411A, before this stupid rule was enforced on us, over here in the UK we could, with the companies and the commanders permission take a family member or friend with us on the jump seat. As far as I am aware, over all the years that we were able to do this there was not one instance of the jump seater causing ANY problem and certainly no security issue, no matter what the relationship was between the jump seater and the pilot who had invited them along for the 'experience'.
I am not trying to compare the rules as they were in the US before or after 9/11 with regard to jump seaters. I know that over there you haven't allowed jump seaters for decades but that is not the issue. And before those posters who cannot resist having a go at the US contingent repeat the often heard jibe that the locked door policy didn't prevent the 9/11 tragedy, remember that that was achieved only because the hijack compliance advice at the time was not appropriate in that case. Since then attitudes have changed and I won't go into those details on here but as far as I am concerned the new rules banning anyone from using the jump seat here in the UK is nothing but a knee jerk reaction and a cosmetic cover for the ineptitude of the agencies that are responsible for dealing with the issue, especially the US agencies including the FBI and the CIA.
In my experience, those people who were lucky enough in the UK to enjoy a jump seat ride before the stupid rule was brought in were extremely appreciative and in most cases they told me that it was one of the highlights of their lifes experiences, especially so when the jump seater was someone who was just embarking on the tortuous career path of becoming an airline pilot. Others included professionals from other backgrounds. In every single case, those jump seaters were astounded to discover exactly what it was we do every day.
There are still a few pilots around who would prefer that our jobs be classified as a 'black art' and that we are somehow privileged to members of some sort of exclusive club. Those pilots and the anonymous bureaucrats who thought up this new rule are probably savouring the fact that they can now continue with the closing of the gap that had been open and our profession returns to the dark and their satisfaction that if they can't enjoy making use of the privilege then no one else should be able to either.
Unfortunately because of this new rule, many people will never get to know what it is we do or why we do it. They will just continue in the misguided belief that we push a button and wait for the landing at the other end, a myth perpetuated by many journalists who haven't had the pleasure of a jump seat ride. At no time was there a security problem with having someone you knew, especially a family member on the jump seat and to suggest that banning them now will make any difference is as futile as the 'closing of the stable door after the horse has bolted' cosmetic security procedures introduced since 9/11.
411A, just because you may selfish enough to not want your kids to "know what daddy does", that doesn't give you the right to demean everyone else with your self centered and smug tone. Many of us would like to be able to continue providing the experience to others who would be appreciative. To invoke the security issue is nothing but 'reactive' panic instead of 'proactive' thought which just about typifies much of the 'patching up' that has been going on recently.