leadership and serve as a role model for subordinates by demonstrating a commitment and sense of responsibility to their job and loyalty to the organization."

Not deterred by management's apparent lack of interest, the men then wrote a letter detailing their concerns to TSA headquarters in Arlington, Virginia. Two months later their service was rewarded with termination from employment.

"[T]he new FSD fired [them] for documenting policy deviations and violations," wrote one TSA employee, "...to intimidate the screeners. He said loud and clear, 'this is what happens to people who write letters of greviance'."

The TSA claimed the terminations were simply part of a "staff reorganization."

This past November, Bittler was among a number of other TSA employees who were recognized for their exemplary service during an agency awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.

"It's pretty ironic to have Adm. James Loy (then head of the TSA) personally give me a bronze award for individual achievement in November and be terminated in January," he said. "I think this tells you something is very wrong at TSA Buffalo."

Bittler filed a complaint with Office of Special Counsel for wrongful termination.

Former TSA staff members also contend that TSA management has created an atmosphere of intimidation and fear among screeners at Buffalo. One screener, who asked not to be identified, said a manager had told a group of workers that Bittler's termination is an example of what happens "to people who write letters."

Similar complaints have been echoed from screeners around the nation. And the TSA's own 2004 Organizational Assessment Survey of more than 22,000 screeners lends credence to the complaints. According to a "Corporate Snapshot" of the survey results, released by the TSA in response to a Freedom of Information Act request, the majority of TSA employees are dissatisfied with supervisors, communication, and work conditions.

TSA Screeners and trainers are not the only ones who have been treated unfairly, however. According to a document obtained by Screeners Central, Buffalo airport's former Federal Security Director Jay W. Stroup was also targeted.

The document, purportedly a transcript of a deposition of Tim Glasow, the former Acting Northeast Area Director for TSA, is related to a Merit Systems Protection Board review case (docket no. NY-1221-04-0193-S-1). (Note: the authenticity of the document has not been independently verified.)

Glasow has drawn criticism from screeners, including several who have posted comments on screener-related web sites and message forums.

"He served as Acting [Area Director] for over a year," wrote one screener. "Yet, his only qualification is that he went to the Naval Acadamy with several individuals who are now -- or were at one time -- his superiors."

When confronted with reports of security violations, Glasow allegedly replaced the Federal Security Director Jay Stroup with Rochester security director David Bassett, a former Naval Acadamy class mate of Glasow's, who was named Acting Federal Security Director at Buffalo airport in mid-November, 2003.

When Buffalo News staff reporter Sharon Linstedt attempted to contact Bassett to comment on Stroup's allegations he did not return her phone calls.

Jay Stroup was appointed as Buffalo's Federal Security Director (FSD) by Transportation Secretary Norm Mineta on October 11, 2002. In February, 2003, he was quoted as saying, "[A]ll of us recognize that security is an on-going process and it works at the optimum level only through commitment and consistency," according to one news article.

Indeed, Stroup seemed to have a reputation for dealing with problems and trying to help rank-and-file screeners.

"He was strict but fair," said one former employee, who noted that Stroup was known as a hard-nosed leader who tackled problems and addressed security issues head-on. "If you did your job you had no problems. But if you didn't, he would deal with it."

"He was responsible for saving over 45 jobs when the right sizing issue was going on," said another.

Stroup, who Transportation Secretary Mineta once characterized as an "experienced professional" who was "integral in furthering the Transportation Security Administration's commitment to first-class security and first-class customer service," found himself on the receiving end of unhappy superiors within the administration.

Stroup said that he was forced to resign his Senior Executive position with the TSA on October 2, 2003, under pressure from TSA superiors, after allegations of nepotism and mishandling of a disciplinary matter involving a subordinate. His resignation came after just one day before his probation period would end.

In the purported deposition transcript, Area Director Glasow was asked who made the decision to terminate Mr. Stroup and when? Glasow replied "I did," and "after viewing the management inquiry."

According to the deposition transcript, the management inquiry was an administrative fact-finding document, which was prepared by a member of the Syracuse Federal Security Director's staff "to look into some allegations that headquarters had received regarding matters in Buffalo."

Glasow indicated that his termination letter indicated that he had "lost trust and confidence in Mr. Stroup's ability to continue to lead the effort there at Buffalo."

According to a Buffalo News report this past February, Stroup's key concerns included improper handling of baggage screening at the airport. Stroup alleges that screeners ran only a fraction of bags through explosives-detection devices, in violation of a federal mandate requiring all checked luggage be scanned.

"I know of several instances where one in five bags is screened, and that aggravates me to no end," Stroup was quoted in the article. "That means there's a four-out-of-five chance of a bomb getting onto a plane in Buffalo. It's dangerous and it's wrong."

"Several of his staff members, along with some screeners, were responsible for his removal," says one former TSA employee who worked at the Buffalo airport.

Others also support Stroup's claims. According to several former TSA employees, Stroup reportedly terminated three screeners who were caught sleeping in the baggage-screening room while on duty, but the screeners were later reinstated by the new management team after Stroup left.

Five TSA employees even contacted the Washington office of Congressman Jack F. Quinn (R) regarding "personnel issues" and later met with Quinn in Buffalo in January.

Some screeners say that the congressional representative lost interest in their complaints, and later his office refused to take their calls or allow them to see TSA responses to their concerns. New York Senator Hillary Clinton's office was also contacted by some of the concerned screeners, with "very little reaction," they say.

"It's amazing how many people who just don't care," said one screener.

"The bottom line is if you're TSA management, all the people in [Washington] D.C. want to hear is good news," said one former TSA employee, "If they hear bad news they [TSA] will fire you!"

According to Bittler, however, Congressman Quinn has been "very, very supportive" in regards to his and other cases.

Stroup has said that he decided to break his silence on what he called "a very frightening situation" after a security incident at the Buffalo airport in which screeners discovered a jar containing an unknown substance in a passenger's luggage but the passenger was allowed to depart even though the substance had not been identified or declared safe.

"I hope that by going public," Stroup has said, "I can help protect the people who use the ... airport and the TSA staff members who want to do the right thing."

Stroup has filed a complaint with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel claiming whistleblower protection and has indicated that he is concerned that his resignation could taint the serious nature of his allegations.

Stroup has a hearing before the Merit System Protection Board in Buffalo next month.

When previously asked about Stroup's resignation by a reporter, TSA Northeast regional spokeswoman Ann Davis declined to comment on Stroup's allegations, stating that she wasn't aware of any concerns about security and safety at the Buffalo airport.

"The TSA at Buffalo would be pleased to cooperate with any security or policy review," she did say, however. "They are confident security at Buffalo is top-notch."

But "top-notch" is not the descriptor that some TSA employees would use, about security at the airport or the management in general.

According to sources familiar with the complaints and investigation, TSA Internal Affairs staff have visited the Buffalo airport on five separate occasions, but did little more than identify employees who made complaints and report those names to the Acting FSD and Area Director Tim Glasow.

According to one employee, "Internal Affairs came to [Buffalo airport] ... and did nothing but criticize those of us who expressed our concerns."

"There was no investigation," wrote one TSA employee at Buffalo, "or any attempt by the IA agents to validate the complaints, verify facts and follow-up on leads."

Indeed, according to the deposition transcript, Glasow stated, "Mr. Dennehy was asked to do some fact finding for me. I wouldn't call it an investigation."

While a formal investigation never took place, sources and the deposition transcript indicate that local TSA officials conducted a "Management Inquiry," which found no wrong doing on the part of management.

According to Mr. Glasow's testimony, employee Olivia Robinson told Glasow that there existed a hostile work environment at Buffalo and described "the abusive nature" of FSD Stroup and "his ability to lead the operational mission up there." She indicated that a lot of his staff felt that way. She didn't mention names or numbers, but she said that a lot of the staff feels that way. In addition, Robinson described Stroup "yelling at employees," his demeaning nature, and restrictions on allowing TSA staff to communicate with Area Director Glasow's staff here in Washington.

"They feared for their jobs if they were caught communicating with our staff," Glasow said.

But some employees allege that Mrs Robinson intentially did not file a formal complaint with the agency regarding the alleged sexual harassment or hostile work enviroment due to time constraints.

"Mr. Stroup's probationary period was coming to an end," said one screening, suggesting that the informal complaint was made in order to justify Stroup's termination prior to him passing his probationary period.

When asked if he caused any inquiry or investigation to be initiated with respect to the allegations against Mr. Stroup, Glasow said, "No," indicating that he "had enough with the management inquiry" and "that her (Robinson's) discussion with me validated in my estimation some of the things that came out of the management inquiry."

Stroup was not approached about the allegations by Ms. Robinson and the other anonymous employees, however, before Glasow drafted his letter of termination to Stroup.

"Don't you think it would have been fair to confront him with that," Stroup's attorney asked, to which Glasow replied, "In hindsight, maybe yes."

A charge of nepotism was also leveled against FSD Stroup. An anonymous letter included in the management inquiry alleges Stroup violated TSA's policy against nepotism when he hired his brother-in-law, Dallas Ulbrich, as the screening operations officer at Buffalo.

But according to statements in the deposition, the inquiry report did not conclude that the charge was substantiated, however, or that the hiring was, in fact, a violation of TSA policy. Glasow said under oath that he did not conduct any research into the degrees necessary to determine whether or not nepotism rules were actually violated but instead relied on the opinion of other staff.

Glasow indicated that the management inquiry was the primary justification for Glasow's decision to terminate Stroup, although the management inquiry report itself states "There is no indicia of proof of any wrong doing by Mr Stroup."

One source familiar with the investigation said that since the Office of Special Counsel's investigation was announced, "they [management] have all been very, very nervous. [T]hese guys have never ever told the truth and for them to do so now means there is alot of pressure on them."

2006-04-02T12:03:00.000-07:00

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that a former San Diego police officer was rightfully terminated from his job for producing pornographic videos and selling them on eBay. Fortunately for the man, he currently has a job -- with the Transportation Security Administration.

According to a January, 2004, a U.S. appeals court ruled that Luis Acevedo was wrongly fired from his job with the San Diego Police Department in 2001 for selling home made pornagraphic videos and selling them on eBay under the eBay username "Code3Stud."

In the videos, which were posted in auctions in the site's Mature Audiences section, Acevedo is featured in a fake police uniform performing sexual acts including masturbation.

Acevedo was fired after his "hobby" was discovered by Sergeant Robert Dare (SDPD), who originally came across another of Acevedo's auctions for police department paraphernalia, and recognized Acevedo in a picture from the video. Acevedo was charged with violating department policies on unbecoming conduct.

The department ordered him to stop selling the tapes, which Acevedo did, but he was fired on June 29, 2001, for disobeying orders after police officials found that his eBay seller profile still included references to the videos.

A Gay & Lesbian Times article mentions that he was terminated "even though he received a satisfactory performance evaluation for that time period as well as a letter of commendation."

Acevedo sued, using an alias "John Roe," claiming his activity was a "public concern" because the sex videos were made while he was off-duty and away from the workplace. Acevedo’s attorney, Michael Baranic, of Gattey Baranic LLP, argued the Flanagan “protected expression” test as a basis for the appeal.

In the lawsuit, Acevedo claimed investigators contacted Acevedo via e-mail to request a custom video, instructing him to act out a scene with another man, asking for Acevedo to be “pretending that you (Acevedo) are giving him a ticket” and then to “strip down while writing the ticket and make him a deal to take it back, which would end up with you cumming all over him.”

The San Francisco-based Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with Acevedo, in January decision, that his "actions outside of the workplace were protected by the First Amendment right to free speech," according to a news report.

But the the U.S. Supreme Court reviewed the case and ruled Monday (December 6, 2004) that officials of the San Diego Police Department were correct to fire an officer who sold pornographic video tapes of himself in uniform.

According to a recent news report, "the unsigned, unanimous opinion reverses a Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision in favor of the officer, who sued under the alias John Roe [aka Luis Acevedo] and claimed his free speech rights were violated. "

Fortunately for Acevedo, he still has a good paying job with the Transportation Security Administration.

"This fine example of law enforcement, Luis Acevedo, is a TSA regulatory inspector at [the San Diego airport]," said an unidentified source. "How this gentleman got hired [by TSA] after being fired from the SDPD is beyond me."

According to the TSA web site, the position of Assistant Federal Security Director for Regulatory Inspection "serves as the principal advisor to the Federal Security Director on all matters concerning enforcement and compliance with security directives pertaining to airport and aviation security," and "manages an inspection program for compliance by airlines, vendors, and other airport tenants."

More importantly, however, the AFSD of Regulatory Inspection "advises/informs [the] FSD on unusual or complex managerial or personnel disciplinary issues," "directs the work of supervisors, program managers and other subordinate employees" and "exercises discretion and sound judgment in dealing with sensitive human resources matters or issues."

I find it not a little ironic that a person who was terminated from civil service employment as a city police officer for making pornographic videos of himself in a police uniform (albeit not the uniform of his employing agency) is now responsible for exercising "discretion and sound judgment in dealing with sensitive human resources matters or issues" for the TSA.

To be frank, TSA screeners have enough problems right now and they need every ounce of professionalism, sound judgment and discretion that management can muster to avoid getting the proverbial shaft.

Is this man the best that the TSA can offer screeners at San Diego's airport? I doubt it. If he is, then that itself is a very sad testament to the TSA's ability to value it's "most valuable resource" -- its employees.

But Acevedo may have some 'splaining to do to the TSA, if it's on the ball. According to TSA Human Resource Management Letter 735-1, "Interim Policy on Employee Responsibilities and Conduct," while off-duty, "employees are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that does not adversely reflect on the TSA or negatively impact its ability to discharge its mission, cause embarrassment to the agency, or cause the public and/or supervisors to question the employee's reliability, judgment, or trustworthiness."

Call me a right wing radical or ultra-conservative nut job if you must, but I can't shake this feeling in the pit of my gut that videotaping oneself jerking off in a police uniform and selling those videos is, well... not indicative of "good judgment" by a federal employee and it does, indeed, adversely reflect on the TSA and "cause embarrassment" to the agency. But what do I know?

This is what I know. Screeners can be fired for any reason (or no reason at all), thanks to the wording of the Aviation Transportation Security Act of 2001 and the decisions of several courts (as well as the MSPB). But in case the TSA needed a little justification, however slight, TSA Management Directive 1100.75-3, "Addressing Performance And Conduct Problems," an employee may be "suspended, removed or reduced in pay band or rate of pay for such cause as will promote the efficiency of the service."

To those TSA officials who are reading this column (and I know there are at least a few), I would suggest you consider removing this person as a manager who "exercises discretion and sound judgment in dealing with sensitive human resources matters or issues," as it would most certainly promote the efficiency of the service. It might even bump up employee morale a tad, if that's still possible.

I don't expect that the TSA will follow my advice. It hasn't yet, at least not in those areas that would have a positive impact on its work force.

I would hate to think that my wife, who is a TSA screener, would have to rely on someone who masturbates on camera for cash to deal with her sensitive human resources matters or issues.

The Department of Homeland Security Inspector General just lost his job, purportedly for pissing off the administration from his "overly critical" investigative reports, and yet the TSA has managers like this guy handling screeners' "sensitive human resources issues."

No wonder Tom Ridge resigned. The TSA is an embarrassment of monumental proportions. To claim that it is building a "model workplace" is more than a pathetic joke, It's a blatanat lie and an insult to all hard-working screeners, especially those that have suffered at the hands of corrupt, abusive or just plain stupid managers.

The TSA rather reminds me of that old Star Trek episode, "And the Children Shall Lead," with the angel entity Gorgan and those little kids. Remember the end of the episode when Kirk was urging the kids to see the angel for what he "really" was?

Bingo.

I call 'em the way I see 'em, folks.

Thanks, TSA, for all but solidifying my opinion that the TSA should be disbanded and all airport security returned to private companies. At least those companies can be held to certain standards and federal laws.

This fits with TSA's pattern to "protect" the incompetent and morally degraded because they "know" someone, and fire those with integrity and charactor to "do the right thing" by disclosing blatent violations of Law, Security Policy and CFR. I see this every day at Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF).

Look at all the former federal employees at TSA. Many from the FAA and FBI who are recieving 2 federal paychecks, yet have no management or security training or skill. It is a known fact that just because someone has a law enforcement background, doesn't mean they know how to manage security operations at an airport.

In BUF's case, we have 2 ex-Navy/Coast Guard dunderheads with no security training or background and can only manage people by threats and lies. But they are well acquainted with HQ buddies from the Naval Acadamy who put them here.

Also, I believe it is Fraud and Abuse of public funds to give waivers to ex-FAA and ex-FBI agents so they can collect 2 federal paychecks. They quit (or retired) from their former jobs knowing that they can "rake it in" with TSA until they get caught.

2006-04-02T11:27:00.000-07:00

TSA screener checks out potential-crazed-shoe-bomber before would-be-terrorist dozes off.

2006-03-23T06:16:00.000-08:00

DEPT. OF HOMELAND SECURITY SHOOTS DOWN MOVIE SCRIPT

A Los Angeles screenwriter is claiming that the Department of Homeland Security has informed him that he may not use the agency's name "or any of the Department's official visual identities" in the script for his film, Lady Magdalene, despite the fact that the film presents a positive image of the DHS.

The writer, J. Neil Schulman, said Tuesday that he had received a notice from Bobbie Faye Ferguson, director of the NHS's office of multimedia, informing him that his "project does not fit within the DHS mission and that it is not something we can participate in."

In response, Schulman wrote to Ferguson that he had already received assistance from a special agent of the NHS's air marshal service while he was preparing his screenplay and that the agency's notice to him now represents a violation of his First Amendment rights.

"Merely the claim that you have the power to restrict such official images is chilling to the process of writing and producing a movie -- and certainly to an independent film in pre-production with a start date for principal photography only six weeks away," Schulman said.

2006-03-17T07:08:00.000-08:00

Airline screeners fail government bomb tests

21 airports nationwide don’t detect bomb-making materials

WASHINGTON - Imagine an explosion strong enough to blow a car's trunk apart, caused by a bomb inside a passenger plane. Government sources tell NBC News that federal investigators recently were able to carry materials needed to make a similar homemade bomb through security screening at 21 airports.

In all 21 airports tested, no machine, no swab, no screener anywhere stopped the bomb materials from getting through. Even when investigators deliberately triggered extra screening of bags, no one discovered the materials.

NBC News briefed former New Jersey Gov. Tom Kean, chairman of the 9/11 commission, on the results.

"I'm appalled," he said. "I'm dismayed and, yes, to a degree, it does surprise me. Because I thought the Department of Homeland Security was making some progress on this, and evidently they're not."

Investigators for the Government Accountability Office conducted the tests between October and January, at the request of Congress. The goal was to determine how vulnerable U.S. airlines are to a suicide bomber using cheap, readily available materials.

