Crazy story... I was victim of theft at the airport today

[Fosco33]

Re: Crazy story... I was victim of theft at the airport toda

.Went to the airport in Burbank like usual for my weekly flight (now in Salt Lake City).

I fly weekly also - for most of the last 15 years.

Rule #1 - don't check luggage.

It wasn't checked - valeted - should be out of my hands for no more than the time it takes to throw it in cargo hold. The plane is tiny - 10 rows. Weekly clothes in a duffel. I stupidly moved the camera from the lap top bag to the duffel earlier that morning b/c the bag was too wide to fit under the seat.

Yes, you're correct on expensive items... - partly. What leaves them from stealing my $80 Brooks Brother shirts? Or screw it, my prescription lenses or contacts - or whatever else they want. It's BS that we watch passengers closely (cameras, screening points, etc.) and leave the crew and the plane unmonitored.

The whole point of this story was that unless you complain - no one gives a crap about you or your situation. Only by my persistence did they realize they've got a thief on their contracted staff.

And no, I don't believe in profiling just a certain group of people. I'm tall, dark hair and tan in the summer (italian) - I've been pulled aside on overseas trips - big deal. I've been 'profiled' and secondary screened many times - for plane safety I don't care. If someone (of any background) pulled that stunt (going through the exit, messing w/ the plane) - no way in hell would I board unless she was rescreened and the baggage was checked.

A lot of my coworkers look 'muslim' - many are of Indian or other middle eastern descent. They are cool as shit. My Indian neighbors are awesome - they bring over ethnic food all the time (lentil dish this weekend) - my girlfriend gets their family in to Disneyland for free. Muslims aren't the problem - much of our perceived foreign policy has led to this conflict with a small minority of individuals. It's all about perception.

Notice that since we've caught a majority of the terrorist leaders how little has happened with Al Qaeda - heck, have we heard from Osama lately? Intelligence, good police/military action, education and counter terrorist activities are the only thing we've got.

The most appropriate way to screen passengers is to make conversation with everyone (asking questions - check for signs of lies - look for nervous actions, etc.). They do this in Israel and have been training people in the States to do the same. Some airports are better at security than others - trust me, I've flown every week for 5 years to 15+ airports. Truth be told, they all suck. We've got bandaid approaches (shoes - give me a break), 3 oz. or less in liquids (umm, what if me and my 5 'friends' brought on a bunch of seemingly innocuous liquids in my quart sized bag).

The next airline terrorist action will be one of the following: stinger missiles on take off (more fuel - near a city w/ a downtown airport - of which there are plenty) OR - an inside job - hence my statement.

We (passengers) pay airlines inordinate amounts for average security while the contracted, low paid workers (ramp, etc) have full access to direct conflicts with aviation safety.

[GrnBay007]

Re: Crazy story... I was victim of theft at the airport toda

I'm tall, dark hair and tan in the summer (italian) -

Hmmm....I think we may need a pic to verify this, eh girls?? :P

[MJZiggy]

007 you are such a bright woman!!!

[GBRulz]

Right on, 007 !

Fosco, can you cook?

[Fosco33]

Right on, 007 !

Fosco, can you cook?

Yes - got that italian gene. I worked in a deli for a few summers and have a set of dishes - helped in my uncle's restaurant for some time as well. I'm an expert in all bfast foods though - by far my fav meal.

Picture? , hmm - well instead just ask MTP - he can verify.

[Partial]

[swede]

Merlin, I disagree with you sometimes on football stuff.

But I'll back you on the security issue.

By itself, a lady in a burka is only incrementally more of a security risk than a 90 year old man. Both should undergo relatively close scrutiny to ensure everyone's safety.

A lady in a burka digging in the baggage hold of a plane is probably looking for something in her luggage that she wanted to bring on the plane but it is still a HUGE FREAKING BREACH OF SECURITY and she should have been cavity searched to teach her some airport protocol.

