Best PreThanksgiving Wed. I've Had in Last 25 Years

[tadjr]

Knew everything was almost full today and weather looked good so should be busy and smooth as long as no maintenance popped up. No maint, no delays, no lines.
This was the smoothest pre Thanksgiving Wednesday I've had in my 25 years at US. We had about 60-80 people web checkin per flight and it appeared most of those must have only had carry on bags. Only 2 times all afternoon did we even have all 12 of our kiosks being used at one time.
Many customers commented on the news telling everyone to be there 3 hours early and that there seemed to be no one around. The news people were filming all day and even WN didnt have ANYONE in their line at their 6pm broadcast. They were scrambling for "airline disaster" stories and couldnt find any. It was funny because by the last check of their 6pm broadcast (they had been there since noon), they still couldnt find anything to talk about and had a laugh at themselves.
Heres hoping your day was as smooth and the rest of the weekend will be as nice!

 

[Harry Callahan]

You can thank the TSA for a smooth day as people opted out of flying.
www.wewontfly.com

 

[700UW]

Yea ok, sure, not!

From the Washington Post:

Airport officials and the airlines said, however, that Wednesday was one of the busiest air travel days of the year, with 1.6 million people expected to fly.

"I think it's nonsense to say people aren't flying," said David Castelveter, a spokesman for the Air Transport Association, an airline industry group. "Despite what the promoters of the opt-out say, the American people have spoken and they are undeterred. People are flying."

 

[Crzipilot]

Sure people are flying. BUT, a few places for some unknown reason did not have the back scatter machines being used?!?!? Saw a few roped off early morning, just directing people through the regular metal detectors, etc etc

Think maybe TSA changed some things to help things move slowly and they could proclaim, SEE the backscatter doesn't cause delays..hahah

 

[Harry Callahan]

Think maybe TSA changed some things to help things move slowly and they could proclaim, SEE the backscatter doesn't cause delays..hahah

I know for a fact things changed yesterday. I could not keep up with all the texts & emails I was getting from friend & other folks flying yesterday. Now I understand this guy may be an exception, but one of my good friends was fully ready to opt out twice & "take one for the team yesterday" but he didn't get the chance, his story. "Arrived at the airport 11A. All WBI lanes roped off except one & I put myself in that lane. Was waved over to the WTMD so didn't get the chance. Got through every thing in 10 min or so as there was pretty much no one there. I could've did it all over again same results, so I had lots of time on my hands".

This is a friend who use to fly 100,000 or more miles a year & told his company he would no longer fly & this is his only trip this year & he had been dreading it. He went on to say he would go back to flying if every day could be like yesterday.

 

[SS255]

I was at LAX at 5AM on Tuesday morning. The TSA was waving most people through the regular metal detector, even when the back scatters were empty. (I picked the lane where everybody walks through the regular metal detector. )

It sounds like the TSA was under extreme pressure not to have any "incidents" yesterday. That's all well and good, but what about the other 364 days of the year?

 

[IberiaMAL]

I wonder how many people who are so opposed to this actually fly.

 

[SparrowHawk]

I wonder how many people who are so opposed to this actually fly.

I can only speak for two people. Myself and a dear friend. We have been looking to spend some time together since I moved to my own private Idaho. Given the current situation she has chosen not to fly and she is frankly pretty adamant. We're looking at putting her on Amtrack (not realistic really). That's leaves me, a ten year CP who frankly has no interest in going through the Nude-O-Scope or the enhanced pat down. Not because I have anything to hide but because I'm genuinely afraid that I will confront the TSA and end up behind bars as I for one have had enough of America's version of the Gestapo.

It may be important to note that both of us have traveled internationally many times so security checkpoints are not specifically the issue. The issue is the conduct of America's Gestapo towards its law abiding citizens. Please bear in mind that the total of the TSA's of terrorists caught at a checkpoint is roughly equal to Napolitano & Pistole's combined IQ of ZERO

 

[Bob Owens]

I wonder how many people who are so opposed to this actually fly.

I fly on average at least once a week, I'm opposed to it. Just what we need, a weekly x-ray. I'd rather take my chances of dying in a split second impact than months of dying from radiation induced Cancer. We get enough radiation from sitting up there are 30,000 ft. At one time we were a nation that believed that Freedom was more important than Security.

