News and notes from around the interweb:
- TSA agents frequently don’t know that D.C. stands for District of Columbia — and reject DC drivers licenses as a result
- “Not Ready for Takeoff: Face Scans at Airport Departure Gates” the DHS plan to scan faces of Americans leaving the country is argued to be illegal.
- The Chief News Editor of the South China Morning Post had thousands of dollars in cash stolen from his carry on bag on an Air India flight from Delhi to Hong Kong.
The sneaky switcheroo had worked exactly as intended. Nothing else had been stolen and that was the genius of the con – I would have easily spotted a missing laptop or credit cards.
Whoever took the money would have had to remove the bag, take it away to carry out the elaborate swap and bring it back – it could not have been done above my head without waking me up.
The only time the suitcase was out of my sight otherwise was for a couple of minutes when it went through the X-ray during the security check earlier. That’s also the first time someone would have seen there was money in it.
- Three headrest designs that are supposed to be more comfortable I guess if you can’t have legroom or seat padding (slimline) you can have a better head rest though I’d just be happy with those being disinfected between flights.
- Anthony Bourdain has given up on the idea of a Singapore-style hawker center in New York
- Does it seem strange for an airline which offers a prayer from the Quran prior to departure to have a Christmas video? It may just show how diverse and connected aviation makes us and remember that airlines are often the most progressive forces in conservative societies. Etihad’s EY22 from Manchester to London became a celebration of Christmas all its own.
Not sure how celebrating anything Xmas related is “progressive”. If anything, it’s the common road most-traveled. Also, the conservative society that I’d like to see most fundamental change is the American one. Let’s see what we can pull off after Trump.
About the theft, the author doesn’t mention inspecting his bag after security to ensure the cash was still there. If he didn’t, based on his own descriptions, it seems far more likely that the theft occurred during the security check and not on board.
Really not that surprising that Etihad would have a Christmas video. The Christmas story (birth of Christ) is part of the Islamic faith.
As noted above (‘Xmas”), there is little left in the holiday that celebrates the birth of Christ. It is all about parties and giving presents. I am guessing that a very few people could even explain what the word “Christmas” means, or the fact that it is a Christian celebration.
Years back I had trouble getting into Chicago bars with my New Mexico drivers license. They didn’t seem to know it is a state and thought it was something I bought in Tijuana or something. Maybe those guys now work TSA at ORD.
@omnifos, that’s a good thing! Better to bring this winter holiday back to its roots–the celebration of the passing winter solstice–rather than the manufactured usurped celebration of another sky lord!
Don’t worry, I’m a proud atheist and I still celebrate. I even say Merry Christmas!
@ Truth, the timing of Christmas has little to do with Pagan holidays. Though birthdays were not celebrated centuries ago, it was a widely held belief that martyrs died on the date of their conception. Count nine months from the known execution of Jesus and you’ll find yourself on December 25th. Atheism is the least scientific belief in the world. You have to suspend logic to believe it. Merry Christmas to you too.