[Merlin]

Yeah, but people like Partial would be there with signs protesting while the Sears Tower in Chicago takes a jolt from an Airbus A320

[Guiness]

Regardless of whether it was the 90 yr old man, or the woman in the burka, the minute the person walked out onto the tarmac and got within 5 meters of the plane, they should've been hauled off and searched head to toe, and all the luggage re-scanned.

Political thread aside, here's what I do when travelling: Use small tie wraps to lock the zippers together on your bag, cutting the tail off. Get a small pair of sidecutters and stick them in a separate pocket of the bag to remove it on the other end. Those things are bugger hard to break and even difficult to remove with a knife. If, when you see your bag, the tie wrap is missing, don't even touch it. Tell security, and make them retrieve it.

[Zool]

Thats a great idea Guiness. I will definitely be doing that next travel time.

[Merlin]

LOL....I wouldn't expect anything different from you. The PC above all costs crowd will cost us this country yet.

It's only called profiling if you are picking out someone based on your own beliefs (which I did not, facts are facts whether you like it or not). When you are looking for Islamic terrorists, you don't strip search the 90 year old white guy and let the middle eastern woman play in the plane on her own.

Overreacting? I don't think so. Prejudice? I don't think so. You among all others in the PC crowd don't let reality interfere with your logic. I have nothing against this woman but give me a break. She friggin walked out to the damn plane and started screwing around in there unsupervised and I am prejudicial? I don't care where she was from, that is some shit you just don't do. Kind of like taking the 9/11 high jackers seats, yelling about how bad the US is in Arabic and then asking for seatbelt extensions when you didn't need them. Oh I might add, you weren't in your assigned seats either. So let me guess, they have every right to sue because they were stupid enough to do shit like that? NOT But alas, I am sure you would award them millions if you were on the jury because as we all know, the majority in this country must be discriminated against for the stupidity of a few. We might hurt someone's feelings....

No, I don't think random screenings are designed to stop "islamic terrorists". Last time I checked, terrorism is not mutually exclusive to people of islamic descent. Was the unibomber islamic? I think not. What about Richard Jewel? Again, nope. Saying shit like that is what gets your ass kicked.

Nice to see that reality doesn't interfere with your logic. 99% of the terrorism in the world is done by Islamic Extremists.

Source? I don't believe that for a second. That is narrow sited as can be. I am sure black people committ 99% of the crimes as well, racist ass hole. Also, being muslim and being an Islamic fundamentalist(learn your terminology) are not one in the same.

You may want to pry your ass away from the main stream media before you get YOUR ass killed. Comments like yours are what caused things like 9/11 in the first place.

Right. Go fuck yourself merlin. You're a bigot and a jackass.

Complacency and tolerance is the liberal mantra. Yet it yeilds nothing but a bunch of people that feel good about themselves. Are you willing to bet that out of the 3,000 people that died on 9/11 that a lot of them were just like you? Sitting there thinking that? It didn't work in Korea, it didn't work in Iraq, it didn't work with Terrorists and it won't work in Iran. You have a group of Islamic Extremists that don't give a rats ass about how "peaceful" you want to be. They do not care, they want you DEAD. Is it all Muslims, no. However the Muslim leadership has gone out of it's way to do what? Nothing. Is it my fault they are Muslim? Nope. You target the group that does the shit. Not list a couple of nutballs and assume the sum is part of the whole. It isn't. We are talking about a whole society here.

By the way, anytime you want to "kick my ass" because of the things I say just shows how hypocritical liberals are. When the shoe doesn't fit you beat it into submission until it does. Name calling, threats, blah blah. When the facts don't support your agenda, you make them up.

Yes, I am some hardcore liberal hippie. I love fucking dudes and smoking pot.

For your information, I am very far from a liberal person. I do however, understand, the being muslim does not automatically make you guilty, and that I am just as likely to be killed by the caucasian, female, black, or asian as I am the muslin.