Investigators found recipes for homemade bombs from easily available public sources and bought the necessary chemicals and other materials over the counter. For security reasons, NBC News will not reveal any of the ingredients or the airports tested. The report itself is classified. But Lee Hamilton, the vice chairman of the 9/11 commission, says the fact that so many airports failed this test is a hugely important story that the American traveler is entitled to know.

NBC News asked a bomb technician to gather the same materials and assemble an explosive device to determine its power. The materials for the bomb that exploded a car's trunk fit in the palm of one hand. NBC News showed the results to Leo West, a former FBI bomb expert.

"Potentially, an explosion of that type could lead to the destruction of the aircraft," said West.

The Transportation Security Administration would not comment on the tests, but issued a statement to NBC News, saying "detecting explosive materials and IEDs at the checkpoint is TSA's top priority." The agency also said screeners are now receiving added training to help identify these materials.

That’s not soon enough for Tom Kean.

"They need to do it yesterday," Kean said, "because we haven’t got time."

Given hardened cockpit doors and other improvements, experts say explosives now are the gravest threat posed by terrorists in the sky.

2006-03-11T22:22:00.000-08:00

TSA HIRES SJ COP AFTER HE WAS FIRED FOR MISCONDUCT

One can only wonder what is required in the area of CHARACTER when you apply for a security sensitive position with the Transportation Security Administration under the watchful eye of The Department Of Homeland Security?

Thats what I wonder when I came across this San Jose Mercury News article and discovered the very SAME HARRY MUNRO who was disgracefully removed from San Jose Police Department was hired as a SUPERVISOR for TSA in the San Jose Mineta International Airport then PROMOTED TO SCREENING MANAGER...

If you have BAD CREDIT TSA doesnt want you, but if you appear to be a person who the police don't want working for them, well COME ON DOWN...

Doen't believe me, just read below and judge for yourself...

San Jose Mercury News San Jose Mercury News (CA) January 19, 1995

S.J. COP'S FIRING UPHELD AFTER TEEN COMPLAINS PONYTAIL WAS CUT OFF Author: BETTY BARNACLE, Mercury News Staff Writer Edition: Santa Cruz/MontereySection: LocalPage: 8B

Article Text: An arbitrator has upheld the firing of a San Jose police officer after a 1992 incident in which he and two other officers were accused of roughing up a teen-ager and then cutting off his ponytail. The ruling against former Officer Harry J. Munro was made public this week by San Jose police officials.

The ponytail incident led to an internal police investigation that turned up several allegations of misconduct against Munro. Although authorities ultimately dismissed criminal charges against the former officer, arbitrator Norman Brand concluded that Munro committed misconduct and violated department regulations in five instances.

Accusations listed According to police Lt. Dennis Luca, the arbitrator said Munro:

Committed assault under color of authority while on duty -- the ponytail incident.

Possessed 15 California driver's licenses and identification cards that were not properly booked as evidence.

Had less than an ounce of marijuana in his personal equipment bag without properly booking the marijuana as evidence.

Had less than an ounce of marijuana in his police locker, also not booked properly.

Had explosive fireworks devices and a stun gun in his equipment bag, also not booked or recorded in a crime report.

Munro had been an officer for 27 months when the ponytail incident occurred Aug. 18, 1992. He initially was fired June 2, 1993, but he filed an appeal. The incident began when Munro -- along with officers Nicholas Martinez Jr. and Isaac Cabrera -- arrested Joe Michael Gomez, then 19, on suspicion of stealing a coffee maker and a fire extinguisher from a downtown restaurant.

The officers also booked Gomez on suspicion of public intoxication and battery on a police officer.

Eventually, however, the district attorney's office charged Gomez with petty theft. Gomez claimed the officers drove him in! a police car to the rear of a fast- food restaurant, where they took off his leg restraints and beat him. Gomez also said the officers kicked him and cut off his thin, braided ponytail. The district attorney's office filed misdemeanor assault charges against all three officers, but those charges were dismissed last January.

Prosecutors said they had insufficient evidence: Some witnesses had disappeared, and others couldn't agree on the facts, including whether Gomez had a ponytail at the time. Exonerated by ruling After the charges were dismissed,

Munro and his attorney obtained a court ruling last summer that formally exonerated him of involvement in the ponytail case, according to Deputy District Attorney Frank Carrubba and Munro's lawyer, Larry Peterson.

Munro is "extremely disappointed" with the arbitrator's finding, Peterson said this week. He said his firm has not decided whether to take further action. Officer Martinez also was fired, and he appealed. But a judge ruled Martinez could be fired without specific cause because he had been an officer just 17 months and was considered a probationary employee.

Cabrera was dismissed in connection with a 1992 incident in which he was accused of lying to protect a sergeant who eventually was fired after allegedly fondling a suspect during a search. Copyright (c) 1995 San Jose Mercury News Record Number: 9501040909

2006-03-11T09:20:00.000-08:00

LaGuardia terminal evacuated; departures halted!

Man disappears after being singled out for security screening

NEW YORK (CNN) -- The Delta terminal at LaGuardia Airport in New York City was evacuated for about two hoursFriday after a man whose shoes provided an initial positive alert for explosives left the screening area, the Transportation Security Administration said.

Authorities gave no indication whether the man had been found.

TSA spokeswoman Ann Davis said the man had taken off his shoes for the test, but then put them back on and left about 2:50 p.m. before authorities had finished screening him.

"TSA Security and Port Authority Police are searching for him now," she said at the time. "He's going to have to come out at some point."

Davis said she was not sure why the man had been targeted for what the TSA calls a secondary screening -- which involves security officers passing a metal-detecting wand around a person's body.

The TSA said an electronic trace detection machine returned a positive alert for explosives, but such machines also can give an alert on benign substances.

Authorities said they were stopping all outgoing flights from terminal D until the man is found, and Delta spokesman Anthony Black said takeoffs should resume around 7 p.m. Inbound flights were not affected.

Passengers were allowed back into the terminal at around 5 p.m., and everyone was in the process of being screened again, said TSA spokesman Darin Kayser.

2006-03-03T10:01:00.000-08:00

Abdul again has airplane issues

Paula Abdul, a judge on "American Idol," won't get high marks from her fellow airline passengers, and she might be hearing from Homeland Security officials.

According to an Abdul spokesman, the former pop singer and dancer was running late Thursday, trying to make her Southwest flight at McCarran International Airport, when a group of fans mobbed her.

A Southwest representative at the scene whisked her through a back access, bypassing security, and onto the Los Angeles-bound plane.

However, upon arrival in Burbank, it was announced that security had been breached, and no one could leave the plane until the re-screening process was completed.

Abdul, whose six No. 1 hits included "Rush, Rush," was trying to make the flight so she wouldn't miss Thursday's live "Idol" show.

A Southwest representative who was asked to respond did not return a call by deadline.

In January, two employees at the Silverton accused Abdul of having them fired from their graveyard-shift jobs because she says they caused her to miss a flight.

2006-03-02T17:00:00.000-08:00

NTSB: Pilot Error Caused Flight Attendant To Be Sucked From Plane

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Federal investigators have concluded that pilot error led to an American Airlines flight attendant being sucked out of a plane during an emergency landing more than five years ago, killing him.

American Flight 1291 took off from Miami for Port-au-Prince, Haiti, with 121 passengers on Nov. 20, 2000. During the emergency descent back to Miami, there were pressurization problems, and the captain ordered the evacuation, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.

When the plane was on the ground, flight attendant Jose Chiu, 34, of New York, struggled to unfasten the front cabin door, and it exploded open. He fell two stories to the tarmac.

NTSB investigators concluded that pilots had not used a manual control to depressurize the plane. As a result, excessive pressure built up in the cabin causing the door to suddenly open.

The accident investigation was completed three years ago, but the "probable cause" statement was not released until Wednesday because of a Web site glitch, said NTSB spokesman Paul Schlamm.

"It was an extremely isolated and rare incident," said Tim Smith, spokesman for Forth Worth-based airline said Thursday. "We changed both our training and our procedures as a result of the situation to make sure people followed the procedure to avoid this happening."

Smith said the airline doesn't believe any other flight crew has failed to depressurize a plane since the accident.

2006-03-01T14:27:00.000-08:00

Last year, airlines lost a million more pieces of luggage than the year before.Millions of Americans believe that the overhead bins are a safer bet than the baggage hole.

The transportation department backs them up in a new report which says 2005 was the worst year for wayward bags since 1990. For many travelers their first stop after landing is the lost luggage line. The reasons are that travel is up, airline staffing levels are down and security is tighter.

As a consequence the number of bags lost by US Airways for example rose a whopping 80.5% over 2004, Southwest 26.9%, American 25.2% and Delta 37.1% or 573,419 bags lost in one year. To be fair to the airlines all these loses amounted to fewer than 10 complaints for every one thousand customers....

2006-03-01T08:51:00.000-08:00

'We're Going To Crash!'

A stewardess caused panic by repeatedly screaming "We're going to crash" when a packed plane hit turbulance.

The Virgin flight hit bad weather three hours into a journey from Gatwick to Las Vegas.

Some passengers were sick and others thrown from their seats as luggage, drinks and trays were tossed around.

Those using the toilet at the time were stuck in the cubicle while others prayed and cried.

And their ordeal was intensified by the screaming stewardess.

Passenger Paul Gibson told The Daily Mirror: "She began screaming every time the plane shook.

"She shouted at the top of her voice, 'We're going to crash! We're going to crash! We're going to crash!"

The un-named woman - in her mid 20s - also lobbed sick bags across the cabin when poorly passengers screamed for more.

Crew members say it was the worst turbulance they had encountered.

A spokesman for Virgin said no complaint had been received.

"Turbulance can be a very frightening ordeal," he added.

2006-02-23T08:03:00.000-08:00

2006-02-20T08:26:00.000-08:00

Funny air traffic controllers quotes

Tower: “Delta 351, you have traffic at 10 o’clock, 6 miles!” Delta 351: “Give us another hint! We have digital watches!”

“TWA 2341, for noise abatement turn right 45 Degrees.” “Centre, we are at 35,000 feet. How much noise can we make up here?” “Sir, have you ever heard the noise a 747 makes when it hits a 727?”

From an unknown aircraft waiting in a very long takeoff queue: “I’m f…ing bored!” Ground Traffic Control: “Last aircraft transmitting, identify yourself immediately!” Unknown aircraft: “I said I was f…ing bored, not f…ing stupid!”

Control tower to a 747: “United 329 heavy, your traffic is a Fokker, one o’clock, three miles, Eastbound.” United 239: “Approach, I’ve always wanted to say this…. I’ve got the little Fokker in sight.”

A DC-10 had come in a little hot and thus had an exceedingly long roll out after touching down. San Jose Tower noted: “American 751, make a hard right turn at the end of the runway, if you are able. If you are not able, take the Guadalupe exit off Highway 101, make a right at the lights and return to the airport.”

A military pilot called for a priority landing because his single-engine jet fighter was running “a bit peaked.” Air Traffic Control told the fighter pilot that he was number two, behind a B-52 that had one engine shut down. “Ah,” the fighter pilot remarked, “The dreaded seven-engine approach.”

Allegedly, a Pan Am 727 flight waiting for start clearance in Munich overheard the following: Lufthansa (in German): “Ground, what is our start clearance time?” Ground (in English): “If you want an answer you must speak in English.” Lufthansa (in English): “I am a German, flying a German airplane, in Germany. Why must I speak English?” Unknown voice from another plane (in a beautiful British accent): “Because you lost the bloody war.”

Tower: “Eastern 702, cleared for takeoff, contact Departure on frequency 124.7″ Eastern 702: “Tower, Eastern 702 switching to Departure. By the way, after we lifted off we saw some kind of dead animal on the far end of the runway.” Tower: “Continental 635, cleared for takeoff behind Eastern 702, contact Departure on frequency 124.7. Did you copy that report from Eastern 702?” Continental 635: “Continental 635, cleared for takeoff, roger; and yes, we copied Eastern… we’ve already notified our caterers.”

One day the pilot of a Cherokee 180 was told by the tower to hold short of the active runway while a DC-8 landed. The DC-8 landed, rolled out, turned around, and taxied back past the Cherokee. Some quick-witted comedian in the DC-8 crew got on the radio and said, “What a cute little plane. Did you make it all by yourself?” The Cherokee pilot, not about to let the insult go by, came back with a real zinger: “I made it out of DC-8 parts. Another landing like yours and I’ll have enough parts for another one.”

Allegedly the German air controllers at Frankfurt Airport are renowned as a short-tempered lot. They, it is alleged, not only expect one to know one’s gate parking location, but how to get there without any assistance from them. So it was with some amusement that we (a Pan Am 747) listened to the following exchange between Frankfurt ground control and a British Airways 747, call sign Speedbird 206. Speedbird 206: “Frankfurt, Speedbird 206 clear of active runway.” Ground: “Speedbird 206. Taxi to gate Alpha One-Seven.” The BA 747 pulled onto the main taxiway and slowed to a stop. Ground: “Speedbird, do you not know where you are going?” Speedbird 206: “Stand by, Ground, I’m looking up our gate location now.” Ground (with quite arrogant impatience): “Speedbird 206, have you not been to Frankfurt before?” Speedbird 206 (coolly): “Yes, twice in 1944, but it was dark,…… and I didn’t land.”

Allegedly, while taxiing at London’s Gatwick Airport, the crew of a US Air flight departing for Ft. Lauderdale made a wrong turn and came nose to nose with a United 727. An irate female ground controller lashed out at the US Air crew, screaming: “US Air 2771, where the hell are you going?! I told you to turn right onto Charlie taxiway! You turned right on Delta! Stop right there. I know it’s difficult for you to tell the difference between C and D, but get it right!” Continuing her rage to the embarrassed crew, she was now shouting hysterically: “God! Now you’ve screwed everything up! It’ll take forever to sort this out! You stay right there and don’t move till I tell you to! You can expect progressive taxi instructions in about half an hour and I want you to go exactly where I tell you, when I tell you, and how I tell you! You got that, US Air 2771?” US Air 2771: “Yes, ma’am,” the humbled crew responded.

Naturally, the ground control communications frequency fell terribly silent after the verbal bashing of US Air 2771. Nobody wanted to chance engaging the irate ground controller in her current state of mind. Tension in every cockpit out around Gatwick was definitely running high. Just then an unknown pilot broke the silence and keyed his microphone, asking: “Wasn’t I married to you once?”

2006-02-18T10:32:00.000-08:00

One-Armed Man Fined For Taking Too Long To Unload Luggage At Airport

AUSTRALIA-- A one-armed man who took too long to unload luggage at Melbourne airport was given a parking ticket.

Now the airport authority has threatened to take him to court if he doesn't pay the fine.

Stephen McKenzie-McHarg was told by an airport parking officer he could park in a bus zone to help his family with their bags if he was quick.

But while his motor was still running, and he was struggling with the luggage, another parking inspector wrote him a ticket.

"I've been without an arm since I was 21. (Now) I'm 54 and used to physical work, but I knew I was in trouble," he said this week.

"I said to the first inspector, 'I've travelled five hours from the country and I've got two women to pick up with six big suitcases'. The head man said, 'Be quick'."

"I wasn't 30 seconds, but the next little fella threw the book at me."

Mr McKenzie-McHarg said the car was never out of his sight while he helped with his wife and daughter's bags.

His family had just returned from America.

"He's saying, 'Get going, get going'. I said, 'Why don't you give me a hand?' Then he said, 'I'm going to book you'."

Mr McKenzie-McHarg wrote a letter challenging the $66 fine, but without success. Melbourne airport then threatened to take him to court.

Mr McKenzie-McHarg has vowed to fight his case in court.

"I'm fighting it on principle. I feel very much discriminated against," he said.

"Australians are supposed to be compassionate, helpful people and the ones I know are.

"I'd like them to apologise and change their ways. Next time the fellow might have just one leg."

The fine fiasco follows outrage over Qantas's treatment of disabled passengers wanting to use their wheelchairs outside terminals.

Melbourne airport spokeswoman Brooke Lord said a strict policy was necessary because of terrorism fears and Federal Government requirements.

Their legal department was looking at Mr McKenzie-McHarg's case, but she could not say whether the charges would be pursued.

The incident occurred on June 1 last year.

Mr McKenzie-McHarg has hired a solicitor but is in a legal limbo after receiving contradictory advice from the airport on whether the fine is being taken to court.

2006-02-18T07:18:00.000-08:00

Two years probation for laser prank on US jet

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A New Jersey man was sentenced to two years probation on Friday after he pleaded guilty to interfering with pilots of an aircraft by shining a hand-held laser into the cockpit of a private jet.

David Banach, 39, had originally blamed the prank on his 7-year-old daughter before pleading guilt to the charge of interference with pilots of a passenger aircraft -- a Patriot Act offense that carries a maximum of 20 years in prison.

Banach, a married father of three young daughters, aimed a green laser beam at a chartered Cessna jet carrying six passengers from Boca Raton, Fla., to New Jersey's Teterboro Airport on December 29, 2004.

The laser flashes distracted the pilot and co-pilot, causing a temporary loss of vision, according to prosecutors.

U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie said he had not opposed the defense's request for a sentence that did not include prison time.

"At no time did we believe that Mr. Banach was involved in terrorism or that he should face a maximum penalty of 20 years in a federal prison," Christie said in a statement.

"Nonetheless, his conduct posed an immediate threat to innocent lives on an aircraft landing at Teterboro Airport."

Two days after the incident, the pilot of the plane joined law enforcement agents in a helicopter to identify the general location of the laser incident.

While circling the area, the helicopter was struck with a laser beam similar to the one in the first incident.

Agents turned a power spotlight onto the house where the laser beam emanated from and law enforcement officers on the ground moved in on Banach's house.

At first he blamed his daughter but after a lie detector test and further questioning, Banach admitted he had directed the laser at both the helicopter and the plane.

2006-02-12T08:15:00.000-08:00

Drug Smuggling Air Marshals?

The arrest of a pair of agents on possible cocaine charges raises new concerns about the aviation security program...

For a law enforcement agency that works hard to be invisible, the Federal Air Marshals have been generating a lot of attention lately. On Thursday, two of the agency's several thousand highly trained traveling armed guards were taken into custody in Houston. Although the US Attorney's office would not comment beyond acknowledging that the Air Marshals were arrested by agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security's Inspector General's office, Government sources tell TIME that the two Air Marshals, are allegedly involved with the possession or transportation of cocaine, and may have been paid several thousand dollars to move the drugs.

The marshals, one of whom is a former agent of the Drug Enforcement Administration, will likely appear in court to face criminal charges next week, and will almost certainly be suspended.

The incident comes only two months after two marshals shot and killed a man who claimed—falsely, as it turned out—to have a bomb while boarding an airplane in Miami. Although the official results of an investigation will not be complete until late spring, it is expected to conclude that the agents acted appropriately in their dealings with the passenger.

