Honor Flights = NO Security
Apr 23, 2014, 11:22 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: WAS
Programs: enjoyed being warm spit for a few years on CO/UA but now nothing :(
Posts: 2,507
Honor Flights = NO Security
I am a fan of the honor flights - we dont do enough of them.
But yesterday I watched 90 participants of a flight here at DCA walk straight through the checkpoint with not one participant - veteran nor assistant - receive any screening other than cursory glance to match the name on the Avery Label namecard on a string around their neck to the list held by the ID checker. Half of the participants are assistants/guardians carrying backpacks, fanny packs, and rollaboard suitcases. None of the bags were screened. And every single participant directed around the metal detectors.
I am given to understand that is the standard procedure for all the flights: essentially no security whatsoever. I am not worried about the veterans or even so much about the assistants.
But is anyone else even a little worried about bad guy exploiting this huge vulnerability by pretending to be a participant or loading something in someone's bag or even wheel chair?
But yesterday I watched 90 participants of a flight here at DCA walk straight through the checkpoint with not one participant - veteran nor assistant - receive any screening other than cursory glance to match the name on the Avery Label namecard on a string around their neck to the list held by the ID checker. Half of the participants are assistants/guardians carrying backpacks, fanny packs, and rollaboard suitcases. None of the bags were screened. And every single participant directed around the metal detectors.
I am given to understand that is the standard procedure for all the flights: essentially no security whatsoever. I am not worried about the veterans or even so much about the assistants.
But is anyone else even a little worried about bad guy exploiting this huge vulnerability by pretending to be a participant or loading something in someone's bag or even wheel chair?
Apr 23, 2014, 1:58 pm
#3
Moderator: Smoking Lounge; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: SFO
Programs: Lifetime (for now) Gold MM, HH Gold, Giving Tootsie Pops to UA employees, & a retired hockey goalie
Posts: 28,878
Agreed that there are not enough Honor Flights but this (and no disrespect meant whatsoever to the veterans) shows the fallacy about how the TSA runs it's show (n.b. show). Either everyone is screened or no one is screened as if there is a middle ground, that is where the incident will occur
Apr 23, 2014, 2:23 pm
#5
Moderator: Coupon Connection & S.P.A.M
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Louisville, KY
Programs: Destination Unknown, TSA Disparager Diamond (LTDD)
Posts: 57,952
I'd fly on such a flight in a heartbeat.
Apr 23, 2014, 2:41 pm
#6
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Catania, Sicily/South Jersey (PHL)/Houston, Texas/Red Stick/airborne in-between
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Posts: 3,548
Apr 23, 2014, 2:52 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: WAS
Programs: enjoyed being warm spit for a few years on CO/UA but now nothing :(
Posts: 2,507
There is nothing to stop a bad guy from creating or stealing the "credential" to appear to be one of the participants to enter the "sterile" area without any scrutiny whatsoever.
of course, here I am just preaching to the choir....
