Originally Posted by
wildcatlh
If I get into my car, I know what the rules and laws say. If I turn on my turn signal to make a right turn, a cop will not stop me and claim that making right turns is illegal. If I'm driving 55 MPH in a 55 MPH speed zone, I will not be stopped for speeding. When there are different rules -- for example, driving slower when it's raining -- I *know* about those rules because I can look at the statutes and see where it says that.
If I'm riding my bike in the bike lane, a cop will not stop me and say that the bike lane cannot be used. If I use the standard arm signal to signal a turn, I will not be stopped by a police officer for making an illegal turn.
If I follow the rules as stated on the TSA's website and show up for my flight, I run the risk that the TSO on duty will not allow me to fly because he believes that something I am doing is wrong. So no, I don't complain as much about the other laws as I do the rules of the TSA.
The BIG difference is that you have been granted a LICENSE to drive a motor vehicle. This means (in most states) you have passed both a written and a driving test to prove to an examiner that you know the rules of the road. All of the rules are clearly published in the driver's manual and in motor vehicle codes. The same thing applies to a pilot or an airplane or ship.
There is no such licensing requirement to be a passenger on a commercial aircraft. We aren't tested whether or not we know enough rules to successfully get from making a reservation to picking up bags at our destination. There's no requirement to study the TSA website or to even know that the TSA exists. I know I'm stating the obvious, but, sometimes we are driven to do just that.