Yes--sounds as familiar as apples and oranges.

You are missing the point, he wasn't just a passenger, he was a federal law enforcement officer traveling on official goverment business. Your comparison is a very poor one indeed.

Err.. afraid I must respectfully disagree..

"The president is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, but if he's onboard a Navy vessel, the captain has the right to order even the President around if the captain chooses the exercise his command authority."

At which point the President says: "You are hereby relieved of command by direction." The (former) Captain is now a passenger. Understand, that there is NO higher authority in the US Military than POTUS. None. Under NO circumstances is he "outranked". Not on a plane, train or automobile and sure as heck not on a Naval vessel.

He is THE Executive Authority for the United States Government.

Regards,
-Bouncer-

what makes you think that the local authorities (or the captain for that matter) would have called a phone number given by the agent in question? you don't think the state police at BWI have another number to the secret service on a rolodex someplace? our local secret service office has it's phone number listed inside the cover of our phone book!

the captain was way outside his responsibility for the airplane. keeping the agent off the airplane became CYA for the captain in question. this goof finally left for DFW knowing full well that there would be management waiting at the gate. his judgement was so poor, that I agree with those who feel he should make a career change.

Jumping in late here, but isn't it a fact that the agent's paperwork had some inconsistencies? [Correct me if I am wrong.]If so, what choice did the pilot have?

Having read ALL of your posts related to this subject, I can only say that you are one scary individual. The theories, assumptions and comparisons you have made throughout this thread have been nothing short of shocking!

I'm surprised you haven't advocated the idea of the Secret Service agent being removed from the airport by a SWAT team. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/rolleyes.gif

The news report said that the agent was allowed on the first flight, so I'm assuming the paperwork was good enough for that flight which ended up with maintenance problems.

AA hasn't explained what the inconsistancies were either. So we don't know if it's a mountain or a mole hill.

[This message has been edited by snake (edited 12-28-2001).]

Well, I find myself appalled by the idea that it's more of a tragedy or offense for a Secret Service agent to be denied boarding versus a random law-abiding individual.

What happened to equality?

I don't recall seeing so much outrage when another FT member was ejected from his flight for using a cell phone and criticizing an FA. The idea of special treatment for law enforcement agents, Secret Service or not, is not something I agree with.

Airline staff are nervous. Some people are ejected wrongly, others correctly [read: shoe-bomber in CDG] and, frankly, I don't find the idea of ejecting a SS agent any more special or unnerving than ejecting a college professor or any law-abiding citizen.

This is unbelievable. The Secret Service agent has already made a committment to lay down his life for the President. You or I have not. For AA, through its Captain, which for the moment, it is still supporting, to deny passage to such an agent on official business is, arguably, to comprimise national security. So I hereby, publicly, accuse American Airlines of same.

How could anyone knowingly ride as a passenger on an aircraft piloted by such a bonehead? And how could anyone knowingly continue to patronize an airline that continues to support such a bonehead?

It's all about judgement. If yours stinks today, it probably will stink tomorrow.

An American Airlines spokesman said the pilot was troubled by "inconsistencies" in the paperwork required for the agent to carry a weapon on the aircraft

The Secret Service confirmed that an agent, whom it would not identify, was asked to leave a flight from Baltimore-Washington International Airport to Dallas, Texas.

The pilot was not satisfied with the responses of the agent, who was armed and in civilian clothes, said Jim Mackin, a Secret Service spokesman

http://www.cnn.com/2001/US/12/28/rec...ine/index.html

From CNN, "Even when local transit police vouched for the agent, the pilot refused to let him board the plane"

There is an old cliché, "A picture says a thousand words". You can live in a state of constant denial, but we all know what really happened on this plane.

If it's vital to national security that this one agent be in Texas, the government has its own jets.

If this agent was vitally needed as part of Bush's detail, he'd be on Air Force One.

Personally, I find more respect for a fireman or policeman who risk his life for ANY citizen who might need his assistance, not just those important enough to rate special protection.

Police/firemen die in the line of duty on a daily basis while, to the best of my knowledge, not a single SS agent on the Presidential Detail has ever done so.

SS agents are paid much more than police/firemen and they risk less.

I know which person I will respect more.

Well, I for one do not know. All that I know is what I have seen reported.

Just as an FYI:

Secret Service Officer Leslie Coffelt was killed in 1950 while defending President Harry Truman during an assassination attempt.

Others have been wounded in the line of duty, including one shot in the throat.

Regards,
-Bouncer-