Don't take your jacket to the washroom!

[Young Paul]

I overheard an AA flight (from Chicago perhaps? landing around 2230?) requesting ahead support from Heathrow the other day, because a passenger had refused to comply with a request from a crew member not to take his jacket off when he went to the toilet.

No joke!

Can anyone say what transpired?

[kaikohe76]

I do not know any details whatsoever about this particular incident and thus can not make a direct comment. However and please shoot me down if I am considered wrong, but not withstanding the horrific events of Sept 11, are we and the US carriers in paticular taking things just a little too far in the current treatment of the average pax. A high level of security sensibly but courteously applied is an absolute must at present, but the time may well come when the pax just says I do not need this hassle and stay at home. A boycot of all US carriers may have some effect, not a suggestion from me, but a possible option for the travelling masses.

[breguet]

To solve the problem, the genius who head the Homeland Security shall direct all pax, all flight attendantsa and all pilots to fly nude so they can not conceal any weapons...:D

[Timothy]

...apparently, even naked, there is still the possibility of concealment :yuk: :oh: :sad: :uhoh: :D :p

Will

[Earl]

Someone should figure out that these Pax pay our salaries.
Keep on scaring them away and harrasing them an the industry will continue to fall.

[Divergent Phugoid!]

What on earth does it have to do with the crew on the A/C what clothing passengers take in to the toilet??

I take it the aircraft was in flight,and the pax had been searched prior to boarding, so whats the problem??

I have an aquaintance who lives in the south. He has two mechanical arms due to an Illness. It would be almost impossible for him to remove his jacket, apart from the humility of having to bare all so to speak infront ot other pax.

After all, what would the crew do if he didnt comply?? Confiscate his arms (the non ballistic type) till they landed?

Reminds me of ther over reaction over the Action man doll carried aboard with a 1inch plastic gun by a respectable lady as a present for a relitives child.

Complete and utter Cr@p!

Remind me not to fly AA!
:mad: :mad:

[kaikohe76]

Earl, I totally agree with your comments. As I said earlier, we must have a sensible high level of aviation security and long may this continue. However the time is rapidly approaching when the normal pax is going to say enough is enough. My earlier mention of a bouycot of all US carriers who continue to treat their pax as cattle even in the current high level of security, may be worth considering. I for one have no wish or intention to travel to the US and most certainly would not use a US carrier.

[Bre901]

I'm flying to the US next week (business, have to) and I did arrange my trip as to work around the bean-counter policy that prevents us to fly European carriers. I won't be flying any US carrier as long as this goes on.

[Wino]

If its the case I head about it was that the wires suddenly fell out of a motorcycle jacket, quite rightfully scaring the crap out of several people.

It was one of those heated jackets and the wires that plug into the bike came down and started hanging out.

Since that is one of the prime things you are lookingn for in a homegrown bomb that would have scared the beejeezus out of anyone.

Passenger got belligerent when asked for his jacket to put in the least risk bomb location till it could be sorted... Had nothint to do with the loo though...

Cheers
Wino

[stagger]

The woman with wires in her jacket was on Delta flight from Paris to Cincinnati.

[Joe Phoenix]

from a crew member NOT to take his jacket off when he went to the toilet.

Is the not in that sentence correct? most seem to assume the pax was told to remove the coat ...

[LatviaCalling]

Strange that you should mention the woman from Cincinnati to London with wires hanging out of her jacket. If there was a problem, why wasn't it taken care of in the first place by those really intelligent dudes at the security walkthrough at the gate?

Sorry I got the towns mixed up. Should be Paris to Cincinnati, sted Cincinnati to London. Excuse me. Whatever.

[RiverCity]

However the time is rapidly approaching when the normal pax is going to say enough is enough.
I'm a normal pax and last May I said, "Enough is enough."

I flew from Dorval to JFK after a cruise. I do not mind the security measures, but did mind the screener's attitude when I got pulled over by customs (apparently because I travel light). The way he treated me was just awful. My next two cruises this year are round-trips, out of nearby NYC without air.

One less pax won't even show up on your companies' radar, but have you noticed the increasing number of cruise lines, perhaps the largest bulk buyer of air tickets, now advertising their round-trip cruises as being "less than an 8-hour drive"?

I'm on the largest cruiseship message board and it's not the security measures that turn people off. They understand and appreciate that. It's the high-handed attitude --the same one that drives you up a wall-- of people who have too much power for too little brains. You know: the people who want you to take off your wings because they are a weapon. The people who take their sweet time with us and make us miss our flights.

The ships now leave from Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Norfolk, Ft. Lauderdale, Orlando, Miami, Gulfport, New Orleans, couple places in Texas. We get screened, but politely.

[allthatglitters]

We hear of the european airlines having delays and cancelations over security, but do not hear about the American carriers having these problems? Do they have problems???

