News and notes from around the interweb:
- Free rental car upgrade coupons actually cost you more money
- An American Airlines crew member brought 30 bullets through the crack TSA security checkpoint before departure but they were found in his carry before he departed back for the U.S. from Japan.
This one won’t make the list of TSA ‘good catches’ and serves as a reminder that they miss over 90% of the dangerous items going through the checkpoint.
Police at Tokyo’s Narita International Airport seized the bullets, loaded in two magazines, after finding them Saturday during a security check before the man boarded his duty flight back to the U.S. He was not carrying a gun.
Airport police official Masatoshi Ito said the crewmember — identified only as a male U.S. citizen in his 50s — told police he forgot to leave the bullets before boarding his Tokyo-bound flight.
- Effective yesterday the US government has started requiring enhanced screening of electronics on flights from Mexico. The Mexican government recommends checking electronics in luggage to avoid extra time at security and in order to increase risk of fires in the cargo hold. (HT: Michael C.)
- Ed Pizzarello and Tiffany Funk argue that Milan is overlooked and underappreciated. It’s not just overlooked by tourists but has seen a significant drawdown in long haul capacity from Alitalia over the years. The Italian industrial core isn’t nearly as prominent as it once was. Tourists often travel through Milan enroute to Lake Como and Bellagio. But maybe worth it in its own right?
- Hyatt Best Rate Guarantee..
@garyleff @OneMileataTime @Mommy_Points New Hyatt BRG policy? https://t.co/06hdyk0M3S pic.twitter.com/CJjH8sA7nz
— John Lazarev (@jlazarev) July 19, 2017
- State travel bans are counterproductive
- Thanks to @aheeger for sharing this…! At first glance I thought the feet were coming out from the seat itself, and then I realized it’s just a genuinely bad person sitting in the row behind.
Today, I flew on the set of a nightmare. pic.twitter.com/PNI4KmQvTG
— Jessie Char (@jessiechar) July 19, 2017
TSA is outsourcing its work to other airports…
The TSA is so busy chasing plastic bottled water and chocolate they have little clue
what a real threat is to the flying public
They are overwhelmed with faulty X-ray equipment and false concerns
Example my blue jeans set off a concern and I always get frisked body groped
Return bottle water and focus on really big concerns
You know that wouldn’t happen in Israel
And in Australia flying Domestically I was shocked to walk on board with my water and security said bring along as much as you like!
I’ve always argued Alitalia hubbing incorrectly at FCO instead of MXP, despite the headless minions constantly bringing up Linate as the reason that wouldn’t succeed.
There’s a reason why LH is at FRA instead of TXL, AC is at YYZ instead of YOW, and QF is at SYD instead of CBR. Picking a hub for tourists and politicians over businesses is a sure way to burn cash.
And regarding the whole LIN-MXP split ops scenario, one can point to IAD being a sustainable hub despite the existence of DCA. Another example would be the peaceful co-existence of HND-NRT until the recent decision to re-instate HND for international long-haul. Other examples being GMP-ICN, SHA-PVG etc.
Your perpetuation of the 90% TSA failure rate is irresponsible, and disingenuous at best, from a TLiT.
LOL at Hyatt’s (or anyone else’s) best rate guarantee…just a few weeks ago I checked on a Hyatt House reservation I booked directly from Hyatt. Hyatt now had a cheaper rate on the room, I either had to call in to get it adjusted or rebook the room. If Hyatt et al are concerned about best rate guarantee then they should automatically adjust existing reservations booked directly with the hotel…now THAT would make a difference and would attract customers!
I once flew from LAX to London bringing my winter coat that I hadn’t worn since I went camping. In London I went through security at an embassy and I was surprised that they found a 4″ blade knife that I’d forgotten about in my pocket. No problem going through security at LAX though.
Gary, can you explain your issue with bare feet?
@Josh, those morbidly obese shoehams belong on the floor, hermetically sealed in a pair of orthopedic shoes. Is nothing sacred?
@Dolan you’ve restated that you prefer feet on the floor, using a moralistic argument. Do you have a logical argument to present?
https://www.logicallyfallacious.com/tools/lp/Bo/LogicalFallacies/128/Moralistic-Fallacy
@Josh I don’t have time to debate low-energy foot fetishists. If you don’t get it, you don’t get it.
@Dolan, I understand why you might not like it, but when Gary tries to claim someone is objectively a “bad person” then I think an explanation is owed as to why he thinks that, beyond a simple moralistic fallacy.
Feet, even freshly bathed, harbor bacteria such as E. coli, not to mention they are not the most pleasant smelling parts of the human body. Anyone who insists on some kind of logical reasoning exercise just to explain that feet on armrests is bad is either a brilliant troll or so used to filthy environs that the idea of someone else’s bare feet being inches from their face won’t even raise an eyebrow.
@chancer, the issue is that you’re wrong about the bacteria/cleanliness argument. Instead of continuing to argue myself, I’ll refer you to this discussion if you’re interested: https://www.reddit.com/r/barefoot/comments/2l28zi/why_are_people_so_against_others_being_barefoot/
@Josh,
You seem to be willingly naive in some sort of attempt to challenge basic etiquette. Putting your feet (whether in shoes, socks, or bare) onto seats, including the armrests, is not socially acceptable, nor is it clean. Feet breed bacteria.. it’s why locker rooms recommend wearing sandals, and often have footwash pools to limit the spread of things like athletes foot.
Bare feet are worse than shoes as they often provide a much better host for bacteria, and are associated with bad smelling feet.
I’d also say it’s a complete etiquette breach to take over space on a row that isn’t yours, and to control the window in a row that isn’t yours (the person in this case used their foot to open and close the window shade).
Your reddit link is a bunch of bare feet people blowing smoke at each other, and discussing walking barefoot — not putting their feet on seats. It’s a meaningless reference.
@straver,
Feet don’t breed bacteria. Warm, moist, dark environments breed bacteria. The reason it’s called “athlete’s foot” is because often times athletes, who sweat a lot in their shoes (which are dark), make them warm and moist, which can lead to the condition. It’s not a normal condition or state for feet, or any other part of the body. Ironically, a person who prefers bare feet (I’m not one of them) is taking steps to prevent bacteria, not spreading it.
The other point is that there’s no established etiquette about bare feet. There are some people (like you obviously) who think it’s offensive, and other people who don’t.
The issue I’m taking is the idea that people who seem to be ignorant about how bacteria and hygiene actual function on a scientific basis are using their personal hang-ups and acting like because everyone else isn’t grossed out the same way you are, that there’s something wrong with us.
There’s no objective standard here, but at least I can appreciate straver’s attempt to make a logical argument in support of their idea. I happen to believe that straver is still wrong for the reasons I’ve explained above, but that’s okay.
The real take home of all of this is that you shouldn’t let your personal hang-ups allow you to start calling people “bad people” unless you have a rock-solid objective measure for doing so. I don’t think Gary has met this standard.
And for the record, I’d never go barefoot on a plane, or pretty much anywhere besides a swimming pool or beach. I just believe in standing up against people who attack others without anything to back it up.
Known Crewmembers dont get security screened don’t they? easy explanation how a FA got bullets “thru security”
Agree with Robert 100% !
@JOSH the kindergarten bus is waiting
Unfortunately it’s a serious problem. They do their best to prevent it from happening, but there are mistakes and there is sometimes negligence.. Here in Italy, on a famous television program, long ago, they tried to pass the security check with a big knife. And they succeeded! No words can describe the disappointment…