The arrest in Houston is a shock to an agency that plays an important role in aviation security. Although there have been air marshals flying for decades, on Sept. 11, 2001, the numbers had dwindled to only three dozen agents. After the attacks, the agency was drastically increased in size and many agents were drafted from other law enforcement agencies and local police departments.

New agents were-and are—subject to security screening and background checks similar to other federal law enforcement agencies, which are required to be updated only every five years.

Critics said the rush to expand allowed too many inexperienced men and women into the service, and there were reports of marshals clashing with airline personnel or other law enforcement agents. Aviation sources say the agency has spent the last few years weeding out poor performers, but the arrest of the two agents in Houston is sure to further stoke those concerns.

2006-02-12T08:14:00.000-08:00

US pilot suspected of drinking, arrested in Britain

An American Airlines pilot was arrested in Britain on Saturday on suspicion of being drunk before a scheduled flight to Chicago, the airline said.

A statement by the world's No. 1 airline said the crew member was a relief pilot on the Boeing 767-300 with 198 passengers, meaning he was a backup to the captain and first officer. The crew member was not identified.

He was arrested on suspicion of being under the influence of alcohol after reporting for duty at Manchester airport, the carrier said. A court appearance was scheduled for Monday.

American said in a statement it was investigating and would not provide additional details.

"Our primary concern is for the safety and comfort of our passengers and crews," the airline said. "American Airlines has strict policies on alcohol and substance abuse and holds its employees to the highest standards."

Flight 55 was due to arrive in Chicago shortly after 4 p.m. local time, three hours late. The plane was scheduled to stop in New York to supplement the crew.

2006-02-10T22:04:00.000-08:00

Woman Carrying Human Head Arrested in Fla.

Airport baggage screeners found a human head with teeth, hair and skin in the luggage of a woman who said she intended to ward off evil spirits with it, authorities said Friday.

Myrlene Severe, 30, a Haitian-born permanent U.S. resident, was charged Friday with smuggling a human head into the U.S. without proper documentation.

Customs and Border Protection officials found the head Thursday, after Severe arrived at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on a Lynx International Airlines flight from Cap Haitien, Haiti, said Barbara Gonzalez, a spokeswoman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Miami.

"It still had teeth, hair and bits of skin and lots of dirt," Gonzalez said.

Severe told authorities she had obtained the package in Haiti for "use as a part of her voodoo beliefs," ICE Special Agent Erick Hernandez wrote in an affidavit in support of a criminal complaint.

"Severe also stated that the purpose of the package was to ward off evil spirits," Hernandez wrote.

Severe, who also was charged with failing to declare the head and transporting hazardous material in air commerce, faces a maximum of 15 years in prison if convicted of all charges, prosecutors said.

Severe remained held Friday in lieu of a $100,000 bond. She is due back in federal court March 2.

2006-02-09T13:16:00.000-08:00

Man Apparently Kills Himself on Plane

A man apparently hanged himself in an airplane lavatory during a flight that was diverted to Denver after his body was discovered, police said.

Denver medical examiner's spokeswoman Michelle Weiss-Samaras said an autopsy was planned for the body of Gerald Georgettis, 56, of Miami, which was found Wednesday on a United Airlines flight from Washington, D.C., to Los Angeles.

"Right now, everything leads us to believe the male involved did commit suicide," police Detective Virginia Lopez said. No other passengers were ever in danger, she added.

A man with the same name and age was charged with arson and felony criminal mischief in Miami after a fire caused nearly $1 million in damage at a Ford dealership on Saturday. Weiss-Samaras and Miami-Dade County police could not confirm it was the same man.

The arson suspect was accused of driving his new Ford through the dealership showroom, pouring gasoline on it and lighting it. Police have said he was upset about the price.

2006-01-30T14:17:00.000-08:00

A Near Miss?

Disaster seemed certain when a photographer captured these planes on course to collide over east London.

To the onlookers below, the aircraft looked set for a horrific mid-air crash.

2006-01-29T20:27:00.000-08:00

Homeland Security addicted to porn
[To keep you safe, your War On Terror pals both produce and enjoy porn]

Homeland Security bureaucrats just look at pornography all day, a startling new government report suggests.

The terror bureaucracy’s internal computer network logged a staggering 65 million security alerts in just 90 days, according to the study (PDF) released today by Homeland Security Department inspector general Dick Skinner.

The DHS computer network is such an ineptly run mess that it's unknown how many of those 65 million porn alarms are really caused by Homeland Security employees looking at naked pictures.

An expensive network of programs are used to constantly spy on all employee computers, but it all works so poorly that nobody can tell the difference between one cubicle drone looking for "oral sex" pictures or another typing the word "behavioral," Washington Technology reported today.

What is known for sure is that porn alarms are going off at an explosive rate.

In July 2004, for example, the DHS network was logging 5.4 million "security events" per month. Less than a year later, when Inspector Skinner collected information for his investigation, that number had skyrocketed to 21.6 million per month.

The report concludes that Homeland Security has a laughably vulnerable computer network that is pounded by a steady stream of virus and hacker attacks while DHS employees engage in highly unprofessional and dangerous computer activities.

It's just the latest embarrassing scandal for the bloated federal agency. Earlier this month, former attorney general John Ashcroft was caught chasing lucrative Homeland Security contracts for his business clients.

The gold standard of Homeland Security corruption remains GOP Congressman Roy Blunt's incredible stunt of 2003, when he was caught trying to sneak "tobacco-friendly language" into a Homeland Security bill while he was having sex with a lobbyist from tobacco giant Phillip Morris.

2006-01-18T20:25:00.000-08:00

2005-12-15T20:46:00.000-08:00

Airline threatens to ground overweight staff Associated Press in New Delhi

Air India has told its 1,600 cabin crew to lose weight or face being grounded. Overweight pilots and flight attendants have been given two months to shape up, said officials.

The airline says other carriers follow similar guidelines on fitness and that its own rules have been applied for months, although it admits there is a push to alter perceptions that its cabin staff are tired and inefficient.

The carrier did not say what constituted "overweight" or if any staff had been grounded. But a spokesman said: "Imagine if crew members can't fasten their seat belts, how can they fly?"

2005-12-11T07:47:00.000-08:00

2005-12-07T18:50:00.000-08:00

Air Marshal Kills Passenger, Citing Threat

MIAMI (AP) - An agitated passenger who claimed to have a bomb in his backpack was shot and killed by a federal air marshal Wednesday after he bolted frantically from a jetliner that was boarding for takeoff, officials said. No bomb was found.

It was the first time since the Sept. 11 attacks that an air marshal had shot at anyone, Homeland Security Department spokesman Brian Doyle said. Another federal official said there was no apparent link to terrorism.

According to a witness, the passenger ran down the aisle of the Boeing 757, flailing his arms, while his wife tried to explain that he was mentally ill and had not taken his medication.
The passenger, identified as Rigoberto Alpizar, indicated there was a bomb in his bag and was confronted by air marshals but ran off the aircraft, Doyle said. The marshals went after him and ordered him to get down on the ground, but he did not comply and was shot when he apparently reached into the bag, Doyle said.

Alpizar, a 44-year-old U.S. citizen, was gunned down on a jetway outside the American Airlines plane, which was parked at a gate at Miami International Airport. Alpizar had arrived earlier in the day from Quito, Ecuador, and Flight 924 was going to Orlando, near his home in Maitland.

Relatives said Alpizar and his wife had been on a working vacation in Peru. A neighbor who said he had been asked to watch the couple's home described the vacation as a missionary trip.
"We're all still in shock. We're just speechless," a sister-in-law, Kelley Beuchner, said by telephone from her home in Milwaukee.

The shooting occurred shortly after 2 p.m. as Flight 924 was about to take off for Orlando with the man and 119 other passengers and crew, American spokesman Tim Wagner said.
After the shooting, investigators spread passengers' bags on the tarmac and let dogs sniff them for explosives, and bomb squad members blew up at least two bags.

No bomb was found, said James E. Bauer, agent in charge of the Federal Air Marshals field office in Miami. He said there was no reason to believe there was any connection to terrorists.

The concourse where the shooting took place was shut down for a half-hour, but the rest of the airport continued operating, officials said.

Federal officials declined to say how many times Alpizar was shot, or reveal how many air marshals were on the plane.

Mary Gardner, a passenger aboard the Orlando-bound flight, told WTVJ-TV in Miami that the man ran down the aisle from the rear of the plane. "He was frantic, his arms flailing in the air," she said. She said a woman followed, shouting, "My husband! My husband!"

Gardner said she heard the woman say her husband was bipolar - a mental illness also known as manic-depression - and had not had his medication.

Gardner said four to five shots were fired. She could not see the shooting.

After the shooting, police boarded the plane and told the passengers to put their hands on their heads, Gardner said.

"It was quite scary," she told the TV station via a cell phone. "They wouldn't let you move. They wouldn't let you get anything out of your bag."

Alpizar's brother-in-law, Steven Beuchner, said he was a native of Costa Rica, and met Beuchner's sister, Anne, when she was an exchange student there. Relatives said the couple had been married about two decades.

Neighbors described Alpizar as a pleasant man who worked in the paint department of a home-supply store and spent his spare time tending to the lawn of his ranch-style house. Many found it incomprehensible that he could have made a bomb threat.

"He was a nice guy, always smiling, always talkative," Louis Gunther said. "Everybody is talking about a guy I know nothing about."

Alex McLeod, 16, who lives three houses from the Alpizars, said: "This whole neighborhood is shocked. ... Totally uncharacteristic of the guy."

No one answered the door Wednesday evening at the Alpizars' modest, four-bedroom house on a tree-lined street in suburban Orlando. A car was in the driveway, and television crews milled about.

There were only 33 air marshals at the time of the Sept. 11 attacks. The Bush administration hired thousands more afterward, but the exact number is classified.

Marshals fly undercover, and which planes they're on is a closely guarded secret. Until Wednesday, no marshal had fired a weapon, though they had been involved in scores of incidents.

Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., who as chairman of the House aviation subcommittee was involved in the expansion of the air marshal service, called Wednesday's shooting "an unfortunate incident."
"Everyone's on edge because we view the biggest threat as explosives, or bombs," he said.
---

2005-12-06T21:15:00.000-08:00

2005-11-27T18:32:00.000-08:00

Passenger Urinates In Aisle, Diverts Orlando Flight

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- An intoxicated passenger who lit a cigarette and urinated in the aisle led pilots to divert a United Airlines flight from Orlando to Washington, D.C., an airline spokeswoman said.

The man, whose name the airline declined to release, was taken off flight 1502 in Charlotte and questioned by police, spokeswoman Robin Urbanski said.

The man was "acting extremely inappropriately," Urbanski said. "When you want to run a safe airline, we don't tolerate that type of activity on our aircraft."

A Charlotte-Mecklenburg police watch commander referred questions about an in-flight incident to the FBI in Charlotte, which did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

2005-10-25T14:04:00.000-07:00

Toy, Cookie Are Mistaken for Bomb Parts

A terminal at San Diego International Airport was evacuated Tuesday after luggage screeners mistook a child's toy and a cookie for bomb- making components, officials said. A screening machine at the Commuter Terminal detected what appeared to be bomb-making material in a carryon bag around 7:45 a.m., said Transportation Security Administration spokeswoman Jennifer Peppin.

A bomb squad was called to the terminal, which serves regional flights, and investigators determined the bag did not contain any "IED," or improvised explosive devices, Peppin said. "Essentially what they did find was a child's toy and some organic material in a bag that turned out to be a cookie," Peppin said. "Those two items combined on-screen, they very much appeared to be an IED, and it turned out not to be."

The terminal was reopened about 9:20 a.m. and passengers were allowed back in, Peppin said. Five commuter flights to Los Angeles and one flight to Salt Lake City were delayed, said Steve Shultz, an airport spokesman. The discovery followed bomb threats called in earlier Tuesday to airports in Long Beach and Orange County. The calls triggered massive searches of both facilities but no explosive devices were found.

2005-10-22T19:35:00.000-07:00

Embracing the creativity and innovation encouraged by its corporate culture, EVA Air has teamed up with Sanrio Company, Ltd. to unveil the world’s first “Hello Kitty Jet.” Revealed today in a heartwarming celebration at the Evergreen Aviation Technologies Corporation hangar that was co-hosted by EVA Air President K.W. Chang and Sanrio top management, the cheerful special-edition EVA Airbus 330-200 is painted nose-to-tail with super-sized characters from the charming world of Hello Kitty.

On the right side of the aircraft, identified with “Hello Kitty EVA Air,” Kitty and her friends greet passengers with welcoming smiles. Daniel Star, his aviator glasses perched on his forehead, stands nearest the cockpit with Kitty by his side. Tim and Tammy, the mischievous monkeys, sit over the wing. Joy, the blue mouse, is poised on the engine. And Mimmy White, Kitty’s sister, joins parents Mary and George White, near the back of the aircraft. On the left of the aircraft under “EVA Air Hello Kitty,” Kitty stands nearest the cockpit beside her friend Kathy, the white rabbit. Rory, the yellow squirrel, frolics on the engine.

Tim and Tammy and Kitty’s family are featured in the same positions as on the other side of the aircraft.EVA repeated the livery theme inside the cabin by creating a Hello Kitty fantasy with sweet Hello Kitty paintings on the walls, and by outfitting flight attendants with Hello Kitty ribbons for their hair and Hello Kitty aprons.

Passengers booked on EVA’s Hello Kitty Jet will get pink Hello Kitty boarding passes and luggage tags. Onboard, they will enjoy a series of inflight Hello Kitty service accessories, Hello Kitty meals, and have access to exclusive EVA Air Hello Kitty duty-free shopping. A special EVA Air Hello Kitty Web site has also been created in Chinese and Japanese languages at http://evakitty.evaair.com/.

The aircraft hangar where the festive event was staged was decorated to represent the wonderful world of Hello Kitty make believe, and Hello Kitty family and friends entertained guests with special appearances and dances.EVA Air’s special Hello Kitty Jet will fly to Fukuoka every day, starting on Oct. 22.

To meet anticipated demand and serve passengers’ requirements, EVA is working with travel agents to design special Hello Kitty tour packages featuring visits to Harmony Land, the make-believe world where Hello Kitty and her friends live, and where fans are bound to want to go.Trips to Fukuoka will include appealing local attractions such as the famous hot springs, too. Additional information, reservations and bookings are available on the EVA Air Web site, http://www.evaair.com/.

This just in, DISNEY HAS CREATED THEIR OWN AIRLINE , the imagine ,featuring those two GAY squirrels Chip and Dale will allow you to fly from several American cities to San Francisco's GAY FREEDOM DAY FESTIVAL at a price of $69.69

2005-10-22T16:22:00.000-07:00

TSA Management at SMF Says Pregnant Screener Can't Work

An open letter to FSD Ron Pelayo, DHS Inspector GeneralThe Transportation Security

Administration management officials at Sacramento International Airport have done it again. A Lead Transportation Security Screener at the airport was on light duty status as a result of her doctor's recommendation due to her medical condition, a high risk pregnancy.

The Lead Screener was assigned to Terminal B, the slower of Sacramento's two terminals, and was working productively, well within her physician-recommended restrictions. But then, things changed and TSA management went back on its word and refused to let the screener work even though she is perfectly able to do so.

