<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by SDF_Traveler:
It was specifically announced this was a new TSA mandate by the flight crews on the respective flights.
As I took several flights on 12/27 and this rule was not in place then (but was in place on 12/30), it must of been mandated within that 2-3 day period.
With all due respect, tuner, I sincerely doubt this is a Northwest airlines rule (otherwise the announcement would not of specifically referred to the TSA; on NW 31, the announcement was made by the pilot in command from the flight deck prior to pushback).
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I haven't flown since mid-Dec, so no 1st-hand experience here, but I've found that some cockpit crews, cabin crews, and even GAs each have their own weird policies for various things that they like to blame on "security" or "the TSA." They're often exaggerated or over-enforced versions of actual policies, some of which even make a smidgen of sense. I've heard everything from restroom use to carry-on rules to saftey briefings to boarding/de-boarding procedures blamed on "security."
A while (but post 9/11) ago on a UA transatlantic 777, a bunch of us were stretching and doing pseudo-aerobics in the huge rear galley. We joked to one of the FAs about starting an excercise "class" back there, and she jokingly told us she could have us sent back to our seats for "congregating."
I chatted with her for a few minutes, and apparently it's an actual rule of some sort. And it makes reasonable sense for FAs to be able to break up little meetings as long as it is not applied to clearly harmless activity. But a mix of fear-induced paranoia and occasional power-hungry crews can make life miserable for many passengers.
If I was lectured by cabin crews for lining up for a non-cockpit restroom in my cabin or "congregating" while stretching my legs on a long-haul (and not related to seatbelt sign or service carts), I'd file a complaint with the airline.
Anybody else had problems with this over the past few weeks? I did a quick scan on the NW and AA forums and didn't see anything (I normally follow only UA). If you've got a story, post it here. I'll post my own when I get back in the air at the end of next week.
[This message has been edited by studentff (edited Jan 05, 2004).]