[amanoffewwords]

ATG, it happened to an American Eagle jet yesterday - cnn story (http://edition.cnn.com/2004/US/South/01/10/plane.diverted/index.html) - someone allegedly wanted to be flown to Oz, on a regional jet. I know I'm just a layman in this forum but :rolleyes:

There is a list on this page (http://edition.cnn.com/2004/US/01/03/terror/index.html) of the recent diverts and delays - none are US.

[kaikohe76]

River City, thanks for your very sensible and well thought through posting, I totally agree with everything you say. I note you are based in the US and thus must have had to endue those horrific events of Sept 11 more directly than many of us. It may have only helped a little, but all of you in the US were in our thoughts over those dark days.
However on the question of airport and airline security once more, the answer is surely quite simple. A high level of security screening, sensibly but courteously applied is a must. Treating the pax as though he or she are little better than dirt will very quickly result in empty aircraft. If you are treated like scum by any particular carrier and there is no valid reason for this, simple answer, avoid that carrier.

[Final 3 Greens]

I've never rated AA as being a good service airline, even before 9/11.

If I had to fly a US carrier, then Contentintal are the best of a bad bunch.

BA, LH and AF eat them all for breakfast IMHO, as do CSA in the minor league.

[RiverCity]

kaikohe76 --

It wasn't the carrier, but the screener at the airport ... which affects all the carriers, as well as all the airport personnel. It may seem to be an indirect link, but remember that the screener is the funnel through which everyone --crew and SLF alike-- passes. When the screeners are professional and thorough, everyone is content.

When the screeners are "more power than brains," people like my tablemates on the ship will say, "We put up with it before; this time we're renting a car and driving home." Which is exactly what they did. Montreal to Wilkes-Barre PA. Eight hours, including stops and change of rental cars; worth it, to them.

I went through a very thorough search on 9/17/01, not only because of the tension, but because I fit a profile: one carry-on after a ten-day cruise (I was in line with a bunch of people from the ship) and I was acting distracted, having lost a close friend of 40 years on United 175. He was a model of professionalism.

[RiverCity]

The screener isn't the only issue, of course. It's not like people will never fly again because the guy was a louse. But it's flight cutbacks, cancellations, weather stuff, problems with security locks, transpotation to/from the airport, etc. Flying gets to be more of a hassle than it's worth. But we still do it, we put up with it.

Then this new factor appears: the screener or other security person who makes life just a bit more difficult than you need at that point. And, no matter how tense or angry you are, you just have to shut up and take it.

At that point, it's really just another straw, but that's all it took to break the camel's back. It's enough to cause you to think, to evaulate the cost of air speed vs ground hassle. It takes me eleven hours, door-to-door, to travel from my home to my brother's --- whether I drive or fly. I'll wave at you guys as you pass overhead.

[kaikohe76]

River City,
Very many thanks for your last two messages, I take on board exactly what you say and I understand, appreciate and certainly agree with the points you make. It is a great pity that flying in general and the whole world of aviation has come to this current state. For obvious reasons, over the last couple of years much of the enjoyment and fun for both pax and staff has gone forever, to be replaced by more regulations and hassle.Things will never be quite the same unfortunately, but as you say, if you do travel by air just try to grin and bear it.
Thanks again for your replies,
Regards K76

[RiverCity]

One more thing -- as long as we are speaking about fitting profiles.

I also fit the profile of a cruise ship passenger who is planning on committing suicide. Their radar picks up a target when the steward makes a "no luggage" report after I board. Jumpers usually only bring a carry-on and it happens more often than you might think. Jumper Night is the last night before docking. As I am in the public eye the rest of the year, and travel alone, I prefer to be quiet on the cruises; it's great being unknown. So, generally, I have one or two crew members who are reasonably chatty with me the first few days until they get to know me! I think it's funny, but I don't let on.

[bealine]

BA, LH and AF eat them all for breakfast IMHO, as do CSA in the minor league.

.....Why, thank you Final 3 Greens!!! It's nice to know that, despite all our faults, the major European players are still appreciated, and I'm sure CSA would value your comments too! (Ever thought about dropping 'em a line to let them know? - it might help their staff morale, just as our morale is helped by comments such as yours!)

[Clipper811]

Richard Reid (aka the 'Shoe Bomber') was
also searched/screened prior to boarding
but there was still a big problem. - He had twice the explosives located on his person than were on PA 103. I'd wager the pax on that AA flight were glad the crew stopped him before he detonated his device. I believe he was stopped in his seat. The bad guys know there is increased vigilance so keeping a good eye on what's being brought into the loo is a good thing.
-----------

Divergent Phugoid said
"What on earth does it have to do with the crew on the A/C what clothing passengers take in to the toilet??
I take it the aircraft was in flight,and the pax had been searched prior to boarding, so whats the problem??"