The following is an open letter sent to Federal Security Director Ron Pelayo about his managers' refusal to allow the screener to work and other issues surrounding their arbitrary decision. A copy was also sent to the DHS Inspector General for review.
=================================================
Mark Arsenault [Contact info deleted]
Ron Pelayo Federal Security Director, TSA Sacramento International Airport 6900 Airport Blvd Sacramento, CA 95837 Via Fax: (916) 928-2192
April 20, 2005 FSD Ron Pelayo:
I am writing to express my concern about the way that my wife's light duty assignment has been handled and to ask you to look into possible misconduct by TSA management and HR officials under you at Sacramento International Airport.
1. BACKGROUND
Lead Transportation Security Screener Margaret Arsenault has been on light duty for several months due to her medical condition (as documented in medical paperwork possessed by your office).
2. LIGHT DUTY EXTENSION EXPIRED SAME DAY OF SCHEDULED DEPOSITIONS
A recent light duty "contract," dated February 23, 2005, was set to expire on March 2, 2005. My understanding of AVO 400.30.11 Light Duty Assignments for Screeners is that light duty extensions may be granted for 45 days at a time. For some reason, my wife's light duty contract was extended for only about a week and, coincidentally, it was set to expire at about the same time that depositions were scheduled to begin in my wife's EEO case (EEOC No. 370-2005-00014X, Agency No. TSAF-03-1036).
On February 23, 2005, my wife was told by HR Rep Bud Angel that when that light duty contract expired on March 2, 2005, that my wife would be required to "return to full duty or stay home."
3. REQUEST FOR DENIAL IN WRITING REFUSED
The next day Margaret spoke with HR Rep Bud Angel and asked for something in writing to indicating that her light duty contract could not — or would not — be extended and Mr. Angel told her that her light duty contract "is all you're going to get."
4. LIGHT DUTY EXTENSION EXPIRED DURING RESCHEDULED DATES OF DEPOSITIONS
After sending you a letter (via fax) on February 28, 2005, my wife's light duty contract was extended, even though she was told by HR that it couldn't be extended.
The latest light duty contract, however, was only extended until March 25, 2005 — a mere 23 days, not 45 days as allowed per AVO 400.30.11. In addition, the date of expiration again coincides with the rescheduled start of depositions in my wife's EEO case. I find that to be an incredible coincidence, especially when considering the allegations of past misconduct and retaliation against my wife (detailed in her EEO complaint).
5. MANAGEMENT REQUESTS ADDITIONAL, DUPLICATIVE MEDICAL DOCUMENTATION
What's more, my wife was told that in order to extend her light duty assignment beyond March 25, 2005, she would need to provide yet more medical paperwork from her physician to support her request. My wife has already submitted paperwork from her physician indicating that she is on light duty for a "serious condition" (a high-risk pregnancy) which is expected to continue to her estimated delivery date of June 15 or 16, 2005. Furthermore, that documentation contains all of the information required by TSA and further indicates that the condition is covered under the Family Medical Leave Act.
According to TSA policy, "Employees may be asked to provide additional information if medical certification is unclear or does not indicate that the employee is incapacitated for duty" (HRM Letter 630-3). The documentation provided by Margaret would not seem to be "unclear," as no questions were raised about it since it was first submitted. If the documentation has been sufficient in the past, why, then, was it not sufficient for this extension?
Margaret subsequently provided yet more medical documentation (on or about March 23, 2005) to substantiate her light duty extension, even though her condition (high-risk pregnancy) has an obvious duration of 9 months, with a projected delivery date on or about June 16th. Please note that Margaret never received a light duty contract after the one with an expiration date of March 25.
After reviewing TSA's own policy on the issue of light duty and being intimately familiar with the circumstances surrounding her EEO case, I find it very difficult to believe that the TSA truly requires duplicative paperwork from my wife to substantiate a condition that has not only been documented (several times) but which common sense would indicate will not "end" until her delivery. Why, then, would your management staff require even more paperwork from my wife and why would they only extend her light duty contract until the depositions in her case were scheduled to begin?
6. UNREASONABLE SCHEDULE BID "WINDOW"
Most recently, a new "schedule bid" was conducted at Sacramento International Airport (in or about the week of March 24th), in which each employee would have a 5 minute window of opportunity to submit a bid for their desired regular days off (RDO). Margaret's "scheduled time to bid" was 6:10 a.m. Margaret at the time worked a 12 Noon to 9 p.m. shift.
I don't need to tell you how ludicrous and unreasonable this "mandate" from your management staff is, do I? If the shift bid is being conducted using a seniority basis, surely there is a better way for screeners to submit their bids other than to have a "five minute window" in the middle of their off-duty time to do so.
As it turns out, Margaret was able to submit her bid early, because she was out for depositions on her EEO case against the TSA. Her bid request was for Thursday, Friday and Saturday off and did, in fact, receive those days off. Her schedule was changed to Fridays and Saturdays off, however, to accommodate her light duty contract (of 5 days at 8 hours per day).
7. SCHEDULE BID RESULTS IN TRANSFER TO BUSY TERMINAL
As a result of the bid, however, Margaret was reassigned to a different terminal (from B-2 to A). As you no doubt are aware, Terminal A is a much busier terminal, and the pace was causing issues with Margaret's duty restrictions. Specifically, Margaret was getting exhausted and the work load was causing additional stress and severe back pains. Margaret has submitted numerous documents from her medical provider (Kaiser Permanente), including formal documentation identifying Margaret as having a "serious medical condition" (high-risk pregnancy) that is covered under the Family Medical Leave Act.
In case you are unaware of some of the differences between work assignments at Terminal B and Terminal A, Margaret has identified the following:
Terminal A / Terminal B Leads are not in rotation / Leads are in rotation Multiple lanes (3-4 open on p.m.) / 1 lane Leads don't sit at Exit / Leads do sit at Exit Leads don't sit at X-Ray / Leads do sit at X-Ray Steady busy pace; no time to sit/study / Slower pace; time avail, to sit/study Leads resolve many alarms / Seldom any alarms to resolve Leads give numerous prohibs options / Seldom have prohibs
8. MARGARET ONLY LEAD SCREENER ON TERMINAL A P.M. SHIFT
It's also interesting to note that out of 30+ Lead Transportation Security Screeners, Margaret was the only LTSS assigned to Terminal A checkpoint on p.m. shift for 4 out of 5 of her assigned work days. Moving Margaret - and no other Lead Screeners - to Terminal A appears to be in retaliation.
9. SO REQUIRES MEDICAL DOCUMENT TO REASSSIGN MARGARET TO B
On or about April 4th or 5th, Margaret spoke with Scheduling Officer Dale (unk last name) and requested she be moved back to Terminal B. At that time, Dale told Margaret that he could move her back to Terminal B but that he would need to have yet another document from her physician indicating that Margaret would need to work "a slower pace."
Margaret contacted her physician's office shortly thereafter and a document was faxed to TSAHR later that week.
10. MARGARET SUFFERS MEDICAL SYMPTOMS AS A RESULT OF WORKING T-A
On Thursday, April 7th, Margaret was working at Terminal A and began suffering from back pain, cramps, and contractions (20 minutes apart). On the advice of her physician, Margaret left work early and went home sick. After speaking with the Kaiser Advice Nurse via telephone, Margaret was advised that the symptoms were brought on as a result of her increased work load.
11. REQUEST FOR ACCOMODATION/REASSIGNMENT TO T-B DENIED
On or about April 8th, 2005, HR Specialist Bud Angel called Margaret at home and told her that TSA would not be able to accommodate her light duty.
12. REQUEST FOR DENIAL IN WRITING DENIED
During this conversation, Margaret requested this decision be provided to her in writing, to which Mr. Angel responded "We don't normally do it in writing but I'll talk to someone and see what I can do."
I find it interesting that your staff would refuse to provide responses to light duty and/or modification requests not once but twice, when AVO 400.30.11 specifically requires denials be in writing. What's more, if "operation need" were an important factor in your staffs decisions regarding Margaret's work assignment, it would seem quite feasible to move one of the more than 30 other Lead Screeners to work her assignment so that she could work at Terminal B, where she had been working successfully for some time.
13. MARGARET PLACED ON LEAVE WITHOUT PAY STATUS
As a result of your staffs decision not to accommodate Margaret's request for transfer to Terminal B, Margaret has since been on Leave Without Pay status.
The fact of the matter is that, even with the medical restrictions ordered by her physician, Margaret is fully capable of working productively at Terminal B. It should be noted that during her entire time on light duty, Margaret has never been assigned to an administrative or other "sit down" or "office" job, even though this is fully within the ability of TSA to provide, as your staff has done for at least one other pregnant female screener at SMF in the past.
14. REQUEST FOR COPY OF DOCUMENT DELAYED ONE WEEK
Subsequent to being placed on Leave Without Pay status, Margaret requested a copy of the medical form that was submitted to TSA HR from her medical provider. The medical provider was unable to locate the document and Margaret had yet to see it. She requested a copy of the form be faxed to her by TSA HR.
Margaret called and left a message on Lisa's voicemail on or about Monday or Tuesday, April 11th or 12th. It was not until the afternoon of Tuesday, April 19 - a week later - that Margaret received a copy of her last light duty contract (March 3-March 25, 2005) via facsimile. It was not the form that Margaret had requested.
Margaret called and left another message and subsequently called HR on Wednesday, April 20, and spoke with HR Specialist Bud Angel. She told him that she received the light duty contract but that she had requested the medical form that Kaiser has sent to HR. Mr. Angel told Margaret that the form was not "readily available" and was in some "piles of paperwork" that "needed to be filed first" before it could be located.
We did finally receive a facsimile of the requested document, which was sent from HR at 3:56 p.m. on April 20, 2005. A copy of the document is attached for your review.
15. MARGARET ABLE TO WORK WITH RESTRICTIONS
Please note that the restrictions indicated on the medical form would still enable Margaret to work at Terminal B, as she has described the requirements of that work assignment to me. TSA's "operational need" would seem to suggest that you can use every person available to fill positions, even if it means assigning Margaret to Terminal B.
16. ACTIONS BY MANAGEMENT CAUSING UNDUE STRESS, CONSTITUTE RETALIATION
I believe that the actions by the aforementioned managers are intended to cause unnecessary stress and inconvenience on my wife, the ultimate affects of which could go far beyond just her ability to work; it could affect her personal health. In fact, the decisions of your staff have already begun to have an adverse effect on Margaret, as indicated earlier. We feel that these actions and decisions on the part of your staff constitute retaliation against Margaret for her protected EEO activity (filing an EEO complaint on March 31, 2003).
This has been an ongoing concern and the discriminatory and retaliatory acts against Margaret by your staff continue to mount. I find mis to be outrageous behavior and harassment that violates TSA's "Zero Tolerance Policy" against sexual harassment and retaliation, as well as other TSA policies, federal law, professional ethics and simple morality.
17. TSA "ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY" VIOLATED
In a policy statement letter, dated April 7, 2004, (then) Acting Administrator David M. Stone wrote: "TSA's greatest asset is its talented and dedicated employees" and that the "TSA will ensure that all employees... are treated in a lawful, nondiscriminatory manner without regard to race, color, national original, religion, age, gender, disability, parental status, or genetic information. In addition, TSA will ensure that any barriers to equal employment opportunity are removed." Further, in the same letter, Stone wrote: "At TSA, mere is zero tolerance for harassment in the workplace and in the delivery of its services. Harassment can create a hostile, offensive, or otherwise intimidating environment for employees and the public, and will not be tolerated" (emphasis mine).
18. FEDERAL LAW REQUIRES REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION
According to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. as amended, protects qualified employees and applicants with disabilities in the Executive Branch of the Federal government from employment discrimination based on disability. Further, it requires Federal agencies to provide reasonable accommodation for known physical or mental limitations of qualified employees and applicants, unless to do so would cause undue hardship.
I find it unlikely that reassigning Margaret to Terminal B would "impose an undue hardship (defined by OPM as an action that requires "significant difficulty or expense") on [TSA's] everyday operations."
19. DENIALS MUST BE IN WRITING
I would also like to bring to your attention that the U.S. Office of Personnel management indicates that "All denials of reasonable accommodation requests must be made in writing, and the decision must specify the reason for the denial. The denial should be written in plain language, clearly stating the specific reasons for the denial. After denying a request, the individual must be informed that s/he has the right to file an EEO complaint, has the right to pursue any applicable union grievance and informal alternative dispute resolution."
Further, AVO 400.30.11 specifically requires denials be in writing.
Clearly, your staff's refusal to provide their denial to Margaret's request for accommodation in writing would seem to be not only unethical and a violation of TSA policy, but also a violation of other federal laws, as well.
20. DISCRIMINATION ON BASIS OF PREGNANCY UNLAWFUL
The Pregnancy Discrimination Act is an amendment to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. According to the Act, "Discrimination on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions constitutes unlawful sex discrimination under Title VII, which covers ... the federal government. Women who are pregnant or affected by related conditions must be treated in the same manner as other applicants or employees with similar abilities or limitations."
As I'm sure you know, 5 U.S.C. Section 2302(c) requires federal agency heads, and officials with delegated authority for any aspect of personnel management, to: prevent prohibited personnel practices, including reprisal for whistleblowing; comply with and enforce civil service laws, rules and regulations" (source: US. Office of Special Counsel).
21. AWARENESS OF ISSUES
I am of the impression that you were not aware of the situation involving my wife's light duty status until receipt of her letter, dated Febraury 28, 2005. This may or may not be the case, but other recent events lead me to believe that there are a number of things being done by management officials beneath you that you are not aware of (such as the recent issue involving the 4/10 schedule for screeners and HR's denial of Margaret's request for accommodation - which was requested by the scheduling officer).
I appreciate that you seem to be resolving issues that have plagued SMF since long before your arrival to replace FSD William Wade. By all accounts mere have been a number of actions and omissions by TSA management at SMF that have caused unnecessary hardship on the screeners there, including actions and omissions that, as they have been described to me, would seem to violate TSA policy and federal law. The things I mentioned above are only the tip of the iceberg. There is so much more.
22. REMEDIES
I respectfully request that you:
Authorize an extension of my wife's light duty contract to June 16, 2005, without requiring her to submit additional, duplicative documentation from her physician unless changes in her condition warrant a modification to her light duty status.
Authorize reassignment of Margaret to Terminal B.
Convert Margaret's "Leave Without Pay" status from April 8 until she is reinstated to light duty to paid Administrative Leave, as a result of management's inappropriate denial of her request for accommodation.
Authorize Margaret to deal directly with you regarding issues surrounding her light duty status. Past interactions with other management officials at SMF have been less than fruitful and on several occasions my wife has been lied to by your staff, denied requests for decisions in writing, and so on. We further request that you provide a direct telephone number to your office, as Margaret has been unsuccessful in her attempts to obtain same.
Direct or request an investigation of the TSA management staff at SMF for inappropriate conduct, mismanagement, retaliation and violations of TSA policies. I request that this investigation be conducted by the TSA Office of Internal Affairs (OIA), and that any such investigation be conducted in a manner that allows the investigator free access to all screening staff (to include Supervisory Transportation Security Screeners, Lead Transportation Security Screeners, and Transportation Security Screeners) without encumbrance, interference or influence by TSA management officials at SMF.
Respond to this letter in writing, via mail or facsimile. I would be happy to schedule a time to meet with you to discuss these and other issues plaguing your airport. In addition, I have copies of the transcripts of depositions by some of your staff (re: Margaret's EEO case) which I think you would find quite enlightening. I would be happy to share those with you if you don't already have them.
Thank you for your time and consideration. It is my sincere hope that these issues can be dealt with in a positive, professional and timely manner.
Respectfully,
/ Signed / Mark T. Arsenault Representative
Encl: Original letter to FSD Pelayo, dated February 28, 2005 Offer of Light Duty Assignment, dated March 3, 2005 Visit Verification/Family Medical Leave Health Care Provider Certification, dated April 5, 2005 TSA Civil Rights Policy Statement by David M. Stone, dated April 4, 2004.
cc: Depart, of Homeland Security, Office of the Inspector General HotLine (via facsimile, to 202-254-4292) TSA Office of Civil Rights (via e-mail, to TSA.CivilRights@dhs.gov) Gony Frieder, AFGE Office of General Counsel (via facsimile, to 202-639-6441)

2005-10-22T15:47:00.000-07:00

Fired Airport Security Chief to be Top School Cop

James B. Golden Jr., who was fired last year as federal security director for the Philadelphia International Airport, is in line to become the top security official in the School District of Philadelphia, the Daily News has learned.Golden's 18-month tenure at the airport was rocked by reports of security lapses and charges that he improperly hired his son-in-law as a manager of security screeners.

Allegations also surfaced that a former exotic dancer was hired as a screening supervisor.In February 2004, Golden, 55, was fired by the federal Transportation Security Administration, which has been in charge of the nation's airport security since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

"After a thorough investigation, Mr. James Golden received a letter from the TSA advising him that his employment has been terminated for failing to follow TSA's policies regarding the hiring of relatives and for exercising poor judgment as a manager," read a TSA statement.

After appealing his termination, Golden was placed in a TSA administrative job in Arlington, Va., in October 2004 and then moved to another administrative job in February where he stayed until joining the school district, according to Cecilia Cummings, executive director of the district's Office of Communications.

Golden, a former Philadelphia police captain, police chief in Saginaw, Mich., and police director in Trenton, could not be reached.

The hiring of Golden Monday to fill the $115,000-a-year No. 2 security job at the school district - and his problems at the airport - were news to some school officials.

Cummings said she was not personally aware of his problems at the airport. The decision to hire Golden, she said, was made by Dexter Green, the current safety chief who is a long-time friend of Golden's.

Green, a respected former official with the Philadelphia police, could not be reached for comment.

Sources said Green has told school officials he will resign from the district in July to pursue other career prospects.

Following Green's departure Golden would be next in line to take over the safety office, which is charged with keeping order in the city's 270-plus public schools. The office has an annual budget of more than $30 million and 435 school police officers.

2005-10-22T15:43:00.000-07:00

Couple Tangles With Federal Officials Over Incident At Bradley

A $15 penknife found in a diaper bag at Bradley International Airport could wind up costing an Oxford couple $12,000 in civil penalties.Federal officials say the case against Christopher and Karen Lyons, scheduled for a hearing next week, stems from the deliberate concealment of a banned weapon in carry-on bags.

The Transportation Security Administration says the steep assessment is justified because the Lyonses admitted hiding the knife, a Swiss Army brand with a 2¼-inch blade, so it would not be confiscated.

It was found inside a full canister of Huggies baby wipes, midway down.

Chris Lyons, a corporate pilot who flew with the Marines in the 1991 Gulf War, and his wife, a former flight attendant, say the allegations are ridiculous.

They say they were as shocked as anyone when his red knife turned up during the X-ray scan last Feb. 23, as they and their 2-year-old son prepared to board a flight for a Disney World vacation. They said they must have lost track of the knife during their rush to get to the airport that morning.

"We didn't even know it had fallen out of his pocket," Karen Lyons said. She suggested the knife may have gotten into the wipes canister when she restocked it from another container. They also deny admitting to anyone that they tried to hide the knife. Charges outlined by the TSA dispute their version.

"On the above-mentioned date and place, you admitted to the Connecticut State Police that you did conceal the knife in question," says the agency's "notice of proposed civil penalty," sent to Karen Lyons on May 11. "You also made a statement that you were tired of losing knives at security checkpoints and that is why you and your husband attempted to conceal the knife."

The TSA said that under federal law, she and her husband are both liable for a penalty of as much as $10,000. It proposes a $6,000 fine each.

2005-10-22T15:41:00.000-07:00

Grenade in Ontario Terminal a Gear Shift Knob

A terminal at Ontario International Airport was evacuated Thursday morning after airport security detected what appeared to be a hand grenade in a piece of luggage.The object turned out to be a automobile gear shift knob that had been made to look like a grenade, said airport spokeswoman Maria Tesoro-Fermin.Baggage screeners with the Transportation Security Administration spotted the suspicious-looking object about 6 a.m.

The upper level of the airport's Terminal 2 was immediately cleared and Ontario police, firefighters and bomb disposal technicians were called to the scene.

2005-10-20T20:11:00.000-07:00

Security screener at JFK Airport charged with stealing $80,000 from checked bag

A security employee at John F. Kennedy International Airport was charged Thursday with stealing $80,000 in cash from a checked suitcase headed for Pakistan, the Queens district attorney's office said.

The Transportation Security Administration screener, Frank Ulerio, Jr., 23, allegedly stole the money when he was inspecting checked luggage on Oct. 7 in a Pakistan International Airlines area at the airport. Prosecutors said he stole the cash from the suitcase of a 45-year-old passenger from Astoria, Queens who was flying to Pakistan.

The victim discovered the theft when he landed in Pakistan and police from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport, began an investigation. When confronted, Ulerio admitted stealing $60,000 and said he used some of it to pay off a gambling debt.

Police recovered $18,000 when he was arrested at work Wednesday. Ulerio, a Queens resident, faces charges of grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison. Ulerio is awaiting arraignment and will have a court-appointed lawyer, said Kevin Ryan, a spokesman for the Queens district attorney's office.

The owner of the money did not declare the cash but Ryan said he was never asked if he had anything to declare and likely will not be charged with a crime.

2005-10-20T18:21:00.000-07:00

Dangerous bugs found in water on US planes

Dangerous levels of bacteria have been found in drinking water aboard 15% of planes at US airports, an investigation carried out by the US Environmental Protection Agency has found.

Twenty-four US airlines have now agreed to routinely disinfect their water supplies and monitor water quality in response to the EPA study. "Passengers must feel confident of the water safety on an airplane," says Grant Nakayama of the EPA. "These new protocols will provide protection."

The agreement, announced by the EPA on Wednesday, is a voluntary one. But the agency will spend the next two years drafting mandatory regulations for drinking water on aircraft.

The EPA tested water stored on 327 domestic and international airplanes at 19 US airports from August to September and then November to December during 2004 and found coliform contamination in 3 of every 20 craft.

Although no known illnesses resulted from the contamination, the water could have made people sick, especially those with impaired immune systems. Coliform is a bacterium commonly found in the lower intestine and its presence in drinking water may indicate faecal contamination.

Conflicting findings

Airlines generally serve bottled water to passengers, but often use water from the tanks to make coffee and tea, and passengers may drink or brush their teeth using the taps in lavatories.

The EPA says it is unclear how water becomes contaminated. Previous tests overseen by the EPA but carried out by the Air Transport Association (ATA) in Washington DC, which represents 14 major US airlines, found no contaminated water.

