Newsstand - IDOL WORSHIP GETS AIRPORT SCREENER AX

New York Post Article (http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/39598.htm)

"A favor for his star-struck fiancée - a fan of American Idol singer Ruben Studdard - cost Donsha Kelly his job as a La Guardia Airport security screener.

Kelly, 33, of Brooklyn, was told yesterday he was sacked following a report that he'd asked the singing superstar for an autograph."

Good thing I didn't ask Ron Jeremy for his autograph last week when he went through http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/rolleyes.gif yuck

Ron Jeremy...that guy has come through our airport several times, and will be here again this weekend as he and some of his "friends" will be appearing at one of the local "clubs."

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"All life is a concatenation of ephemeralities" - Alfred Kahn, American economist

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Kelly and other Transportation Security Administration screeners were told minutes before Studdard walked through the airport's Delta terminal June 7 that the star didn't want to give autographs.

But Kelly asked anyhow.

"I was very apologetic and I told him my fiancée was a really big fan, and he said OK," Kelly said.</font>Sheesh. This would have been inappropriate even if they were not told he didn't want to give autographs.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by xyzzy:
Sheesh. This would have been inappropriate even if they were not told he didn't want to give autographs. </font>

Maybe, but I think termination was excessive and the "leaving his post" bit was likely made-up BS by a vindictive supervisor. Also ridiculous that it took them almost three months to do anything about the incident.

[This message has been edited by CATSA Screener (edited 09-02-2003).]

I agree that it seems a bit severe, but the problem is that a screener is in a position of authority. Depending on the point in the process at which the favor was requested, it could conceivably be construed as a veiled potential quid pro, since we all know that screenings can be cursory or very complete (translation: more hassle). A firm policy against this kind of thing with screeners, customs agents, passport control people, etc. makes sense because it helps to remove the appearance of favoritism (or lack of it). An autograph these days is often "something of value" and that brings ethical questions into play. Whether the autograph was for someone's fiance or whether the screener wants to sell it on ebay is really beside the point when it comes to making a policy on such things. The admonishment that the star didn't want to sign autographs doesn't play well for the case of the sacked employee, but the issue is larger than the preferences of the individual passenger involved, too.

[This message has been edited by Standby4321 (edited 09-03-2003).]

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">"We demand much better performance than he was willing to give. His moment of inattention could have cost people dearly," a TSA spokesman said.

</font>

Give me a break!!!

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"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety
deserve neither liberty nor safety." -- Ben Franklin

So, if you let people walk away from the screening area and then have to evacuate the terminal becuase you "lost them", that is okay. But take 30 seconds for an autograph, and you are canned?

I feel so much safer now.

quote:
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"We demand much better performance than he was willing to give. His moment of inattention could have cost people dearly," a TSA spokesman said.


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And I suppose that the screeners paid to me (including breaking my notebook pc) when I was traveling with my handicapped sister couldn't have cost people dearly either.

What a line of carp!