Airport Security Kicks In

Upper-right-quadrant-wingnuts finally get angry.

It all revolves around a plane load of US Marines on a return charter flight being deplaned away from the airport.

The Port of Oakland reports on it as follows

In the case of North American Airlines Flight #1777, a military charter flight that arrived at OAK on Thursday, September 27, aircraft parking and passenger service arrangements were coordinated and approved in advance between the ground handling company and Airside Operations. The airport received information that the passengers were not TSA-screened at their originating airport and that weapons were on-board the aircraft. Together with our security partners, the airport made a decision to park this aircraft at a remote location on the tarmac. It is the responsibility of the charter airline that its operation is compliant with TSA screening requirements.

Isn’t being screened by TSA one of the big rules down there these days, and haven’t they inflicted such things on the rest of us? Isn’t everyone supposed to be subject to the same stringent checks in the name of the safety and security of the homeland?

Everybody and their dog (and their dogs fleas) has had their travel lives disrupted by enhanced flight screening regulations, it’s now part of the overall flying experience that we’ve all come to know and love – admit it folks, who doesn’t like to take off their shoes and belt in a public space, get patted down by a bulky airport screener, and have their toothpaste confiscated as a matter of national security?

A plane load of people with guns who had not been screened by the appropriate authority was delayed – shouldn’t they be applauding?