ATA’s assistant general counsel Catherine Andrus said the EPA sampled only a relatively small number of aircraft, and suggests that sampling and testing might not have been done properly.

Outside sources

According to the new agreement, airlines will empty and disinfect water holding tanks on planes quarterly, and disinfect water trucks and hoses every month. They will also test every plane in their fleet once a year and provide the results to the EPA.

If a test comes up positive, the EPA and the public will be notified immediately. As some water may be taken onboard outside of the US, the new guidelines require airlines to also study possible outside sources of contamination.

But Erik Olson, with the environmental campaign group Natural Resources Defense Council in Washington DC, says the agreement may not go far enough. He says testing each aircraft once a year is too infrequent and believes the EPA should have penalised those airlines found to have contaminated water aboard their aircraft.

2005-10-18T20:31:00.000-07:00

TSA Testing New Recruits at Undisclosed Airport.

Hello, Mrs. White Person! Please put your suitcase on the scanner! You are going to a tropical island? That sounds like so much fun, Mrs. White Person! Have a nice flight! Maybe you can bring me back a pet wombat!

Hello, Mr. Brown Person! I’m afraid you are on a watch list. That is because you are a bad person, Mr. Brown Person. Please come in the back room with me while I put on these tiny rubber gloves. No, your lawyer cannot help you.

Playmobil Security Checkpoint
3172 Security Check-in

2005-10-14T07:10:00.000-07:00

Man Accused of Punching Out Plane Window

A passenger punched out the interior pane of an airplane window on an American West flight from Las Vegas to Florida, authorities said.

Ryan J. Marchione, 24, shattered the inner plastic shield covering the glass window and disconnected its frame about 90 minutes into the flight, according to an FBI affidavit. The outer window was not damaged and the plane did not depressurize, the airline said.

Marchione was arrested when the plane landed Wednesday at Tampa International Airport. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted of a charge of damaging or destroying an aircraft while it was operating.

About 90 minutes after the plane departed, Marchione "woke abruptly from his sleep and turned to the passenger seated in 7B ... raised a clenched fist to his shoulder as if he was going to strike the passenger in 7B, then suddenly turned and struck the exterior window," the affidavit said.

"It appears to have come out of nowhere," said Marchione's attorney, Thomas Ostrander. "Perhaps it was some sort of a psychotic episode as a result of drug abuse."

Marchione was released on $25,000 bail to home detention with electronic monitoring.

2005-10-11T19:05:00.000-07:00

Joy Rider Charged

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. - A man was arrested on charges of stealing a charter jet and taking it on a 350-mile joy ride from Florida to Georgia, police said Wednesday.

The circumstances of the theft were not clear, but nothing threatening was found on the plane, police spokesman Darren Moloney said. The incident "appears to be a joy ride."

Daniel Andrew Wolcott, 22, of Buford was charged with felony theft and misdemeanor reckless conduct, police said, adding that additional federal charges were expected.

Investigators said they made the arrest after interviewing five people who said they were on the 10-passenger, $7 million Cessna Citation 7 when Wolcott flew it.

The plane, which is owned by Pinnacle Air of Springdale, Ark., was found Monday at the Gwinnett County Airport-Briscoe Field near Atlanta, police said. Moloney said a key is not needed to start the plane. The plane has a lock on the door, but it isn't difficult to pry open, he said.

Wolcott has a commercial rated pilots license but is not licensed to fly that type of plane, police said. The exact circumstances of how Wolcott obtained the plane were unclear.

Bryan Cooper, assistant manager at St. Augustine Airport, said the plane was still there at midnight Saturday but was gone by 5 a.m. The plane landed at Gwinnett sometime between 9 p.m. Saturday and 6 a.m. Sunday.

It had some damage to the front edge of one wing.

2005-10-07T03:36:00.000-07:00

Plane Carrying Viruses Crashes in Canada

A cargo plane carrying small amounts of flu virus crashed on railway tracks near Winnipeg's city center Thursday, killing the pilot but missing buildings and vehicles, authorities said.

The research samples of frozen influenza and herpes viruses were destroyed in the crash and ensuing fire along with other freight, Federal Express spokeswoman Karen Cooper said.

She said the Cessna 208 was owned by Morningstar Air Express of Edmonton and was under contract to FedEx.

Morningstar spokesman Don Boettcher didn't immediately identify the woman piloting the aircraft. "She'd been with us for about five years," he said, without providing further details.

The plane took off from the Winnipeg airport en route to Thunder Bay, Ontario, at about 5:45 a.m. and traveled about four miles southeast of the airport before it requested a return, Transportation Safety Board investigator David Ross said. "The aircraft then descended below radar coverage and contact was lost with the aircraft," Ross said.

"It has crashed on railway tracks and does not appear to have collided with any other objects, houses or cars," police Sgt. Shelly Glover said.

Winnipeg police spokeswoman Carolyn Kwiatek said there was no damage to the surrounding area from the fire. The crash did tie up traffic on nearby streets during the morning rush, but no accidents or injuries resulted.

In its cargo were six vials of virus samples being sent to Thunder Bay for research, Cooper said.
Although the samples were labeled dangerous goods, they weren't considered hazardous at the crash site since all the cargo was destroyed in the blaze, Cooper said.

Police Sgt. Kelly Dennison said weather may have been a factor. Reports suggested light snow and mist in the area, temperatures near the freezing mark, moderate winds and about four miles of visibility.

Ross said the plane probably wasn't carrying a flight data recorder.

2005-10-06T10:49:00.000-07:00

Become a TSA Funeral Home Partner and become part of this important initiative.

Funeral Home Partners:
The Transportation Security Administration has implemented a new procedure affecting those passengers attempting to transport a crematory container on airplanes as carry-on baggage.

Passengers are still allowed to carry-on a crematory container, but the container MUST first pass through the x-ray machine. If the container is made of a material that generates an opaque image and prevents the security screener from clearly being able to see what is inside, then the container will NOT be allowed through the security checkpoint.

In respect to the deceased, under NO circumstances will a screener open the container even if the passenger requests that this be done. Documentation from the funeral home is no longer sufficient to carry a crematory container through security and onto a plane.

As a result of this policy the TSA would like to partner with funeral homes throughout the country to accommodate passengers transporting remains via air travel. To ensure that a TSA screener can successfully x-ray the crematory container’s contents, the TSA recommends that remains be transported in containers constructed of light-weight materials such as cardboard, plastic, or wood.

We realize that containers made of these materials may not be desirable as the container used to permanently house the remains of a passenger’s loved ones; however, it can be used as a temporary container to transport the remains to their final destination.

Using such a solution, passengers are ultimately faced with the dilemma of how to transfer the remains from the temporary container to the permanent container.

The TSA Solution:

Form a voluntary partnership with willing funeral homes. TSA Funeral Home Partners agree to offer a complimentary "Remains Transfer Service" at no charge to the traveler. This allows the passenger to obtain a temporary "security friendly" container for transporting the remains via air travel and in addition purchase a permanent container that can be made of any material they desire.

Once the passenger reaches their final destination they can contact their local "TSA Funeral Home Partner" and have the remains transferred free of charge.

Please share this program and the new TSA crematory container policy with your patrons to help extend TSA's public outreach and education efforts.

Benefits to Our Funeral Home Partners:

Your business will be listed as a Funeral Home Partner on our website and will include a link to your website.

You may post the TSA website link on your website and advertise that you are a TSA Partner to encourage those seeking this service to visit your establishment.

Funeral Home and Cremation websites that list area or nationwide Funeral Homes can advertise that your establishment offers this service and that you are a TSA partner.

This partnership allows you to get possible buyers in the door where you can sell the traveler a permanent crematory container at the point of their final destination.

You will be performing a service for the public that will be appreciated, remembered, and possibly reflected in future funeral service or crematory container purchases.

2005-10-06T10:31:00.000-07:00

Oregon woman kicked off flight in Reno over offensive shirt

A Portland woman's flight home was stopped short in Reno, all because the message on the T-shirt she was wearing.

Lorrie Heasley claims it's a freedom of speech privilege, but airline officials say the message brings safety concerns. Heasley, "There are bigger problems in the country, I can't believe people can be so petty."

Heasley boarded her flight Tuesday morning in Los Angeles, headed for Portland, Oregon with a stopover in Reno. But when Southwest Airlines employees asked her to cover her shirt, her stop over became a stop off her flight.

"I was told that basically that I had to cover my shirt, or I was told if I cover the shirt I can basically stay on the plane."

So she covered the shirt, but during a nap while passengers were boarding in Reno the cover came off. And Southwest employees insisted, change the shirt, or change flights. "I didn't feel that I should have to change my shirt, because we live in the United States, and it's freedom of speech and it was based on the move "The Fockers", and I didn't think it should have offended anyone."

But it did.

The shirt had pictures of members of the Bush Administration, and a phrase based on the movie "Meet the Fockers," but with one crucial vowel changed.

It was enough to cause complaints from other passengers and it's a problem the airline has had to deal with before.

Beth Harbin, Southwest Airlines, "We do get it occasionally. What someone is wearing, what someone is reading, what someone might be saying and it's very much a judgment call. But when other customers become concerned we do have to become involved in that and see what we can do to make everyone as comfortable as we can."

And while Southwest may have kept the peace on it's afternoon hop to Portland, a woman, not afraid to use her freedom of speech will now be using her freedom of choice.

"I most likely wont be flying Southwest Airlines again after this."

Southwest Airlines told Heasley she could take a different flight home if she changed her shirt.
She refused and opted to rent a car and drive home.

2005-10-02T21:34:00.000-07:00

Feds Unable to Search Own Anti-Terrorism Database

TSA Stops Deleting "Secure Flight" Records, But Drags Feet On Project Transparency

WASHINGTON - September 29 - After receiving hundreds of requests from Americans asking to know what personal information the government has obtained about them, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) told passengers that it "does not have the capability to perform a simple computer-based search" to locate individual records.

TSA revealed last fall that it would use private passenger data from all domestic airline flights taken in June of 2004 to test its troubled "Secure Flight" passenger-screening system. In response to a fruitless Privacy Act request by four Alaska residents, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) encouraged other airline passengers to request their own files.

TSA recently began notifying the passengers who filed Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Privacy Act requests that it lacks the ability to easily search its records. TSA also said that it would close such requests unless individuals provided additional detailed information, such as the air carrier they used, the dates of travel, and their phone numbers -- part of the data that requestors were seeking in the first place.

"TSA is failing to follow the law," said EFF Staff Attorney Matt Zimmerman. "The Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act place very clear obligations on government agencies for searching their records, and TSA has simply said that it doesn't want to go through the effort. It's bad enough that Secure Flight has repeatedly failed to show that it can be a useful tool to strengthen airline security. However, that doesn't excuse the federal government from telling Americans about the private information it has gathered and used to test the project."

In light of the high volume of record requests that it has received, TSA recently agreed to stop deleting the passenger data it obtained for testing Secure Flight until it processed its backlog of requests. However, TSA told initial requestors that some of their data had already been deleted.
Secure Flight, a passenger-profiling system aimed at identifying security risks, is the successor of the controversial "CAPPS II" program that was cancelled in the wake of questions about its cost, effectiveness, and impact on privacy and civil liberties. The Secure Flight screening process would involve comparing airline passenger reservation data with an interagency terrorist watch list to determine who should be subject to more invasive screenings or arrest. After repeatedly misleading Congress and the public about its intention to use data provided by commercial data brokers to supplement the watch list, TSA recently announced that it would not use such data in the program for the time being.

Despite the controversy surrounding the project, TSA has stated that it is moving forward this fall with plans for a partial roll-out involving two airlines.

2005-09-23T07:07:00.000-07:00

Court rules no right to tell TSA screeners they live in a bubble

You can wear a jacket with "Fuck The Draft" on the back into a court of law, but, according to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, don't even think about swearing loudly at any TSA officials who make you miss your plane.
Today, the Court ruled that TSA can arrest and fine you for swearing loudly and belligerently while you're being searched at the airport security check because it "interferes" with the TSA's job. The court rejected any First Amendment right to free speech, claiming that while asking a "good-faith question" with profanity in it or even "grumbling" with profanity would not be enough for a fine, the conduct here somehow constituted more.

Specifically, the court ruled:
Petitioner’s conduct in this case, however, cannot be characterized as simply asking a good-faith question while using profanities or as grumbling about not being allowed to walk back through the metal detector or the delay in being hand-wanded.
Rather, Petitioner interfered with the screener in the performance of his duties by actively engaging the screener with loud and belligerent conduct, and, after being asked not to use profanities, by exclaiming that the screener should be in a different line of work, that he should live in a bubble, and that it was a free country in which he could say what he pleased.
Due to the escalating loud and belligerent nature of Petitioner’s conduct directed at the screener, the screener needed to shut down his line and call over his supervisor. Thus, Petitioner’s conduct interfered with the screener’s duty to both thoroughly screen passengers and to do so in an efficient manner.
Is this really a justifiable difference? So its okay to ask the TSA "Why the fuck do I have to take my shoes off?" but not to tell them they live in a bubble or that this is a free country?

2005-09-22T11:19:00.000-07:00

Passengers Watch Live Coverage Of Plane's Emergency

LOS ANGELES -- The airliner circled Southern California for hours, crippled by a faulty landing gear, while inside its cabin 140 passengers watched their own life-and-death drama unfolding on live television. While satellite TV sets aboard JetBlue Flight 292 were tuned to news broadcasts, some passengers cried. Others tried to telephone relatives and one woman sent a text message to her mother in Florida attempting to comfort her in the event she died. "It was very weird.

It would've been so much calmer without" the televisions, Pia Varma of Los Angeles said after the plane skidded to a safe landing Wednesday evening in a stream of sparks and burning tires. No one was hurt. Varma, 23, and other passengers said the plane's monitors carried live DirectTV broadcasts on the plane's problems until just a few minutes before landing at Los Angeles International Airport.

The landing gear trouble -- the front wheels were stuck in a sideways position -- was discovered almost immediately after the plane departed Bob Hope Airport in Burbank at 3:17 p.m., en route to New York City. The Airbus A320 circled the Long Beach Airport, about 30 miles south of Burbank, before being cleared to land at Los Angeles. It stayed in flight for three hours to burn off fuel, said Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Donn Walker.

Zachary Mastoon of New York said it was "surreal" to watch his plane's fate being discussed on live TV while it was in the air. At one point, he said, he tried to call his family, but his cell phone call wouldn't go through. "I wanted to call my dad to tell him I'm alive so far," the 27-year-old musician said. The pilot finally brought the plane down, back wheels first. As he slowly lowered the nose gear, the stuck wheels erupted in smoke and flames, which quickly burned out. "At the end it was the worst because you didn't know if it was going to work, if we would catch fire. It was very scary. Grown men were crying," said Diane Hamilton, 32, a television graphics specialist.

As the plane was about to touch the ground, Hamilton said crew members ordered people to assume a crash position, putting their heads between their knees. "They would yell, "Brace! Brace! Brace!"' she said. "I thought this would be it." Lisa Schiff, 34, of Los Angeles sent a text message to her mother in Miami that said: "I love you. Don't worry about me. If something happens, know that I am watching you and Daddy and (her brother) David."

Emergency crews from across the area met the plane on the runway. Spectators gathered on buildings and stood on parked cars to see firsthand as passengers walked down a stairway onto the tarmac with their carry-on luggage. Some passengers shook hands with emergency workers and waved to cameras. One firefighter carrying a boy across the tarmac put his helmet on the child's head. "We all cheered, I was bawling, I cried so much," said Christine Lund, 25, who was traveling with her cat. She and the other passengers were taken by bus from the tarmac to the airport's international terminal. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who spoke with the pilot, identified him as Scott Burke and praised him for the calm he showed during the flight. "He joked that he was sorry he put the plane down 6 inches off the center line," Villaraigosa said. Ann Decrozals, an Airbus spokeswoman at the aircraft manufacturer's headquarters in France, said the A320 was designed to be able to land with front wheel problems.

JetBlue spokeswoman Jenny Dervin said the airline was investigating the incident with the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board. She declined to identify the pilot and first officer. About 57 of the passengers were placed on another flight, which arrived at New York's Kennedy Airport at 6:05 a.m. EDT Thursday, said airline spokeswoman Sharon Jones. Others were put up in Los Angeles area hotels and given reservations for Thursday flights. Still others simply returned home.

Among the latter group was Varma, who was greeted by her parents at the terminal. "It started out just being a ghastly birthday, but now it's just fabulous, " said her father, Anil, who turned 51 on Wednesday. JetBlue, based in New York, is a five-year-old low-fare airline with 286 flights a day and destinations in 13 states and the Caribbean. It operates a fleet of 81 A320s.

2005-09-18T20:46:00.000-07:00

Delta Airlines

The DELTA AIRLINES Commercial you will never forget...
Click HERE

2005-09-16T19:49:00.000-07:00

Student Arrested After Pilot Uniform Found

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- A university student from Egypt was ordered held without bond after prosecutors said they found a pilot's uniform, chart of Memphis International Airport and a DVD titled "How an Airline Captain Should Look and Act" in his apartment.

The FBI is investigating whether Mahmoud Maawad, 29, had any connection to terrorists. He is awaiting trial on charges of wire fraud and fraudulent use of a Social Security number.
Maawad, who is in the United States illegally, told the judge during a hearing Thursday that he is studying science and economics at the University of Memphis.

"My school is everything. I stay in this country for seven years; I stay for the school," he said.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve Parker said Thursday that the airport-related items were found during a Sept. 9 search.

"The specific facts and circumstances are scary," Parker said.

U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Thomas Anderson ruled that Maawad be held without bond.
"It is hard for the court to understand why he has a large concentration of those (aviation) items, and nothing else to indicate Mr. Maawad plans to stay in the community," Anderson said.

Maawad had ordered $3,000 in aviation materials, including DVDs titled "Ups and Downs of Takeoffs and Landings," "Airplane Talk," "Mental Math for Pilots" and "Mastering GPS Flying," FBI agent Thad Gulczynski testified.

The company reported Maawad to authorities when he didn't pay for $2,500 of merchandise it had delivered, Gulczynski said.

2005-09-13T20:13:00.000-07:00

Northwest and Delta Are Said to Be Preparing for Bankruptcy
By MICHELINE MAYNARD

Northwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines are both preparing to seek bankruptcy protection as soon as Wednesday, people close to both companies said today.

Northwest and Delta are each finishing the details of their bankruptcy cases, including the financing that they will require to operate under bankruptcy protection, these people said. That could cause delays, but the fundamental work of preparing each bankruptcy case is complete, they said.

A spokesman for Northwest, the nation's fifth-biggest airline, said today that the company had made no decision on a Chapter 11 filing. Likewise, a spokeswoman for Delta, which is the third-biggest carrier, said no decision had been made.

The Air Line Pilots Association at Northwest said tonight that the airline's board was set to meet on Wednesday to consider whether to file for bankruptcy protection. Northwest's board would have to approve a Chapter 11 filing. Delta's board met last Friday.