Sure sound like a liberal to me, name calling, threats, reading what you want to read, etc. Reality doesn't interfere with any of your logic that is for sure. For every 1 person who isn't a Muslim that commits terrorism I will provide you with 99 Muslims that committed terrorism. How's that for "proof". You may claim not to be liberal but it's written all over your posts. "Right. Go fuck yourself merlin. You're a bigot and a jackass." is more then enough to say that not only are you delusional but very childish. Time to grow up son. When you don't like what someone else has to say and the facts do not support your opinion, you resort to name calling and threats. I am not a bigot and to you maybe I am a jackass but that sentiment runs both ways. Anyone who would take what I said that far out of context clearly is living in dreamland. You might want to try some anger management as well, I am sure the government has some free program you can get into.

As far as high jacking someone's thread, that wasn't the intention. I adding an airline story that I and a lot of others found quite astonishing in the post 9/11 era. I wasn't here to get into an argument with someone who clearly has no concept of reality. Describing the the perpetrator is factual and germain to the argument that our security is seriously flawed. By that I mean that a 90 year old man get's searched but the person (ethnicity aside) who walked out to the plane never even got anything done to them. She was told to go sit down. WHY? Because of her ethnicity, people are so afraid not do the right thing because they might piss someone off. Also, it isn't "racial" it isn't "prejudicial" and sure doesn't warrant the flogging I am getting. Let me ask you this, if a white man wearing a red hat robs a liquor store, do you arrest every white man wearing a red hat? Of course not. Do you question those that fit the description? Of course. It's not profiling when you are looking for something specific. The Supreme Court upheld that it isn't profiling if the description involves race and religion when tracking down criminals.

It really wouldn't of mattered how I worded the story, someone would have taken offense because sadly that is the society we are living in. We might as well not profile anyone and continue in our PC and complacent society. I wont' say I told you so because someday everyone will come to that reality themselves.

[Merlin]

Regardless of whether it was the 90 yr old man, or the woman in the burka, the minute the person walked out onto the tarmac and got within 5 meters of the plane, they should've been hauled off and searched head to toe, and all the luggage re-scanned.

Political thread aside, here's what I do when travelling: Use small tie wraps to lock the zippers together on your bag, cutting the tail off. Get a small pair of sidecutters and stick them in a separate pocket of the bag to remove it on the other end. Those things are bugger hard to break and even difficult to remove with a knife. If, when you see your bag, the tie wrap is missing, don't even touch it. Tell security, and make them retrieve it.

It's a great idea if you are traveling within the US because security seldom if ever searches checked bags. If you are traveling in or out of the country, they have a tendency to open your bags more often then not so there is a good chance it will be broken anyway.

[MadtownPacker]

Picture? , hmm - well instead just ask MTP - he can verify.

Yeah, he was so pretty I was sure he was gay!! :P

Haha, I cant judge males but I can tell you that his GF was a hottie and that should tell you all you need to know.

[Fosco33]

Picture? , hmm - well instead just ask MTP - he can verify.

Yeah, he was so pretty I was sure he was gay!! :P

Haha, I cant judge males but I can tell you that his GF was a hottie and that should tell you all you need to know.

ROTFLMAO - thanks (i guess). She treats me good.

[Partial]

LOL....I wouldn't expect anything different from you. The PC above all costs crowd will cost us this country yet.

It's only called profiling if you are picking out someone based on your own beliefs (which I did not, facts are facts whether you like it or not). When you are looking for Islamic terrorists, you don't strip search the 90 year old white guy and let the middle eastern woman play in the plane on her own.

Overreacting? I don't think so. Prejudice? I don't think so. You among all others in the PC crowd don't let reality interfere with your logic. I have nothing against this woman but give me a break. She friggin walked out to the damn plane and started screwing around in there unsupervised and I am prejudicial? I don't care where she was from, that is some shit you just don't do. Kind of like taking the 9/11 high jackers seats, yelling about how bad the US is in Arabic and then asking for seatbelt extensions when you didn't need them. Oh I might add, you weren't in your assigned seats either. So let me guess, they have every right to sue because they were stupid enough to do shit like that? NOT But alas, I am sure you would award them millions if you were on the jury because as we all know, the majority in this country must be discriminated against for the stupidity of a few. We might hurt someone's feelings....