I dont think these machines make us safer, in fact I think the opposite. Its just a scam that will make Chertoff even richer.

 

[PHL]

For the past week, the mainstream media has been running stories about the backlash against the body scanners. I'm convinced the representation is far worse than the reality. Are people against, it? Sure. But I think when the big "opt out" day came and it registered barely a blip on their news-radar, they were left with nothing but a typical Thanksgiving Wednesday travel story. Idiots. All of them.

Now they've shifted to the black friday shopping stories, which are also typical and boring to most of us. Why is it news to see people rushing to stores on the day after Thanksgiving when we're on the brink of a major war in Korea? Idiots. All of them.

It goes back to the question constantly posed in my college media studies course - does the mass media set the agenda of the country or is it the other way around?

On topic - nice work to all of the US employees. I'll be traveling (US) tomorrow night from Philly. Looking forward to it!

 

[IberiaMAL]

I fly on average at least once a week, I'm opposed to it. Just what we need, a weekly x-ray. I'd rather take my chances of dying in a split second impact than months of dying from radiation induced Cancer. We get enough radiation from sitting up there are 30,000 ft. At one time we were a nation that believed that Freedom was more important than Security.

I dont think these machines make us safer, in fact I think the opposite. Its just a scam that will make Chertoff even richer.

Speaking of radiation, as you mentioned, flying alone gives you a lot more radiation. And talking on cell phones, etc. etc. It's just a little media sensational headline.


No one likes to go through the X-ray thing. I don't like taking off my shoes, waiting in security lines, or taking out my laptop from my bag, etc. But I get over it and just get through security. I don't have time to go to tea-party rallies in the swamps of loo-siana to protest opt-out day and such. I'll just vote the powers that be out of power in 2012.

I rather go through the "nude-o-scope" then have to take off my shoes and crap. That's just me.



It's fair to feel violated and such and embarrassed and harassed or whatever. It's completely fair to hate it, complain, and gripe. That's fine. But it's annoying to see people who don't fly making such a huge deal out of it pledging to opt out on Opt-out day or whatever knowing they're not even going to be flying that day. I know that's none of you guys, but I'm not talking about any of you.

 

[PA18]

For the past week, the mainstream media has been running stories about the backlash against the body scanners. I'm convinced the representation is far worse than the reality. Are people against, it? Sure. But I think when the big "opt out" day came and it registered barely a blip on their news-radar, they were left with nothing but a typical Thanksgiving Wednesday travel story. Idiots. All of them.

Now they've shifted to the black friday shopping stories, which are also typical and boring to most of us. Why is it news to see people rushing to stores on the day after Thanksgiving when we're on the brink of a major war in Korea? Idiots. All of them.

It goes back to the question constantly posed in my college media studies course - does the mass media set the agenda of the country or is it the other way around?

"The medium is the message." -- Marshall McLuhan (1911-1980)

 

[ChockJockey]

The issue is the conduct of America's Gestapo towards its law abiding citizens.

You mean how the TSA abducts and executes thousands of people without a trial? Oh wait, that was the actual Gestapo. Ironically, a lot of the case work that the Gestapo did was based on good "law-abiding" Germans turning in their fellow citizens. It helps to research the terms you employ in your hyperbole (assuming you want to be taken seriously).

And it's not like the TSA is using "enhanced interrogation techniques" like waterboarding (and worse) as do some other government acronyms we could name. The TSA may only graze your junk, they're not likely to hook it up to a car battery.

Please bear in mind that the total of the TSA's of terrorists caught at a checkpoint is roughly equal to Napolitano & Pistole's combined IQ of ZERO

Which would indicate that the TSA has been 100% effective in preventing terrorists from flying in the US. That's not bad for people that are technically brain dead though that doesn't seem to help your argument very much.

Back on the topic, I agree it's been an excellent Thanksgiving weekend thus far, in terms of the food and the ops. Good job errbody! B)

 

[Dog Wonder]

The TSA has done a nice job of exposing attention hookers so far this week.

 

[MrFlyRite]

I flew on both the 24th and 29th into and out of the caribbean. I was in first class all the way-but due to a walking cast, I had the lovely holiday groping inspection from the TSA agents. In PHX, he described to me what he was going to do; on the way home, not so much. But, it is what it is. The best part was the TSA agent in SJU catching the lady headed to Germany with fruit in her carry on.