Northwest said in a regulatory filing today that it was required to make a $65 million pension payment on Thursday, which it could only miss if it were operating under bankruptcy protection.

Northwest and other companies had asked the Treasury Department to let them skip their September pension payments, citing the impact of Hurricane Katrina on the nation's economy. But in a statement today, the department said it had decided against the move, saying that it was more appropriate to limit relief to companies in the Gulf Coast region.

Shares of Northwest lost more than half their value today on word of its possible bankruptcy filing, dropping $1.74 to close at $1.57 in Nasdaq trading. Delta shares also fell, declining 7 cents, or 8.2 percent, to 78 cents on the New York Stock Exchange.

Both airlines would file for Chapter 11 protection in United States Bankruptcy Court in New York. Their cases would be assigned to different judges, however. If the filings are made on Wednesday, the first hearings would be on Thursday.

If Northwest and Delta both file, that would mean four of the industry's seven biggest airlines were operating under bankruptcy protection, reflecting the deep competitive issues that have battered the airlines since the year 2000.

United, which is the second-biggest airline behind American, has been operating under Chapter 11 protection since December 2002. Last week, it submitted a reorganization plan and said it hoped to emerge from court protection early next year.

Meanwhile, US Airways, which sought bankruptcy protection last year for the second time in two years, expects to emerge from court protection this fall, when it plans to merge with America West. Those airlines will operate under the US Airways name.

That would leave American, the industry's biggest carrier, Continental, the fourth largest, and Southwest, the sixth largest, as the major airlines operating outside bankruptcy protection.
While a bankruptcy filing by Delta had been expected to come this week, a filing by Northwest had been thought to be several weeks away.

But Northwest and all the large domestic airlines have been hit hard by the spike in jet fuel prices in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which interrupted production at refineries on the gulf coast.

Even before the storm, however, airlines were already paying about 50 percent more for jet fuel this year than in 2004.

Neither Northwest nor Delta have hedging contracts that would have allowed them to lock in the price of fuel, meaning they must immediately cover price increases in cash whenever they occur.
Given that, and with its cash draining away in recent weeks, Northwest officials apparently decided to file quickly rather than wait any longer, people briefed on the airline's strategy said today.

Northwest's court filing would coincide with a strike by its mechanics union, which began Aug. 20.

The airline has remained in operation using supervisors, contractors and 1,200 replacement workers as substitutes for striking members of the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association.
Workers struck the airline over its demand for $176 million in wage and benefit cuts, part of $1.1 billion in concessions that it is seeking from its unions.

Over the weekend, however, Northwest increased its demand to $203 million and said it now would need $1.4 billion in total cuts. And the airline said it could offer only about 1,080 jobs to the mechanics union, which represented 4,430 mechanics, cleaners and other workers at the airline before the strike.

The mechanics union walked away from bargaining, saying the airline's demands were too severe. The airline said it planned to give permanent jobs to some of the replacement workers starting today.

Once companies seek bankruptcy protection, they can ask a bankruptcy court judge to set aside contracts and impose lower terms, unless agreements can be reached. Northwest is likely to seek the same $1.4 billion in cuts once its bankruptcy proceedings begin, the people briefed on the airline's strategy said today.

Northwest, based in Eagan, Minn., has major hubs in Minneapolis, Detroit and Memphis and is one of the biggest domestic carriers operating international routes.

It is one of only two airlines with extensive routes throughout Asia. The other is United. Northwest operates in a code-sharing agreement with KLM, the Dutch airline, and it also shares flight designations with Delta and Continental.

Meanwhile, Delta asked its pilots union on Monday for a second round of wage and benefit cuts, on top of $1 billion in cuts granted last year, when the airline was close to a bankruptcy filing.

Neither Delta nor the Air Line Pilots Association specified how much the airline was seeking. The pilots union said its leaders would decide next Monday whether to negotiate with the airline. By then, however, Delta may already have sought bankruptcy protection, and it could ask a judge to impose the cuts it requested Monday from the pilots.

2005-08-24T17:57:00.000-07:00

Shamed couple caught in aircraft toilet at 30,000ft

Andrew Robinson A YOUNG mother assaulted an air stewardess after being caught in an aircraft toilet cubicle with a male passenger she had just met.Amber Staines, 29, was caught half-dressed at 30,000ft when cabin crew demanded she open a toilet door.She had disappeared into the cubicle with 36-year old Paul Cook for 20 minutes after they drank champagne on a holiday jet from Tenerife to Manchester.Cabin crew opened the door to find the red-faced couple inside.Staines slammed the door against a stewardess's hand, then shouted: "I need to get dressed. Just let me get ****ing dressed."

Police were waiting to arrest Staines and businessman Mr Cook as the plane touched down.Staines, of Moynihan Close, Harehills, Leeds, yesterday admitted common assault and disorderly behaviour and was ordered to complete 50 hours' community service.

The unemployed mother-of-one was also fined £50 and ordered to pay £50 to the stewardess.Magistrates in Sale, Greater Manchester, heard the incident occurred on a Boeing 757 late-night flight.The mother-of-one was sitting next to Mr Cook with passenger Jane Mulholland on the other side."Miss Mulholland said the couple were very intimate," said Cheryl Mottram, prosecuting."They were kissing and cuddling and at some point they requested a blanket. Their behaviour under the blanket caused Miss Mulholland some distress.

She was embarrassed by their activities. Drinks were consumed and half a bottle of champagne was bought and consumed" by the pair."At some point Miss Staines got up and went to the bathroom. Mr Cook followed, knocked on the door and went inside. Twenty minutes later there were four people stood outside and the call light was on."Air stewardess Nicola Hanson realised Staines and Mr Cook were in the cubicle.She opened the door, put her hand over the top to stop it closing but it was slammed shut three times, injuring her hand. Her behaviour was described as aggressive, disturbed and drunk.

Staines initially refused to give her details but later told police nothing happened be-tween them in the toilet and said: "My head is in bits."Bill Message, for Staines, suggested her drink may have been spiked in a hotel bar earlier."She is normally a shy person – not a party animal who goes binge drinking on holiday. She goes on holiday to relax in the normal way," he said.Mr Message said that as the flight had been delayed Staines went to a hotel where she had two single brandies and met Mr Cook."

At one point she left her drink on a table and went to the toilet. With the benefit of hindsight she suspects something might have been put in that..."Nothing serious happened in the toilet, just a bit of cuddling but nothing more than that. The champagne tipped her over into what is unacceptable behaviour.

She wants to apologise to cabin staff. She was very sorry."The court heard Staines had been depressed after her 10-year-old niece's death in a road crash three years ago.Police gave Mr Cook an £80 fixed penalty notice

2005-08-13T15:57:00.000-07:00

TSA To Consider Ending Ban on Scissors, Razor Blades,Small Knives,Ice Picks,Throwing Stars and Bow and Arrows.

The new head of the Transportation Security Administration, Edmund "Kip" Hawley, recently asked his staff to propose changes to the way the agency screens 2 million passengers daily.

The staff's first set of recommendations, detailed in an Aug. 5 memo and reported Aug. 12 by the Washington Post, includes a proposal to lift the ban on various carry-on items such as scissors, razor blades and knives less than five inches long. The proposal also would allow ice picks, throwing stars and bows and arrows on flights.

Hawley, rather than throwing the suggestion aside, and-or questioning the logic behind it, instead will allow further disussion of the proposal this month, the Post reports.

If it bothers you that the TSA is spending your tax dollars to consider ways to make us less safe, consider the reasons behind it.

The Post reports that the "TSA is struggling with new cuts in the screener workforce imposed by Congress while its new leaders hope to improve the agency's poor reputation among air travelers by introducing more customer-friendly measures."

2005-08-13T15:40:00.000-07:00

Salt Lake Airport an anti-theft model

No baggage screeners arrested for swiping

The police botter on federal airport screeners hasn't instilled much confidence lately.

In New Orleans last year, 13 Transportation Security Administration screeners were arrested for swiping items from bags they checked. A few months later in New York four federal screeners were busted for stealing valuables from suitcases, and Detroit police broke up an electronics theft ring involving a quartet of federal screeners.

Then there's Salt Lake City, where such headlines have been pleasantly lacking.

"We have not had any TSA employees arrested for baggage theft at Salt Lake International," local TSA director Earl Morris said. "It's not to say that it couldn't happen someday, but it has not happened at this point."

Nationally, it's a different story.

All told, 113 federal screeners have been arrested since TSA took over screening duties following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

To fight the problem many airports have installed security cameras to watch screeners in action, and TSA began doing background checks on its screeners.

And TSA officials point out that the number of screeners arrested for theft is a small percentage of TSA's overall work force of 80,000 screeners.

"That is well below one-tenth of 1 percent. It's an extraordinarily low number," TSA spokeswoman Carrie Harmon said.

And in Salt Lake City the chance of an item being stolen during the screening process is almost negligible.

"In Salt Lake City, they've had very few complaints of theft," Harmon said.

But the reason why Salt Lake City has low theft numbers is more difficult to pinpoint. One TSA official who could not be directly quoted noted that Salt Lake City workers do bag checks out on the open because there is room to do screening in the airport's wide halls.

In other airports screening occurs behind the scenes, offering more chances for secrecy and theft.

Harmon and Salt Lake City Department of Airports spokeswoman Barbara Gann, however, downplay that open screening theory.

"I wouldn't know that that would hold a lot of validity," Gann said. "It's all theory."

Gann said it's likely that the airport's "healthy" 54-member police force has more to do with the lack of theft.

In Salt Lake City in the past year, from August 2004 to now, there have been only 18 complaints of theft to airport police. Only four of those 18 complaints were from people who claimed to have things stolen during the screening process.

And in those cases it's difficult to know where exactly the item or items went missing. After TSA screening, a bag is handled by airline employees at various airports as it is shuttled from airplane to baggage claim. It's a long chain that's difficult to trace.

Most of the thefts at Salt Lake City (12 of the 18) occurred when someone left a bag unattended and then never found it again.

Because of the low theft rate, Salt Lake airlines haven't adopted rules that people have to show their bag claim tickets to airline personnel when picking up their checked luggage.

"In general our statistics are always lower than national averages," Gann said. "I think it we were higher, if it were more of an issue, you would see things put in by the airlines like ticket checks at baggage claims."

2005-08-13T15:34:00.000-07:00

Hi-tech toothbrush shuts down airport but no one bristles

You don't have to be a toll booth attendant to know there are two sides to every coin. A few headlines in the news this week may have left readers with elevated levels of ambivalence, a condition that can only be rectified by a definitive dose of hearts and darts.2 So you're sitting in an airplane parked on the runway for hours while authorities deal with a possible explosive device in a passenger's luggage. The device turns out to be an instrument for cleaning one's teeth, precisely as the passenger - who turns out to be a dentist - says it is. By this time, the flight is cancelled and you're stuck overnight in Kinston.

Are you ticked?

Opinions differ, even in the same brain.

You're glad someone is paying attention to possible explosive devices in passengers' luggage. You're happy that even so small a facility as the Kinston JetPort has a planned response to such emergencies and you're relieved that no harm was done.

Still, you have to be at least a little miffed - and mystified - that a high-tech toothbrush could shut down an airport, cancel one outgoing and one incoming flight and inconvenience scores of people. Worse, no one in authority seemed particularly concerned about the problems this false alarm created for passengers, much less embarrassed by the over-reaction.

Instead, the sheriff's department spokesman focused on the efficiency of the emergency response and put the onus for heading off future incidents on passengers, who must pack more carefully and anticipate what will cause baggage screeners to hit the alarm button. That's a tough one, judging from the standards applied to a dental device. The spokesman's explanation of how an instrument dedicated to the destruction of tooth decay caused such a ruckus - "It didn't look like what it was" - says a lot about the bizarre times in which we live.

Expectations of inconvenience in the post-9/11 world have created more compliant personalities. At the airport, at the gas pump, in the checkout line - where there's no control, there's little reason to complain. Or is there more?

Y The good news about Lenoir County schools' performance in 2005 ABC testing is that more schools did very well and most schools did well enough. The bad news is that poor-performing schools continue to perform poorly.

There's no mystery as to why. Poverty, lack of a stable home life and little parental involvement in education top the list. Low-income students have issues that supersede a reading lesson. The challenge for educators here is to figure out how to level the playing field, to give all students the same chance to learn.

Needless to say, they'll be working on that one for years. And all the while, they will be prodded by requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind program. For all its faults, No Child Left Behind does shine a light on children that might otherwise fall through the cracks. With the state's ABC program, a school with a high percentage of students testing at grade level will score well, but might be masking the failure to educate those students in the minority. That's not possible with the federal program, which looks at the performance of groups of students, segmented by income and ethnicity, at the same school.

Ten of the 12 county schools that met improvements standards under ABC also met No Child Left Behind standards. The flip side of that success story is that five schools in the system fell short by both measurements. Three of the five repeated their poor performance of a year ago.

Opportunities for ending this cycle appear on several levels. A model for what works in Lenoir County already exists. Four schools did extremely well in 2005 testing - three more than the previous year - and they did it by energizing the faculty and mobilizing the parents. Moreover, the system, its students and parents are primed for change, a consequence of new leadership, new policies and impatience with the administrative strife that overshadowed any progress in education in the system for years.

Though not directly related, the discussion sure to come soon about new school construction - how to meet $200 million in physical needs - will raise the same question that testing does: How good is good enough?

2005-08-10T18:56:00.000-07:00

CNN Probe Finds Weak Link in Air Security

Nearly four years after 9/11, Americans flying on passenger planes remain vulnerable to another terrorist attack in the air because of lax screening of the millions of tons of cargo loaded into the belly of aircraft, a three-month CNN investigation shows.

While screening of passengers and their luggage has been shored up dramatically since hijackers commandeered four planes and crashed them into the twin towers of the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a Pennsylvania field, little has changed regarding the security of cargo, according to an FAA inspector and the vice chairman of the 9/11 Commission.

On most of the flights that the FAA inspector observes, almost none of the cargo is inspected.

"In respect to cargo, we're probably as vulnerable or more vulnerable," said the inspector, who insisted on not being identified for fear of employer retaliation. "Cargo still has a lot of loopholes where something could get on an airplane."

Former Indiana Rep. Lee Hamilton, the vice chairman of the 9/11 Commission, said the airline industry and the federal government have failed to seriously address the security of air cargo, a multibillion-dollar industry.

"I think this is a point of real vulnerability for America, for the traveling public," Hamilton said. "We are not doing the kind of safety measures that we should be doing to protect the American public."

CNN crisscrossed the country, traveling from one airport to another, and saw firsthand how easy it would be for a terrorist to slip an explosive or lethal chemicals onto an airplane because of holes in the cargo security network.

2005-08-10T07:43:00.000-07:00

PDX Airport Concourse Closed After SCREENING FAILURE

One of the main, busy concourses at Portland International Airport was closed briefly Saturday morning when two airline passengers, a mother and her daughter, got through a checkpoint before they were fully screened by security workers.

Port of Portland spokesman Steve Johnson called the security breach inadvertant, saying the mother and daughter slipped away and were briefly out of sight of the airport screeners.

Transportation Security Administration workers agreed that it was just a mistake by the pair and not an attempt to avoid the full screening.

2005-08-10T07:36:00.000-07:00

Flight Delayed after KNIFE goes through CHECKPOINT...

Workers installed locks on all doors at the Atlanta airport's main security checkpoint Tuesday, three days after another early morning security breach.

For the second time in two weeks, passengers walked through unlocked doors that enabled them to bypass screening on their way to gates at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

In the latest incident, two of the four men who avoided screening never were found, although officials do not believe they had any malicious intent. The breach happened at 5:17 a.m. Saturday, when a security screener stopped two men walking through a closed lane on the far right of the checkpoint, said Christopher White, a spokesman for the Transportation Security Administration, which oversees airport security.

The glassed-in lane normally is reserved for people who require extra screening — often because of potentially suspicious behavior such as booking a flight at the last minute or paying with cash. But at that hour, the lane was closed and unstaffed, although the door did not have a lock.

The men said they were directed to that lane by an airport contract employee checking tickets in front of the checkpoint. The men then were screened and allowed to continue on to their flights.

An initial review of security videotape led TSA managers to believe only those men had bypassed screening. A later review by top management determined that two more men also had bypassed screening a short time earlier.

By that time, it was 2 1/2 hours after the security breach and the TSA decided not to shut down the entire airport and rescreen all passengers.

2005-08-10T07:34:00.000-07:00

BREACH IN ATLANTA

Workers installed locks on all doors at the Atlanta airport's main security checkpoint Tuesday, three days after another early morning security breach.

For the second time in two weeks, passengers walked through unlocked doors that enabled them to bypass screening on their way to gates at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

In the latest incident, two of the four men who avoided screening never were found, although officials do not believe they had any malicious intent. The breach happened at 5:17 a.m. Saturday, when a security screener stopped two men walking through a closed lane on the far right of the checkpoint, said Christopher White, a spokesman for the Transportation Security Administration, which oversees airport security.

The men said they were directed to that lane by an airport contract employee checking tickets in front of the checkpoint. The men then were screened and allowed to continue on to their flights.

By that time, it was 2 1/2 hours after the security breach and the TSA decided not to shut down the entire airport and rescreen all passengers.

2005-08-10T07:32:00.000-07:00

United worker aided scheme, DEA says

Federal agents made public charges Tuesday against six people accused of operating a drug trafficking organization that imported cocaine from Mexico and distributed it across the Midwest.

The investigation, conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, also revealed that a woman employed by United Airlines working at O'Hare International Airport helped the alleged drug traffickers.

The woman is not charged or named in the complaint. Assistant U.S. Atty. Julie Pekron declined to comment on whether the woman is under investigation or will be charged.

...

When he and two unidentified men arrived later that day for their flight, the woman harassed Transportation Security Administration screeners who singled out the unidentified men for additional checks.

The woman "told the TSA employees that they were being `racist' in selecting [the unidentified men] for a secondary inspection," Williams wrote.

2005-08-10T05:41:00.000-07:00

Questions and Answers on Airline Safety

By LESLIE MILLER

WASHINGTON (AP) - There always will be dangers that accompany flying, but passengers can take precautions that will improve their chances of surviving - as did everyone aboard the Air France flight that ran off the runway in Toronto.

More people than ever are flying and it's safer than ever to take to the sky. The last major U.S. crash was more than 3 1/2 years ago.

Some questions and answers about airline safety:

A: Good. A National Transportation Safety Board study found that while 2,280 people died in 568 commercial plane accidents from 1988 through 2000, nearly 23 times as many survived - 51,207.

Q: What can I do to improve my chances of survival?

