Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Welcome To The Real World Congressman!

Congressman Peter DeFazio (D-OR), welcome to the world of your constituency! In other words, welcome to the real world.

Take a good look at this man. He could be a terrorist. No? He was pulled out of line for special security screening at the Portland International Airport. He was not happy. Nor should a 12 term Congressman be happy with such treatment. Neither am I when it comes to me! It's intrusive, it's embarrassing and it's intimidating.

Having already gone through security before boarding a flight in Eugene, he was making a connecting flight to D.C. in Portland when he was pulled from line and searched by rubber gloved TSA agents. It didn't feel good at all did it Congressman?

This member of the House Transportation aviation sub-committee told TSA officials "it was a stupid practice"! Do tell.

One thing I do not understand is why both the Congressman and the TSA admitted security operations are a "work in progress". Why? These searches have been going on and getting far more intrusive since long before 9/11. Why is it still a work in progress?

Time for another Dogwalk solution. Make every member of Congress fly from airports where they are not easily recognized. Out of their states and districts. See how they like being treated like the rest of us. More than a handful, I'd wager, will agree "There's room for improvement". Maybe that would force Mr. DeFazio and his aviation sub-committee to change that which he observed. "The TSA is off track and we are going to fix the policy."

Just make sure its for all of us. Not just members of Congress!

3 comments:

Sylvia K said...

Well, you've heard my story of being all but strip searched at Portland's International Air Port, four pages of information that had to be written and signed by a supervisor, my handbag and my luggage gone through totally -- they also lost?? my debit card, I found out once I finally arrived Dallas. Come on guys, I was a 70 something, white haired old woman!!I think it would be great if some of the bigwigs got have the same kind of fun!!!

cconz said...

The whole airplane experience gets me down. I love to travel,if there is another way to get where i'm going, i'm on it.

Word Tosser said...

I am with you cconz... I use to fly with ease... and even when we started to take off our shoes and throw our coats in the box, I was ok..not thrilled but ok. But now, the cattle lines, before you even get there. No your love ones can't wait the 2 hours with you anymore.. So it is either be at the coffee shop and run across when you plane is due, and then there is the charging for food, and drink and luggage, and the strip search by random, not suspicion.. I pass... car travel is appealling to me now.