Originally Posted by FlyingCroc
It is not hard to understand. However the rules do not come from the airport but from Homeland Security. Why is it that every cop or airport screener now thinks he is some kind of authority and stands above the passengers and crew? He has to do his job but he must be polite, correct, not groping ladies and not stealing bagage. He is not above the law, he is as a matter of fact an employee of the people he checks, because we pay his paycheck now with taxes.
Now to answer your questions:
It does not matter if the crew is a senior Captain, FO or a Cabin Attentand. But iI think it is quite riduculous to supect the crew to be shoebombers. As mentioned earlier the only "crew" that hijacked aircraft were disgruntled employee etc, however these people were not armed and luckily we have now armed and locked cockpit doors.
Second I do think it is strange to stripsearch a child in this manner, especially since we got a special screening travelling on a Middle Eastern Airline. Now who would blow up his entire family with a bomb on his own child. Did this ever happen, not even in Israel or Iraq!
Maybe not security related per sé, but a drugsmuggling mother has used the body of a dead baby to conceal cocaine. She was cought by security. This happened in the '90s.
This is how sick people are.
Now back to your case.
You say 'he has to be polite'.
Yes, in an ideal world. But if you are insulted on a daily basis by people who think they are too good to be searched, you might get a bit less polite. But honestly, do you expect to be treated like a king? Or just like the 100th sweaty armpit an crotch that has to be searched that day? Try to see things from the screeners point of view. The really do not want to touch your sweathy body any more than you want to be searched.
You say 'groping ladies'.
How?
Where?
When? If this happens regularly (which it does not) then surely you can sue his ass off. Think about it. You have a hundred willing witnesses standing in line! Here in Europe, men search men, women search women when it comes to a pat down/body search/frisk whatever you call it. I am absolutely sure the same is the case in the U/S. When you frisk a person, private parts will be touched. It is inevitable. And it is not groping.
'Not stealing baggage'
No comment.
'Not above the law'
No. But close to it. It comes down to this. If you want to fly, you have to submit yourself to a search. That's the deal. That's the game.
'Crew are not shoe bombers'
At one airport I used to work at, even the screeners were screened when they came to work. Initially this caused some consternation of course. But this is how the airport designed it's security.
A 10 meter concrete fence, 100% baggage and stripsearch and deployment of the army along the SID and STAR would be perfect. Anything else will be a COMPROMISE. Maybe some things make sense, maybe they don't. No problem in discussing that.
But don't fault the screeners. That's all I am saying. Play the game.