A. Have an evacuation plan. When you take your seat, check to see where the emergency exits are and count the number of rows to them in case the lighting fails. Read the safety card instructions. If you are in an exit row, make sure you understand the tasks you may have to perform if the aircraft is evacuated. Stay alert during takeoff and landing because that is when an accident is most likely. Keep laptops and other items stowed until the plane reaches cruising altitude because they can become dangerous projectiles in an accident. Keep your shoes on.

Q. How much time will I have to evacuate?

A. The Federal Aviation Administration requires aircraft manufacturers to demonstrate that planes can be emptied within 90 seconds before they are allowed to fly. Any longer and the chances of dying from fire or smoke inhalation increase significantly.

In your plane is evacuated, stay calm. Look behind you for exit doors; many passengers crowd toward the front exits because that is the way they got on. Leave your baggage behind, but not in the aisles.

Q: How can I avoid injuries?

A. Wear clothing made from natural fibers. Synthetic clothing has melted on the skin of people involved in accidents. To avoid getting burned when sliding down escape chutes, wear long pants and do not wear nylon hose. Avoid heels, which can puncture the evacuation slides.

Q: What do I do if the slides do not work or if some of the exits are blocked?

A. This happens fairly often - up to one-third of the time, according to the NTSB. If a chute fails, stay calm and listen to the flight attendants. They have been trained how to redirect passengers if exits are blocked or unusable because slides are not working.

Q: What has been done to make airliner cabins safer?

A: The FAA has done a lot to prevent in-flight fires, which are especially dangerous because of the amount of fuel that planes carry. Seat cushions must be made of fire-retardant material, lavatories must have smoke detectors and fire extinguishers, and the cabin ceilings and walls must be made of material that does not burn quickly. The agency also recently ordered the insulation replaced or upgraded in some kinds of aircraft. Aircraft manufacturers are now required to install stronger seats that will not collapse or rip out of the floor in an accident. Rules were made stricter for maintaining and inspecting slides.

2005-08-07T00:16:00.000-07:00

Man sentenced for molesting sleeping woman on Delta Air Flight

BOSTON (Reuters) - A business executive was sentenced on Thursday to seven years in prison for sexually assaulting a sleeping woman seated next to him on a Delta Air Lines flight from Dallas to Boston.

A statement from the U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts said that on April 5, Deepak Jahagirdar, 55, laid a blanket over the 22-year-old woman who was returning from a vacation, unfastened her seat belt, unbuttoned her pants and assaulted her by touching her genitals.

"The woman immediately pulled Jahagirdar's hand from her pants and fled to the rear of the aircraft where she reported the assault to the flight crew," it said.

The crew alerted four U.S. Secret Service Agents who were on board the flight, returning from an assignment in Texas.

The plane was met by state police in Boston but Jahagirdar briefly tried to escape by trying to flee in the walkway between the plane and the airport.

Skin cells taken from Jahagirdar, an Arizona man whom authorities said did not know the woman, showed a "significant quantity of the victim's DNA was present on his hands" after the incident, the statement said.

After his release, Jahagirdar must pay a $25,000 fine and be supervised by authorities for two years.

2005-08-07T00:15:00.000-07:00

Ontonagon airport reports theft
ONTONAGON -- Homeland Security items were stolen from the Ontonagon County Airport office Wednesday or Thursday.

The Ontonagon County Sheriff's Department is investigating the break-in, which occurred between 8 p.m. on Wednesday and 7 a.m. Thursday, according to sheriff John Gravier.

Gravier said sheriff's deputies received a 7:13 a.m. Thursday call from Bill Johnson, county emergency services coordinator, reporting the burglary at the airport office.

"Upon investigation, it was learned that Homeland Security items were stolen," the sheriff said. Investigating officers are not revealing details of what was stolen, but said the items are valued in excess of $2,500.

Anyone with information concerning the break-in should call either the sheriff's department at 884-4901 or the local police department.

Gravier said an evidence technician from the Michigan State Police post in Wakefield has been assisting his department in the investigation.

2005-08-04T08:56:00.000-07:00

Florida Woman Accused Of Trying To Open Jet Door In Flight

A Florida woman accused of trying to open a United Airlines jet exit door as the flight descended into Seattle was arrested when the plane landed safely,Port of Seattle police said. Flight 1195, en route from Denver, was reportedly at an altitude of about 4,000 feet Wednesday when the 52-year-old woman from Dania Beach,sitting at the rear of the Boeing 737,left her seat and tried to open an exit door.Authorities did not release the woman's name.

She failed but "she did manage to turn the handle far enough that a warning light went on in the cockpit," Seattle-Tacoma International Airport spokesman Bob Parker told KING-TV."Ultimately, at the urging of the flight attendant, she went and sat back down," he said. Those on board said no one tried to physically restrain the woman. Parker said those who saw her at the door made a "conscious choice" to stay securely belted in their seats just in case she did manage to open the door.The woman was arrested for investigation of malicious mischief when the plane landed at 1:30 p.m.

Port police were investigating whether alcohol and prescription medication were involved.A United spokesman did not immediately return a call for comment

2005-08-01T19:57:00.000-07:00

TSA UNFRIENDLY TO PEOPLE WEARING DEPENDS

The fine folks at Kimberly- Clark, makers of DEPENDS adult diapers have a nice little message board with a section on Airport Security and the fine TSA organization, check it out HERE.

2005-07-26T22:37:00.000-07:00

Woman Convicted of Groping Screener

The Associated Press
Tuesday, July 26, 2005; 9:26 PM

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- A woman who was upset over being searched bodily at an airport was convicted Tuesday of assaulting a security screener by grabbing the federal officer's breasts.

A federal jury heard the case against retired teacher Phyllis Dintenfass, who also allegedly shoved the screener during the search at the Outagamie County Regional Airport in Appleton in September 2004.

Dintenfass, 62, faces up to a year in federal prison and $100,000 in fines. The judge set sentencing for Nov. 1.

On Monday, Transportation Security Administration screening supervisor Anita Gostisha testified that Dintenfass activated metal detectors at a checkpoint, and she heard Dintenfass say she thought the problem was bobby pins and barrettes in her hair.

Gostisha said she took the woman to another screening area, where she used a handheld wand. Gostisha said she was following protocol when she also performed a "limited pat-down search."

Gostisha said she was using the back of her hands to search the area underneath Dintenfass' breasts when the woman lashed out at her.

"She said `How would you like it if I did that to you?' and slammed me against the wall," Gostisha testified. "She came at me and grabbed my breasts and squeezed them."

Distenfass claimed she acted in self-defense.

"I said, 'What are you doing? No one's done that to me before,'" she said. "And she kept going ... for what felt like an interminably long time."

Dintenfass denied shoving Gostisha, but admitted putting her hands on the agent's breasts.

"I was mortified that I had done that," she said. "I was reacting to what felt like an absolute invasion of my body."

U.S. Attorney Steven Biskupic said TSA officers perform a vital service and are entitled to protection from assault.

2005-07-24T09:30:00.000-07:00

Who's Watching the Watch List?
By John Graham

My name is on a list of real and suspected enemies of the state and I can't find out what I'm accused of or why, let alone defend myself.

Heading for Oakland from Seattle to see my grandkids last week, the Alaska Airlines check-in machine refused to give me a boarding pass. Directed to the ticket counter, I gave the agent my driver's license and watched her punch keys at her computer.

Frowning, she told me that my name was on the national terrorist No Fly Watch List and that I had to be specially cleared to board a plane. Any plane. Then she disappeared with my license for 10 minutes, returning with a boarding pass and a written notice from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) confirming that my name was on a list of persons "who posed, or were suspected of posing, a threat to civil aviation or national security."

No one could tell me more than that. The computer was certain.

Back home in Seattle, I called the TSA's 800 number, where I rode a merry-go-round of pleasant recorded voices until I gave up. Turning to the TSA web site, I downloaded a Passenger Identity Verification form that would assist the TSA in "assessing" my situation if I sent it in with a package of certified documents attesting to who I was.

I collected all this stuff and sent it in. Another 20 minutes on the phone to the TSA uncovered no live human being at all, let alone one who would tell me what I'd presumably done to get on The List. Searching my mind for possible reasons, I've been more and more puzzled. I used to work on national security issues for the State Department and I know how dangerous our country's opponents can be. To the dismay of many of my more progressive friends, I've given the feds the benefit of the doubt on homeland security. I tend to dismiss conspiracy theories as nonsense and I take my shoes off for the airport screeners with a smile.

I'm embarrassed that it took my own ox being gored for me to see the threat posed by the Administration's current restricting of civil liberties. I'm being accused of a serious--even treasonous--criminal intent by a faceless bureaucracy, with no opportunity (that I can find) to refute any errors or false charges. My ability to earn a living is threatened; I speak on civic action and leadership all over the world, including recently at the US Air Force Academy. Plane travel is key to my livelihood.

According to a recent MSNBC piece, thousands of Americans are having similar experiences. And this is not Chile under Pinochet. It's America. My country and yours.

With no real information to go on, I'm left to guess why this is happening to me. The easiest and most comforting guess is that it's all a mistake (a possibility the TSA form, to its credit, allows). But how? I'm a 63-year-old guy with an Anglo-Saxon name. I once held a Top Secret Umbra clearance (don't ask what it is but it meant the FBI vetted me up the whazoo for months). And since I left the government in 1980, my life has been an open book. It shouldn't be hard for the government to figure out that I'm not a menace to my country.

If they do think that, I can't see how. Since 1983 I've helped lead the Giraffe Heroes Project, a nonprofit that moves people to stick their necks out for the common good. In the tradition of Gandhi, King and Mandela, that can include challenging public policies people think are unjust. In 1990, the Project's founder and I were honored as "Points of Light" by the first President Bush for our work in fostering the health of this democracy. I've just written a book about activating citizens to get to work on whatever problems they care about, instead of sitting around complaining.

I'm also engaged in international peacemaking, working with an organization with a distinguished 60-year record of success in places ranging from post-war Europe to Africa. Peacemakers must talk to all sides, so over the years I've met with Cambodians, Sudanese, Palestinians, Israelis and many others. You can't convince people to move toward peaceful solutions unless you understand who they are.

As I said, I'm not into conspiracy theories. But I can't ignore this administration's efforts to purge and punish dissenters and opponents. Look, for example, at current efforts to cleanse PBS and NPR of "anti-administration" news. But I'm not Bill Moyers and the Giraffe Heroes Project is not PBS. We're a small operation working quietly to promote real citizenship.

Whether it's a mistake or somebody with the power to hassle me really thinks I am a threat, the stark absence of due process is unsettling. The worst of it is that being put on a list of America's enemies seems to be permanent. The TSA form states:

The TSA clearance process will not remove a name from the Watch Lists. Instead this process distinguishes passengers from persons who are in fact on the Watch Lists by placing their names and identifying information in a cleared portion of the Lists.

Which may or may not, the form continues, reduce the airport hassles.

Huh? My name is on a list of real and suspected enemies of the state and I can't find out what I'm accused of or why, let alone defend myself. And I'm guilty, says my government, not just until proven innocent or a victim of mistaken identity--but forever.

Sure, 9/11 changed a lot. Tougher internal security measures (like thorough screenings at airports and boundary crossings) are a dismal necessity. But, in protecting ourselves, we can't allow our leaders to continue to create a climate of fear and mistrust, to destroy our civil liberties and, in so doing, to change who we are as a nation. What a victory that would be for our enemies, and what a betrayal of real patriots and so many in the wider world who still remember this country as a source of inspiration and hope.

I don't think it's like Germany in 1936 -- but, look at Germany in 1930. Primed by National Socialist propaganda to stay fearful and angry, Germans in droves refused to see the right's extreme views and actions as a threat to their liberties.

And don't forget that frog. You know that frog. Dropped into a pot of boiling water, he jumps out to safety. But put him into a pot of cold water over a steady flame, he won't realize the danger until it's too late to jump.

So how hot does the water have to get? When the feds can rifle through your library reading list? When they can intimidate journalists? When a government agency can keep you off airplanes without giving you a reason? When there's not even a pretense of due process? We're not talking about prisoners at Guantanamo; this is you and me. Well, after last week, it sure as hell is me and it could be you, next.

Oh, yes -- Washington State just refused to renew my driver's license online, a privilege given others. I had to wait in line at the DMV before a computer decided I could drive home. This conspiracy theory debunker smells a connection to the Watch List.

I'm mobilizing everything I've got to challenge the government on this issue, in a country that I love and have served. Whatever your politics, it's your fight too. Yes, there needs to be a list of the bad guys, coordinated among the security agencies with a need-to-know. But we must demand that the government make public its criteria for putting people on this list--and those reasons can't include constitutionally protected dissent from government policies.

The feds can't be allowed to throw names on the list without first doing simple checks for mistaken identity. And no one's name should be added to the list, or kept on it, without a formal, open explanation of charges and the opportunity to challenge and disprove them. This assault on civil liberties must not stand--not for me, not for anybody.

2005-07-24T09:25:00.000-07:00

ACLU Challenges 'No-Fly' Data
Seven people lead suit charging TSA of mishandling information.

Emily C. Kumler, Medill News Service

WASHINGTON -- The American Civil Liberties Union has filed the first nationwide class-action lawsuit challenging the U.S. "no-fly" list, questioning the accuracy of its data and methodology.

The list is one of the most contentious by-products of the post-9/11 security wave. The Transportation Security Administration compiles the names of people who may be security risks in air travel.

The seven individuals who are lead plaintiffs in the suit claim they have been repeatedly humiliated, delayed, and even threatened with indefinite detention at U.S. airports. The ACLU has assembled among the plaintiffs a member of the military, a retired Presbyterian minister, and a college student.

No Exoneration
Chief among their complaints is that they can never seem to clear their name and escape the list. The ACLU suit notes that several had even obtained letters from the TSA stating that they were not a threat, but were still subject to delays and searches.

"There is no way to get off the no-fly list," says David Fathi, a plaintiff and ACLU National Prison Project senior counsel. "They have designated me a permanent suspect."

The ACLU contends the TSA's system of identifying individuals who pose a threat to air travel is severely flawed. The group says, for example, that many innocent people with the name David Nelson are placed on the no-fly list, including a star of the 1950s TV sitcom The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet as well as one of the plaintiffs.

Fathi says there is no way to know why he was placed on the list. He says he and other plaintiffs have had no luck in finding out why they were included.

After landing on a no-fly list, Fathi says, he has been interrogated, escorted by police, and embarrassed, but was always eventually allowed on the plane.

Inconsistency Charged

While the ACLU opposes the list, it also criticizes the TSA for failing to enforce its own regulations--a charge the TSA vigorously denies.

"No-fly means that you won't get a boarding pass. If you were on that list, you wouldn't get on the plane," says Andrea Fuentes, a TSA spokesperson. "TSA is confident that the systems in place stand the legal test and we are secure in the accuracy and need for the no-fly list. There are issues of misidentification, which is a customer service violation, not a constitutional one."

The TSA would not comment on the ACLU suit.

The agency highlighted the success of its efforts before a House subcommittee last year.
"The combination of our screening force and enhanced technology has resulted in almost 800 arrests at screening checkpoints," said Admiral James Loy, an administrator with the
Transportation Security Administration, in a statement made to a House subcommittee on aviation.

But privacy and civil liberties groups have been wary from the start of TSA efforts to screen and categorize airline passengers.

2005-07-24T08:46:00.000-07:00

TSA, 1… Zippo lighter camera, 0

Airport security would not allow this guy pass a security checkpoint with his camera. Am I alone in thinking that it is completely idiotic to not allow a camera on an airplane because it looks like a lighter?

It gets better. When he walked up to security with the camera, he showed it to the TSA guard and told him what it was. He was instructed that he could take the camera but not the case. What??? Because the case could do what exactly? I can imagine this conversation going down something like this:

Man: Hi, this is a camera, see?
TSA: Sorry you can’t take that on the plane.
Man: What? But why not, it’s just a camera.
TSA: It looks like a lighter.
Man: But it’s not, see..the camera comes out of the case and everything.
TSA: Alright, then you can take the camera…but not the case.
Man: I can’t take an empty metal case?
TSA: Nope, looks too much like a lighter.
Man: But it’s not….and it can’t start fires, because it’s hollow.
TSA: But it looks like it could.
Man: Your not too bright are you?
TSA: Sir, calm down, and put the lighter down before you hurt someone.
Man: IT’S NOT A FRIGGEN LIGHTER.
TSA: Security, I need backup, we have a hostile man at the security checkpoint and he’s waving around what looks like a lighter.

2005-07-24T08:42:00.000-07:00

TSA "plane people are clueless and planless"

“Well, they should have spent their time on accountability and getting, you know, high-quality people to run that company because — or that operation. When you have a former press secretary running maritime security, you got a real problem.

“We need to have credibility. We also have to have a plan of going forward. And taking Bic lighters off of airplanes clearly shows these plane people are clueless and planless.”

—Michael Boyd, president, the Boyd Group, an aviation and security consulting firm; in response to being asked what theTransportation Security Administration should’ve doneinstead of deciding four books of matches will be allowedon airliners, but not lighters. On MSNBC’s“Countdown With Keith Olbermann,” March 1, 2005.
• • •

2005-07-24T08:28:00.000-07:00

Airport Security Gets Another 'F'

CBS INVESTIGATES: AIRPORT SECURITY
In January and February, CBS News went undercover to test security at major American airports. We took lead-lined film bags, which block X-rays, through checkpoints. Steve Elson, who used to test checkpoint security for the Federal Aviation Administration, helped us with our tests. "When the bag goes through the X-ray, there's a big black blob," says Elson. "They're impossible to miss and yet they just continually let it go."

Screeners could not clearly see what was in our carry-ons and should have searched them, because a weapon could have been hidden in or under the film bags. But 70 percent of screeners failed to check or even detect the film bags. At the time, the Transportation Security Administration blamed a broken system. Congress ordered the federal government to take over all airport checkpoints by Nov. 19. But with two months to go, of the seven airports we re-visited, Baltimore was the only one where federal employees screen all passengers.

At the rest, private companies -- under federal supervision -- still handle some, if not all, of the screening. They are not government employees and have not received the same training. The new head of the TSA, James Loy, says security has improved. "It has changed dramatically for the better," says Loy. "I am very impressed with the diligence of the screeners that are in place today." To determine if screening really has improved, CBS News went back to the same airports using the same kind of X-ray blocking film bags, and we got the same results. Once again, 70 percent of the time, those film bags went undetected or unopened. In Los Angeles, screeners actually did worse. Last time, they found and checked our film bags 50 percent of the time.

Last week, they missed all of them. We'd also been detected 50 percent of the time at New York's LaGuardia. On this latest round, which Elson also helped us with, screeners failed every test. "LaGuardia was a typical day," says Elson. "You go through and you think there's no way to miss this, and yet we just generally sailed right through the checkpoint." In two incidents, screeners did find one film bag, but missed a second one that a CBS News producer was also carrying. "They had the idea, but they didn't carry it through to completion," says Elson. "Therefore, they failed." Screeners at Atlanta and Washington's Reagan National didn't check any of our film bags six months ago, and again they missed all of them this time. None of the screeners at New York's Kennedy airport stopped us last time. That happened again in four out of five tests. There were some success stories. Screeners in Ft. Lauderdale stopped us and checked the film bags six months ago and did everything right again last week.

