Flyertalk: Call to Action
 

Here's what I'm going to do:

Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), who's one my state's reps, sits on both the Aviation Subcommittee and the House Committee for Homeland Security. He's the kind of rep who will listen to credible reports and try to act on it.

I'm going to email him, telling him who I am, that I'm a member of the Internet community of Flyertalk (explaining what that is) and inform him about some of the ridiculous things that have been confiscated from us Flyertalkers over the weekend.

What I'm asking from you all is to please post here (I really, really would prefer not to get emails on this) the details of what's been taken from you: item, airport, date of incident, which security checkpoint this occurred, and any other details you think relevant. I'll compile them into a letter on behalf of Flyertalkers who would like to voluntarily contribute their experiences.

I'd particularly like to hear from the gentleman who had his condoms taken, ladies who've had mascara and crystal deoderant taken, anyone regarding gel-type sport shoes or orthothics, and anything else that's clearly not on the prohibited list.

I kindly ask that you not b.s. me. In other words, please be on the level and be willing to be contacted yourself.

"Let's Roll."

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essxjay
Portland, Oregon

I'll volunteer my wife's story. At IAD around 10:20 a.m. yesterday, wherever the elite line at the UA end of the terminal dumped her out at the checkpoint, she had a crystal deodorant stone confiscated despite explaining to the screener that it was neither a liquid or gel, and the screener verifying this by examination.

As she is already planning to include this in her own letter to our local elected reps, I am pretty sure she'd be willing to be contacted by Rep. DeFazio's office, but I'll run that by her later today when I talk to her to double-check.

essxjay, I think this can be a good idea, but just make sure that the information about confiscations that you forward on is going to look unreasonable to a disinterested, objectively reasonable person. If you have any doubt, I wouldn't include it.

I've written three letters so far (to Senators Lieberman and Dodd and my Congressman). My focus has been on the chilling effect that these restrictions, if they persist long term (a key component to making yourself sound reasonable, IMO) will have on business travel and that it could end up adversly affecting the airlone industry and, in turn, our local businesses (including my employer) that rely on a (somewhat) healthy airline industry for their well being.

Next week, I am definitely travelling to West Virginia, maybe to California. I intend to have my normal toiletries bag in my carryon. If TSA makes me dump out my soap, toothpaste, antiperspirant, eyedrops, etc., I will ask the supervisor to sign an IOU that I will be repaid for the items confiscated.

Furthermore, I intend to contact my two Senators in Washington, for whom I have volunteered in the past, and convey to them my outrage that normal Americans cannot carry personal hygiene items onto domestic flights. We all need to express our thoughts and emotions to our elected leaders, or else nothing will change. I am sanguine enough to realize that even if every FT'er contact every elected member of Congress, odds are overwhelming that nothing would change. However, we need to make our voices heard so that politicians do not think we are a nation of Chicken Littles.

I want to see what happens when members of Congress return from their recess and have to experience this nonsense. Oh, and we are a nation of Chicken Littles. No need to pretend.

Bruce

Bruce,

There are many Chicken Littles, but not everyone in the United States is. Hard to believe this is the same country that fought Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan simultaneously and won.

If I get really bored one day I may write. I wrote to my elected representatives two years ago on the idiocy of the TSA. All I got in response was paranoia, basically saying "but they're out to get us and the TSA will save us".

Most members of Congress are morons, so this didn't surprise me. In addition, I live in a stupid redneck hick state, where paranoia and hate run rampant.

Yes, very hard to believe. You can really understand why true "warrior" types (like Bart, for instance) sometimes seem so contemptuous of the general public.

Bruce

Unfortunately, they will not be hit as hard as the business traveller since they already have duplicate toothpaste, deoderant, mouthwash, makeup, etc., at their second residences in Washington. All they will notice is that they cannot bring drinks, lotion, and lip balm (and maybe some makeup for some of the females).

You really might want to check with Randy before you start making this claim, you are not an FT representative (as FT is a business) and inferring so might lead to some problems.

Also without the corporate stuff, you do NOT speak for all of us, myself included, so again you may want to temper your wording. I personally just dont have an issue with all this, and to claim we are all upset is wrong.

Dont get me wrong, before I start getting flamed, I dont believe this is all making us any safer and find it silly, but it does not have my panties in a bunch like it does most of you. Fine I put my stuff in my checked bag, no big woop. If I lose something, fine I can get it at my destination. I just cant see getting this worked up over shampoo and toothpaste. There are people starving in the world, there are kids dying of terrible diseases, we are killing innocent civilians daily in Iraq, having to use the hotel provided shampoo just does not compare in my world.

And I think beyond FT and the over the top personalities here I think you will find most of the world feels this way too, this is just not something to bother becoming an activist about, there is a lot more than matters in the world!!!

It sounds all very well, but I have noticed in my journeys through life that the man who won't stand up for his own freedoms certainly won't stand up for mine. I would be very surprised that the man who stands quietly while his wife's contact lens solution is snatched is doing anything of value to feed the hungry of Kenya. People who always find an excuse not to lift a finger...always find an excuse not to lift a finger.

I didn't travel this weekend, so I can't contribute to the list of outrages. What I will do is fax a letter to my representatives and my airline pointing out the chilling effect on the economy and on the right of free travel caused by these restrictions. It seems little enough to do.

Well if there is doubt I do work on feeding the hungry around the world (sit on the exec committee of a national philanthropic organization and give to many others). But maybe that is why I find the outrage on here so crazy. There are SO MUCH bigger battles to fight in the world, I cant get worked up over soap and toothpaste.

However I do agree on pointing out to our representatives the effect on the economy and the airlines overall. But if my senator has time to sit and worry about me having to use the hotels shampoo then they are CERTAINLY not doing their job.

Same here. I agree with this. ^

Secondly, if you are going to do this email is not the way. Send a fax. That is the only sure-fire way to get it to someone.

I would like to opt out of you representing me to anyone. Please include this in your letter.

Cool to see how you compare this letter you are writing to the heroic acts of some of the victims of 9/11...I think they are about the same too and not a gross overestimation of your own importance at all.

Who elected you to do this? You do not represent me. Please do not pretend to.

There are many more important issues in the world right now... Murders in Sudan, oil/gas prices, the Middle East conflicts...

Learn to adapt to the new TSA rules. If you do not like them, then do not fly. Flying is NOT a right.