Just "Plane" Stupid People

   It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that organizers who are planning a "National Opt-Out Day" at our nation's airports are really just creating a problem for themselves!
   I have to laugh as I read these articles encouraging airline passengers to take part in this stupid event. While organizers believe it will send a clear message to the Transportation Security Administration, it in fact  really backlashes on the consumer. More on that, in a minute.
   So here's how organizers theorize it will work. If passengers opt out for the quick "Body Scanner" at airport security checkpoints, they instead will have to undergo a thorough individual pat down by TSA agents, which in turn, could take longer and clog up security lines at airports. Now do this on one of the busiest travel days of the year and you could have major chaos.
    But do you REALLY think the TSA cares about long lines created by this "clever idea"? They are there to do there job -- it's called protecting our airplanes from terrorists --  no matter how quickly it gets done. They are getting paid either way. It could even mean some overtime pay for them.
    With people refusing the quicker way to be screened, they really are creating a backlog for TSA screeners and will also create longer waits. But for themselves, the consumer!
     And  here's the catch: airplanes don't wait for passengers who are running late.  Unless Mother Nature dictates a flight cannot leave the gate for safety reasons because of bad weather in the area, those planes are going to leave on time. And guess who gets left behind? The "nimwits" who tried to stall the whole security process in the first place, and the others that they are supposedly fighting for.
    It will mean that people will now have to give themselves an extra four to five hours to get to the airport early to face these longer lines. And most people despise having to arrive early for one of the most stressful travel times of the year. Do you really want to wait in an hours-long line, just to get passed security?
    The backlog and  longer waits will cause many to miss their flights. Airlines will still get paid for the tickets that have  already been purchased, many of which or  laced with strict rules and extra fees to get rebooked or get a refund for missed flights because of passengers' own fault.
   But there is a silver lining in all this, and it's for airline employees!    Since many people will have missed their flights to see grandpa and grandma, this will mean lighter loads for the airlines. Many of those seats will go out empty as the protesters are stuck behind at security checkpoints.
    And airline employees who fly only on a standby basis will get those seats and be able to fly home for the holidays. Typically, since plane loads are crammed with paying passengers, there are no "standby seats" for airline employees and their families to use. Any smart airline employee usually stays away from the airport during this crazy travel time unless they are working. But maybe not this year!
    So again, I applaud organizers for the "intelligent" idea of backlogging the nation's airports and missing their flights. Now maybe my fellow crew members and their families can snatch up your seats and go see the family for the Holidays!