In Baltimore, all screeners are federal employees. Earlier this year, the film bags went undetected every time. Last week, our film bags were searched every time. "This is the first time they've ever, on any of the things we've done, (that) they've ever opened the bag and done it successfully," says Elson. "And they did it very well today. "I hope that's the wave of the future." But a year after Sept. 11, Elson is still worried. "They're missing all kinds of things," says Elson. "That's the frightening part." Things like guns.

A checkpoint supervisor at Atlanta's airport was fired last week after a woman boarded a plane with a loaded weapon and extra ammunition. She was caught at another airport, by the new layer of pre-boarding screening in gate areas, a security requirement the government may eliminate for passenger convenience.

2005-07-24T08:12:00.000-07:00

Learn from the TSA’s shortcomings
By David M. Primo and Roger W. Cobb

At the conclusion of “The Maltese Falcon,” Humphrey Bogart’s character, in discussing a crime, says “somebody has to take the fall.” That maxim has been borne out in the area of aviation security over the past three years. In the immediate aftermath of Sept. 11, the focus was on the private security companies responsible for screening baggage and passengers. Airline security has since been federalized, and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is now the regulatory agency everybody loves to hate. Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.) has likened it to a “Soviet-style centralized bureaucracy.” Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) compared tests for new screeners to something that Jay Leno’s scriptwriters would pen.

The acronym TSA has been said to mean “Try Standing Around” or “Taking Scissors Away.” What makes the animus all the more remarkable is that the agency is little more than two years old.The obvious solution when something goes wrong is to blame the people who are carrying out a policy directive. And much of the criticism of the TSA — that it inefficiently allocates screeners, is wasteful in its spending and has no coherent plan for aviation security — is valid. Since its inception, the TSA has consistently been playing defense with vague statements that existing problems are being addressed and improvements are being made. But what about those who created the agency in the first place?

Lost in all of this is that the TSA is a product of the U.S. Congress, which passed the legislation creating the agency by vote margins usually reserved for motions to create National Happiness Day or some other such innocuous measure. Part of the blame for the TSA’s problems must rest on those members of Congress who voted to create the agency, all 410 representatives and the entire Senate (since the conference report went through in that body on a voice vote).

Terrorism has always been a threat in the not-so-friendly skies, but Congress did little to protect aviation until tragedy struck and it had no choice but to act. Dramatic events spur governments into action, but typically the responses are poorly planned, and ineffective. Exhibit A is aviation security in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks.

Congress gave the TSA the impossible task of designing itself from scratch and simultaneously restructuring how the skies are protected. Now that the TSA has for the most part failed, members of Congress — on both sides of the aisle — are quick to cast blame.And admittedly, the

TSA is an easy target, with contractors billing the government for luxury hotels during recruitment trips and its first head lavishly furnishing his office at taxpayer expense. Perhaps this is why most media coverage of the TSA focuses on its failings and gives members of Congress a free pass. But we suggest that members of Congress ought to examine their own actions on aviation security.

There are two possible explanations for the problems in the TSA’s design. The first is that certain members of Congress wanted the TSA’s centralized structure to fail so that a more rational decentralized structure could subsequently be implemented. This may be one explanation for the provision in the law allowing airports to move back to private screeners in late 2004.

The second is that the TSA was created hastily because Congress ignored the issue of aviation security until the Sept. 11 attacks. Take your pick: Machiavellian politics or hurried policymaking. Disasters are precisely the worst time to implement new regulations. Emotions are running high, and the goal is to pass something — anything — to satisfy the political pressures of the moment.

That type of reactive regulation is a more general problem in aviation politics, which is more disaster-driven than other policy areas. We agree with Mica and others that reforms are necessary to improve aviation security. But we hope, perhaps naively, that the TSA’s failures represent a wake-up call that new agencies should not be created in the heat of the moment.

2005-07-24T08:03:00.000-07:00

Government reports highlight problems in airline safety
A death knell for passenger profiling?
By Anita Ramasastry

(FindLaw) -- Since the September 11 terrorist attacks, improving aviation security has been a priority for the federal government. Among the most controversial proposals to address it is the Computer Assisted Passenger Pre-Screening System II (CAPPS II).
CAPPS II is designed to use commercial and government data to verify passenger identity, and to decide whether individual fliers pose security risks. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is the agency tasked with implementing this program.

The program was initially intended to detect terrorists and keep them off airplanes. In August 2003, however, TSA announced that CAPPS II would also serve as a law enforcement tool to identify individuals wanted for violent crimes.

Based on privacy concerns that I have discussed in a previous column, Congress voted to block funding for CAPPS II unless the TSA could satisfy eight criteria relating to privacy, security, accuracy and oversight. (TSA may, at this time, move forward in testing CAPPS II, however.) In addition, Congress also asked the General Accounting Office (GAO) to conduct a review of CAPPS II to determine whether it met the relevant criteria.
This February, that reportcame in. And it concluded that CAPPS II has numerous problems, as I will explain.
Then on March 17, a second reportwas released by the DHS. It confirmed that the TSA was involved in the transfer of JetBlue Airways passenger information to a Department of Defense subcontractor, Torch Concepts, for use in a data mining study (which I also discussed in an earlier column). Moreover, the DHS report found that, "The TSA employees involved acted without appropriate regard for individual privacy interests or the spirit of the Privacy Act of 1974."
As these two reports suggest, and as I will argue in this column, CAPPS II should not go forward unless it incorporates comprehensive further measures to protect privacy and to provide security for the data in the government's possession.

How CAPPS II would work
In 1998, a passenger risk assessment program was implemented as an additional measure to help prevent a terrorist attack on passenger aircraft. In the wake of September 11, Congress directed the TSA to improve that system. The result was CAPPS II.
After receiving fierce criticism of its first proposal for CAPPS II, the TSA on August 1, 2003 issued a new notice regarding the program. The notice informed the public that TSA intended to begin testing CAPPS II, and attempting to address some of the criticism the agency had received.
According to the notice, CAPPS II will proceed through four steps:
(1) Data collection: Airlines will be required to collect certain data from every passenger, and pass it along to the TSA. Upon purchasing an airplane ticket, passengers will have to provide four pieces of information: their name, address, telephone number, and date of birth.
(2) Identity authentication: The TSA will send that information to commercial data services, which will then send back an "authentication score" intended to indicate "a confidence level in that passenger's identity." The idea is that these data services will figure out if we are who we say we are.
But that raises some questions: What if a person's information is incorrect, or his name is similar to that of a criminal? What are tolerable false positive and false negative rates when it comes to verifying identity -- and how can mistakes be corrected? Or, what if a person -- because of her age, or lack of income or credit history, is not present in these databases to have her identity verified?
(3) Risk assessment: The TSA will then perform a risk assessment for each passenger, drawing upon law enforcement, intelligence, or other government databases. Each person will be scored as either an "acceptable," "unknown," or "unacceptable" risk.
Again, this is troubling -- the TSA notice does not make clear the criteria for such assessments, and much of the data relied upon may be confidential data, so that a passenger may not ever known why he or she has been deemed an "unacceptable" risk.
And again, what are acceptable false positive and false negative rates -- and how can mistakes be corrected? Also, what kind of data should be collected, and how long should the data be retained? Who will have access to the data and for what purposes?
(4) Enforcement of "unacceptable" and "unknown" risk assessments: Each passenger's risk score would then be forwarded to airport security personnel. Those who score "unknown" would be subjected to heightened scrutiny. Those who receive an "unacceptable" risk assessment will be denied boarding passes, and law enforcement authorities will interview them to decide whether they can board the plane.

The GAO Report: TSA gets failing grades
The GAO report found that as of January 2004, the TSA had not adequately addressed seven of Congress's eight concerns.
Why did TSA fail so spectacularly? In part, the GAO noted, because it failed to timely test the CAPSS II program. According to the report, the TSA had not effectively managed and monitored CAPPS II's development and operation.
In addition, according to the report, the TSA had also failed to protect passenger privacy; address the accuracy of the data relied upon; create a system to address erroneous labeling of passengers; prevent abuse; or create security procedures. (Such procedures are necessary to prevent hackers from compromising the data used in the screening process.)
According to the report, TSA has also failed to adequately "stress test" CAPPS II to see if it even works. Does it really spot "high risk" passengers? Does it waste resources with false high-risk assessments? We don't know. So even those who would willingly sacrifice some privacy for greater security ought to be very disappointed with the TSA and CAPPS II.
Another reason CAPPS II may not be effective is identity theft. If someone else can steal your identity, then verification of who you actually are may be highly problematic. And as we all know, today, with the Internet, identity theft is all too common.

Data errors

As noted above, CAPPS II will incorporate both government and commercial data. Each kind of data has its own flaw: Commercial data is often error-ridden. And government data is secret, and may be error-ridden, for all we know.
Erroneous-but-secret government data probably can't be challenged at all. The CAPPS II Privacy Act notice includes a procedure for passengers to access their records, and to "contest or seek amendment of" those records. And the TSA notes that it will use a TSA Ombudsman and a Passenger Advocate to help passengers to request corrections of their records. But the records it refers to are the airlines' records, not the government's.
In addition, the error rate will likely be worsened if TSA carries out its announced plan to begin checking passengers for outstanding criminal warrants. What if the warrant data is error-ridden?

Small errors, huge problems

Readers may object that we can live with a few errors in order to get greater security. But the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has pointed out that even a small error rate would create huge problems.
With CAPPS II checking an estimated billion transactions, the ACLU points out, " [e]ven if we assume an unrealistic accuracy rate of 99.9%, mistakes will be made on approximately one million transactions, and 100,000 separate individuals." (Emphasis added.) So even a tiny error rate will lead to many, many errors.
Not only will a lot of innocent people be flagged, but worse, as the ACLU notes that a high degree of false positives "will make it extremely hard to find the handful of real terrorists amid the ocean of false positives."
Even the government's more limited existing "no-fly" lists have caused many innocent, Americans to be subjected to countless searches, interviews and refusals to allow them to board. And after an error has been made, it has proved impossible to correct, due to federal government bureaucracy.
The government's own assessment is the right one: Thus far, CAPPS II has been plagued by problems. If it is not drastically transformed, it ought to be cancelled.

2005-07-24T07:58:00.001-07:00

TSA screeners lack training, supervision
By Matthew Weinstockmweinstock@govexec.com

Airport screeners are not getting all of the training they need, nor is their performance monitored on a regular basis, according to a new General Accounting Office report.

In a preliminary review of the federalized screener workforce, GAO found that the Transportation Security Administration has not deployed a "recurrent or supervisory training program to ensure that screeners are effectively trained and supervised." The report (GAO-03-1173) goes on to say that TSA "collects little information to measure screener performance in detecting threat objects."

GAO, however, gives the agency credit for taking some steps to address these areas, such as designing an annual retraining program and forging a partnership with the Agriculture Department Graduate School to develop a training course for supervisors.
"GAO says that we need to come up with more training programs. We are doing that," said TSA spokesman Nico Melendez. The agency is also deploying a three-part evaluation system for its screener workforce, according to spokesman Brian Turmail. About 28,000 screeners have completed two phases of the evaluation. Roughly 3 percent of the 50,000 screeners in the agency have been fired for failing to pass different portions of the test, Turmail said.

At the time of its review, GAO was not aware of the evaluation process, according to Cathleen Berrick, GAO's acting director of homeland security and justice issues. She said GAO will continue to monitor the situation as its investigation continues. The agency is scheduled to issue a more comprehensive report on airport screening in April.

Screeners in Boston, Washington, and Norfolk interviewed by Government Executive earlier this month said they have not received refresher training. They were also unclear about what system of measurement would be used to gauge their performance. GAO found similar results in its investigation.

GAO reported that TSA plans to deploy the first of six modules for recurring training in October. The remaining five are expected to be introduced next year.
To monitor performance, TSA sends out covert teams that try to sneak objects past passenger screeners. But the agency conducts far fewer such tests than the Federal Aviation

Administration did when it was responsible for overseeing airport security, according to GAO.

TSA officials said its tests are more rigorous.

Test results do not measure an individual screener's overall performance, but provide a "snapshot" of a screener's ability to detect a weapon at a specific time, TSA officials told GAO.
Classified portions of GAO's analysis suggest that weapons are still making their way past screeners, according to Gary Burns, a spokesman for Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Aviation Subcommittee. Mica requested the investigation.

Some of the security breaches are the result of inadequate technology, Burns added. "The report illustrates that we need to be making better use of our resources," said Burns. "Do we want TSA to spend time managing a workforce or getting better technology?"
Mica had opposed federalizing the screener workforce in the first place. He helped win passage of a provision in the law creating TSA that permits airports to opt out of the federal program and hire private screeners starting in November 2004. TSA is required to develop a program describing how airports can exercise that flexibility.

"We want them to have the program ready soon, so airports can move quickly to the new system," said Burns. "The reality is that TSA has moved along like a lumbering bureaucracy and has been slow to adapt. We are concerned that TSA will not be ready to work with airports when the time comes."

Before developing the opt-out program, TSA wants to evaluate five airports involved in a pilot program allowing them to use private screeners. The airports were initially required to follow the same training and staffing models as federalized airports, but some of those restrictions have been lifted recently. TSA expects to hire a contractor in the next week to review performance at the five airports.

"I want to hear what [officials at airports in the pilot program] are thinking. What would they vary?" TSA Administrator James Loy said during a recent interview with Government Executive. "I want to be honest and objective about putting the data on the table so they can make good decisions."

2005-07-24T07:53:00.000-07:00

TSA: Hiring Problems
BY Sarita Chourey

Transportation Security Administration officials have been working to improve hiring practices for airport screeners since 2002, when its transition from contractual help to a federal workforce went into effect.

Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.), chairman of the House Government Reform Committee, recently asked TSA to quickly resolve complaints from screeners "who believe they were mistreated during the early phases of federalization of the screener function." In a letter to the agency, he underscored problems with the grievance process, internal communications and hiring snags. Screeners who were hired by private companies and then wanted federal jobs were caught in a Catch-22, Davis complained.

"According to some unsuccessful applicants, TSA managers told them they could not file a complaint because they were not federal employees," Davis said. "Some screeners contend they were unable to meet deadlines because they were unaware of the deadlines."

A spokesman for Davis said that TSA officials have significantly improved the complaint procedures process, but noted that "what is left is a dissemination problem — letting people know about it."

One instance of the communication gap involves officials' recent decision to give priority until July to contractual screeners who were privately employed and then reapplied for open screener positions.

Committee members are urging TSA to publicize this information, as well as the preference for veterans provided under the Aviation and Transportation Security Act. But according to Davis' spokesman, the agency has yet to do so.
"This was a problem that occurred in 2002 when we were hiring thousands of people every week," said TSA spokeswoman Deirdre O'Sullivan. But some, like Peter Winch, national organizer for the American Federation of Government Employees, say the problem is current.
"It's nice that [Davis] gives [TSA] a pat on the back before kicking them around, but they really don't deserve the pat on the back," Winch said. "It's been several years now. If anything, the screeners' situation is getting worse."

At the end of 2002, TSA had reviewed more than 1.7 million applications and hired and trained more than 55,000 employees. During the first step of the hiring process in 2003, O'Sullivan said TSA received 851 informal complaints.

TSA's making progress

Number of complaints filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission by airport screeners who object to the Transportation Security Administration's hiring process:
904 complaints pending in January
257 complaints pending in March

2005-07-24T07:39:00.000-07:00

TSA MOLESTATION Got You Down?

We Bitches feel like the current system of airport molestation attempts security checks is highly discriminatory and oppressive. Have you ever noticed that women seemed to be singled out quite often at security checkpoints? This is only because of our breasts. That’s right, The Man™ is forcing us to undergo more thorough checks than males. Why? One word: Bras.

Bras have metal clasps that almost always set off metal detectors. Being pulled aside to have your back felt up by some strange guy with a very phallic object in his hand isn’t always so much fun. Those of us ladies requiring a bit of extra support with underwire bras are doubly screwed.

There’s no way we can get through without being pulled to the side. When we get checked, not only is our back felt up, but they bring a woman over to feel her way around our breasts to confirm that it really is just a tiny little wire.

What can we do? Should all of the ladies be forced to suffer though this? Well, as long as people like this are in charge of our future, we don’t have much of a choice.

UNTIL NOW!

The Bitch Girls would like to present our own option for self defense against the roaming hands of airport security. What is this miracle product? The Bitch Bra™. Made from 100% pure duct tape, the Bitch Bra™ will provide you with all of the defense you need against airport security.

Style A Style B

As you can see, we offer two styles. Style A is the choice of many of our smaller breasted women. (Ignore the fact that Spooky was being squeezed in order to make it fit.) Style B is the preferred choice for our larger breasted customers. Our own patented duct tape underwires will make sure that you have the support you deserve. (Style B is currently only available in a D cup.)

Stock up today ladies! Make that next trip through airport security a breeze! Coming soon: Colors! Watch for our new shade of red to be available during next the exam period.

2005-07-24T07:34:00.000-07:00

TSA PROBLEMS

"Hey guys. Just got back from a shooting trip down in LA. At the Seattle end they did what they always do-- swab my boxes of sheet film and let me on through. On my return, however, I had a box of exposed film that the security people at LAX insisted on opening. They that said because the factory seal was broken, I could have a plastic knife in the box, and they couldn't let me through without either x-raying the box or opening it for visual inspection. Only after summoning the supervisor of the supervisor and getting into quite a shouting match, did they finally let me pass with my film... etc"

Maybe they were going by these apparent new regulations:
"My wife, flew today (4-28-04) from Anchorage to Nashville. Going through security she identified herself as a professional photographer and politely requested a hand inspection of her medium format camera and forty plus rolls of 120 format film. She stopped the inspection when she saw the TSA employee ripping open her foil-sealed rolls of Fujifilm prior to wanding them for trace chemical sniffing. She was told that this was now standard operating procedure as per a new bulky TSA manual that was just delivered yesterday to Anchorage International Airport.

The inspector stated that all film that was not 35mm in see-through plastic containers had to be opened. Randi explained that the manufacturer's foil packaging protecting the individual rolls keeps the film clean, light tight and dry over a long trip. By working through TSA supervisors and having a full hour and a half prior to her flight leaving, she was able to convince them to let her through without opening each roll of film.

For those of us with travel and assignments that require us to shoot medium and large format film, this sounds like a real problem flying with your film. I shoot mostly 4x5 and TSA inspectors opening sealed boxes of 4x5 inch sheet film will ruin the film through fogging. Up until now, the inspectors have been content with wand sniffing the outside my light tight film boxes and sheet film holders, but it sounds like this policy has changed."
Answers