they should also be forced to get crew-cuts and wear aviator sunglasses at all times.

no wait, they should be required to dress like comic book superheroes! then no evil-doers would dare cross them.

couldn't we just get them cool paper hats?

So, the Department of Redundancy, er... the Department of Homeland Security is finally showing just what sort of amazing actions they are capable of.
Our government is very smart.

That story is complete and total bullshit.

Because of course you know better than the FLEOA, two major newspapers, including the newspaper of record of the US, two pilots unions, and a US Senator.

Right.

Was that the same paper that reported Spears as drinking whiskey?

I think they should just instal a little gun turret at the back of the plane. Sure, why not?

No. That was Rupert "Fox 'News'" Murdoch's New York Post. They of the Gephardt prediction.

i'm thinking that well-disseminated misinformation like this might just help them out. there's no way this is real, is there? i mean, c'mon...

i figure it's a bit of mis-information.

the terrorists will knock off the dudes in first-class wearing suits, and then be completely surprised when the hippies in the tie-dye shirts start shooting...

Don't forget that they also have different check in procedures and have to be seated before everybody else. NY Times had an article about their check in procedures a while back...hope somebody can find it.

Hmm. The idea that you wouldn't get any respect wearing casuals doesn't pan out. I think it's the part where they forgot that if the slightly overweight balding fellow sitting next to you pulls out a 9mm pistol, trains it on the vaugely germanic guy with the knitting needles who is menacingly threatening to hijack the plane into a damn, and yells 'I'm a US SKy Marshall, Drop the mostly harmless household items and put your hands where I can see them,' I think people might respect him for that. That, or they'd jump him for pulling a gun on an Airplane and put him under citizens arrest for the rest of the flight.

Maybe because it is easier to hide a weapon in a suit compared to casual dress.
Why would a person dressed casually be wearing a members only jacket in the middle of summer? He wouldnt and would look out of place. Business man wear suits all year round and wouldnt look out of place at all.

Mike, I can hide a compact .45 in a t-shirt and jeans practically.
This isn't for practical reasons, I can almost guarantee you. It's a trend in our military and national security forces. Administration writes regulations and plans without considerations for the practical effects.
This is what happens when middle-men and administrators are in charge of the military and national security rather than soldiers.

Any of you amazed at that should google "USAF uniform" and see what they're going to make the people in my service wear in a year or two... it really should put this story in perspective. Thank God I'm lucky enough to be in a specialty that gets to wear camouflage patterns not inherently stupid...

EDIT: fuck it, I'll just post the shit myself...





[Edited on Jul 20, 2004 by Phoebus]

I like the Marine's new BDU's much better.