No, I don't think random screenings are designed to stop "islamic terrorists". Last time I checked, terrorism is not mutually exclusive to people of islamic descent. Was the unibomber islamic? I think not. What about Richard Jewel? Again, nope. Saying shit like that is what gets your ass kicked.

Nice to see that reality doesn't interfere with your logic. 99% of the terrorism in the world is done by Islamic Extremists.

Source? I don't believe that for a second. That is narrow sited as can be. I am sure black people committ 99% of the crimes as well, racist ass hole. Also, being muslim and being an Islamic fundamentalist(learn your terminology) are not one in the same.

You may want to pry your ass away from the main stream media before you get YOUR ass killed. Comments like yours are what caused things like 9/11 in the first place.

Right. Go fuck yourself merlin. You're a bigot and a jackass.

Complacency and tolerance is the liberal mantra. Yet it yeilds nothing but a bunch of people that feel good about themselves. Are you willing to bet that out of the 3,000 people that died on 9/11 that a lot of them were just like you? Sitting there thinking that? It didn't work in Korea, it didn't work in Iraq, it didn't work with Terrorists and it won't work in Iran. You have a group of Islamic Extremists that don't give a rats ass about how "peaceful" you want to be. They do not care, they want you DEAD. Is it all Muslims, no. However the Muslim leadership has gone out of it's way to do what? Nothing. Is it my fault they are Muslim? Nope. You target the group that does the shit. Not list a couple of nutballs and assume the sum is part of the whole. It isn't. We are talking about a whole society here.

By the way, anytime you want to "kick my ass" because of the things I say just shows how hypocritical liberals are. When the shoe doesn't fit you beat it into submission until it does. Name calling, threats, blah blah. When the facts don't support your agenda, you make them up.

Yes, I am some hardcore liberal hippie. I love fucking dudes and smoking pot.

For your information, I am very far from a liberal person. I do however, understand, the being muslim does not automatically make you guilty, and that I am just as likely to be killed by the caucasian, female, black, or asian as I am the muslin.

Sure sound like a liberal to me, name calling, threats, reading what you want to read, etc. Reality doesn't interfere with any of your logic that is for sure. For every 1 person who isn't a Muslim that commits terrorism I will provide you with 99 Muslims that committed terrorism. How's that for "proof". You may claim not to be liberal but it's written all over your posts. "Right. Go fuck yourself merlin. You're a bigot and a jackass." is more then enough to say that not only are you delusional but very childish. Time to grow up son. When you don't like what someone else has to say and the facts do not support your opinion, you resort to name calling and threats. I am not a bigot and to you maybe I am a jackass but that sentiment runs both ways. Anyone who would take what I said that far out of context clearly is living in dreamland. You might want to try some anger management as well, I am sure the government has some free program you can get into.

As far as high jacking someone's thread, that wasn't the intention. I adding an airline story that I and a lot of others found quite astonishing in the post 9/11 era. I wasn't here to get into an argument with someone who clearly has no concept of reality. Describing the the perpetrator is factual and germain to the argument that our security is seriously flawed. By that I mean that a 90 year old man get's searched but the person (ethnicity aside) who walked out to the plane never even got anything done to them. She was told to go sit down. WHY? Because of her ethnicity, people are so afraid not do the right thing because they might piss someone off. Also, it isn't "racial" it isn't "prejudicial" and sure doesn't warrant the flogging I am getting. Let me ask you this, if a white man wearing a red hat robs a liquor store, do you arrest every white man wearing a red hat? Of course not. Do you question those that fit the description? Of course. It's not profiling when you are looking for something specific. The Supreme Court upheld that it isn't profiling if the description involves race and religion when tracking down criminals.

It really wouldn't of mattered how I worded the story, someone would have taken offense because sadly that is the society we are living in. We might as well not profile anyone and continue in our PC and complacent society. I wont' say I told you so because someday everyone will come to that reality themselves.

I have counted 9 muslins that I know that have not been a part of or condone terrorist activity. Please name your 891 that you know, now.