Crewed Talk: An “Undercover Report” Used Scare Tactics to Freak People Out About Crew Members “Bypassing” Security — Here’s the Truth

I’m a little mad this week, and I’m not alone. Many a crew member got their hackles up after an ABC affiliate broadcast an “undercover report” about crew members “bypassing security” last Thursday, May 7.

Let me be clear: There’s no conspiracy, people! What they’re talking about in their “undercover report” is the Known Crew Member program (KCM).

There are passengers who will not like this program. If someone wants to have a debate about it, that’s fine. But twisting the truth, omitting the facts, and  fabricating connections between KCM and particular, emotionally-charged industry stories in order to upset people or stoke fear is NOT okay! So for this week’s column I’d like to respond to a few of these so-called facts.

Crew Members “Bypass” Airport Security

Not true.

We have different security, commensurate with the functions of our job and the security clearances that we have, but we are not screening-free. Here’s what you need to know:

• Crew members have all passed multiple FBI background checks and hold certain security clearances.
• KCM screening involves real-time, simultaneous checks and matching of several forms of ID, every time.
• Crew members are still subject to random screenings, up to and including being sent through the passenger security line, with all the same hoops. This is a very regular thing that happens.

Meanwhile, KCM procedures are constantly being reviewed and tweaked. 

Crew Members Can Use KCM “Even on Vacation”

This is true for practical reasons and is not a security issue. Regardless of whether I’m about to sit in a crew or a passenger seat, I am no more or less of a threat. I have all the same clearances and areas of access. I know all the same security sensitive information.

Furthermore, being in “street clothes” when we go through security does not mean we are “on vacation” in any way. Most of our off-duty flying is commuting to and from work. We might also be deadheading, or simply traveling to work in regular clothes since we’re about to be in uniform for 12+ hours, or maybe we just wish to avoid drawing attention on public transport. I myself usually change into uniform in “ops” (our operations area) just after security.

“Germanwings” & “9/11”

Bringing up these tragedies is a surefire way to stir-up emotion, namely fear. Does their mention serve any other purpose here? Pilots, in particular, don’t need to get anything through security in order to cause disaster. What weapon do they need besides being in control of the aircraft?

The mere reference of “Germanwings” and that pilot’s picture (I refuse to remember his name) are bound to get viewers’ hearts racing, but I see no other reason it’s relevant to KCM. If anything, it discredits this report’s own claims — if one is focusing on facts — but they did it anyway. Why? To freak people out, Pavlov-style. I know because they didn’t answer the key question: “How would searching the pilot have prevented the tragedy?”

Pardon, I mean: “How did searching him…?” The Germanwings pilot did go through regular security just like everyone else because KCM is a domestic-only program in the U.S.

This report also had the nerve to include “security expert” Mary Schiavo saying, “We’ve forgotten the lessons of 9/11.”

That feels so out of line I don’t even know where to begin*, so I’ll just skip to asking: Which lesson does she mean, specifically? They’ll have to remind me in what way flight attendants and pilots were involved in 9/11 as anything but victims. Hint: We weren’t. 

If Schiavo wants to get into concerns over weak spots in employee security, maybe she should start with certain categories of ground support, like stock clerks, fleet service, catering people, building cleaners and construction workers, all who often have have lesser* background checks, fewer employment hurdles and less to lose than crew members.

I’m not casting aspersions on these hard-working people, it’s just that KCM is nowhere near the place to start if we’re going to freak out over employee security screenings. Sometimes I wonder if those other employees just aren’t as fun a topic because passengers don’t see them or their security procedures, nor are their positions glamorized in a way that makes many people eager to be angry at them.

It’s healthy to debate security, but that’s not what this report was. It was tabloid-ish allegation and scare-mongering via charged language, insinuation and half-truths. It’s totally irresponsible and unfair to TSA, crew members and the public, and it shouldn’t be allowed to stand. I have been told that, in the wake of all the outcry, reporter Steve Daniels has promised a follow-up to his original piece. So far, there’s no timeline on that follow-up or any other comments from the station.

*You can read a bit more about these points from pilot and fellow writer Chris Manno.

[Photo: iStock]