Progress was made last week on the airport security front. Backlash over the TSA’s invasive full body scanners and pat-downs is rapidly escalating and a number of key news items suggest the public is finally starting to push back. Most notably, there is now a glimmer of hope that the TSA will scale back pat-down […]
Why the TSA Violates the Fourth Amendment
Earlier today, Steven Frischling, author of the Flying with Fish blog over at Boarding Area, posted a piece entitled, How the TSA Legally Circumvents the Fourth Amendment. I am a big fan of Fish’s blog–he is a nuanced writer who carefully chooses each word he writes, avoiding emotional overtures that often cloud reality. The TSA […]
Picture of the Week #11: The Terrorists Have Won
I know, I know. The “terrorists” can dress up as nuns. Or children. Or seniors. But pictures like the one below just make me sad (even if it is a few years old). photo courtesy: Flicker user Morning in America Sadly, a new CBS poll out today suggests that 81% of Americans approve the use of […]
Why I Won’t Arrive 15 Minutes Before Departure Next Time I Fly Out of Burbank
Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, California is a handy little United Express station. Less 20 minutes from my house, it is always my airport of choice when I travel to and from Southern California. When mainline pulled out over a year ago, the SkyWest staff that took over was uninformed and unprofessional. But the staff has improved […]
TSA Touchless ID Will Put CLEAR Out Of Business
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I just experienced the new TSA Touchless ID checkpoint at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and am convinced this will put CLEAR out of business. TSA Touchless ID: My First Experience When I checked in for my United Airlines flight up to Seattle yesterday, I was asked if I wanted to opt-in to “TSA Touchless […]
Bickering Couple Resorts To Bomb Threats, Prompting Florida Flight Diversion
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When you fight with your partner, it’s generally a good idea not to accuse the other of having a bomb… especially when on an airline flight. I happen to think this particular Breeze Airways flight diversion was unnecessary, but the couple has only themselves to blame. Breeze Airways Flight Diverts After Bickering Couple Resort To […]
“Whistleblower” Claims TSA Choosing Speed Over Safety
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A senior TSA “whistleblower” claims his agency has chosen expediency over keeping passengers safe. But is “safe” really about safety or more about optics? Jay Brainard has been a TSA officer in Kansas for 17 years and has a history of filing complaints against his own agency. He recently sfiled a new round of complaints […]
The Best Kept Secret at LAX
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The refurbished Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX is spectacular in every way. Well, every way except one. Security checkpoints in TBIT are terrible. Really bad. Waiting time is routinely so bad that I refuse to bother with it any longer. If I am flying out of TBIT, I will book a refundable ticket on AA, walk over […]
TSA Scandal: Passengers Bypass Screenings at JFK
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“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.” The TSA has been tasked with a simple yet fundamental mission: keep American airports safe. Yesterday it proved that billions of dollars and a decade and a half later, […]
LAX TSA Chorus Sings Christmas Carols
A volunteer cadre of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents at Los Angeles International Airport has assembled into a singing group, called the LAX TSA Chorus. And they’re not bad either…not too bad… I took the videos below five years ago and never posted them because I was going through my anti-TSA phase at the time (the […]
What Will My Baby Eat Abroad?
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As part of my personal evolution as a travel blogger, this is an early post from Upgrd.com where I joined Matthew and other talented writers (including my husband) which would then merge with Travel Codex, another Boarding Area blog. Finally, we found our home here at Live and Let’s Fly with Matthew. As this is an […]
The TSA Shows Their Humane Side
I am usually very critical of the Transportation Security Administration and will continue to be critical as I observe the out-of-control agency wasting tax dollars. But I am also a fair person, and will give them praise when praise is due. Friday, they earned some praise. Friday was moving day for my 87-year old uncle. […]