More security theatre

[Scooter]

So I'm at Toronto airport, getting a flight to Washington for a meeting. As is usual, I have presented my passport at check in to get a boarding pass. I have then presented my passport and boarding pass at the entry to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Pre-Clearance station which is present at this and most major Canadian airports to screen U.S bound passengers prior to departure, so they do not need to go through immigration and customs when they arrive at their U.S. destination. I then present my passport and boarding pass to the immigration officer who cleared me for entry into the U.S. I then presented my boarding pass when I went through security screening, and I will have to present my passport and boarding pass to the gate agent in order to board the plane. Again, all SOP which I have dealt with a dozen times or more since I have begun flying to the U.S. again.

But this time, a new wrinkle. The boarding areas around the gates for flights bound for Washington National (and no other airports, including Dulles, it would appear) are cordoned off. In order to access any of the seating at my gate, I must once again present my passport and boarding pass to a security guard. WTF???? What possible use could this extra step be, that wouldn't have already caught any unauthorized persons in the steps I already went through above?

Yet another make work project to allow someone to pretend they are actually doing something that improves security, that serves no purpose except to inconvenience passengers who were forced to sit somewhere else until access was granted to this hallow of hallows at their proper gate.

[Grim Reaper]

Obviously the terrorists will be so frightened of having to show their fake ID so many times that they'll just give up.

[dales]

What is B.O. afraid of?

[oldr_n_wsr]

Your (my) tax dollars at work helping the economy.

[Econoline]

Meanwhile, on the other side of the pond....

Airport security in Brussels:

Eight masked gunmen forced their way through the security fence at Brussels’ international airport, drove onto the tarmac and snatched some $50 million worth of diamonds from the hold of a Swiss-bound plane without firing a shot.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/eur ... story.html

[rubato]

"... WTF???? What possible use could this extra step be, that wouldn't have already caught any unauthorized persons in the steps I already went through above?

... "

When we flow to France last April we went through check#1 and showed our passports. By mistake we switched them before check #2 and my wife went through with mine (I have long hair) when I went through the guard looked up at me and said "Mary** questioningly?". Fortunately she had not gone far and was able to backtrack and we switched back our documents.

So I think the extra step is just another chance to screw up.


yrs,
rubato

** Not her real name.

[Lord Jim]

The boarding areas around the gates for flights bound for Washington National

Ahem...

That would I assume be Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport ?

Or as it is generally and popularly known, "Reagan National"? (except of course by the most die-hard, unreconstructed sufferers of Reagan Derangement Syndrome... )

Even most of the lefties have given up on that one:

Reagan Airport Near Miss:
Three Jets Avoid Collision Near Reagan National, Report Claims

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/0 ... 32156.html

Please note the link; that would be that well known right-wing rag, The Huffington Post.....

[rubato]

Ronald Reagan, Isn't he the president with the fewest press conferences, ever? Only 1/4 as many as Obama?

yrs,
rubato

[dales]

No, he was the president that kicked the Soviet Union's asses into the dustbin of history.

[Lord Jim]

Ronald Reagan, Isn't he the president with the fewest press conferences, ever? Only 1/4 as many as Obama?

yrs,
rubato

No, actually he was the President who had more meaningful, solo prime time press conferences than any President in history, nearly eight times more than Obama:


viewtopic.php?f=3&t=8698&p=109881&hilit ... it#p109881

[oldr_n_wsr]

Ronald Reagan, Isn't he the president with the fewest press conferences, ever? Only 1/4 as many as Obama?

yrs,
rubato

And that matters today exactly how?

[Big RR]

Jim--except on the airlines schedules and announcements, I've rarely heard of Washington National (or, usually, just "National" referred) to as "Reagan National" or anything with Regan's name in it. Kind of like Newark Airport, which is usually just called Newark even though it has been "Newark Liberty International" for years; some may be using the name because they refuse to mention Reagan (the "Brendan Byrne Arena" in NJ was called the "Meadowlands Arena" for years), but I think few (at least in the east) would call National by Reagan's name.

[Guinevere]

The boarding areas around the gates for flights bound for Washington National

Ahem...

That would I assume be Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport ?

Or as it is generally and popularly known, "Reagan National"? (except of course by the most die-hard, unreconstructed sufferers of Reagan Derangement Syndrome... )

Even most of the lefties have given up on that one:

Reagan Airport Near Miss:
Three Jets Avoid Collision Near Reagan National, Report Claims

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/0 ... 32156.html

Please note the link; that would be that well known right-wing rag, The Huffington Post.....

I don't know a soul who calls it "Reagan National" and that includes well-connected republicans who live and work in DC and use that airport regularly.

[Big RR]

Jim--you liive in Northern California, do you know anyone who calls San Jose Airport by its proper name--Mineta? I've only heard it when flights land.

[Joe Guy]

And I wonder how many people even know which airport is call John Wayne?

[Guinevere]

And I wonder how many people even know which airport is call John Wayne?

Has to be in California. Not LAX. Not San Jose, per BigRR. Not San Fran. Not Oakland.

Is there an airport in Sacramento?

[dales]

Orange County.

[oldr_n_wsr]

Orange County.

We have an Orange County in NY. Doubt if there is a john Wayne airprt there. But we do have Orange County Choppers.

[Lord Jim]

I flew into John Wayne airport once. Not a bad airport; very clean.

[Big RR]

Nice statue of him as well; but generally just called Orange County (not in NY).