Fun with United Airlines and the Hitler Jugend

[ebazyl]

Well I was flying to Atlanta, Ga to go to a track day in Barber. The bikes where already there, so it was going to be a good trip. Unfortunately, one of the bikes was wrecked the previous weekend and need a fuel pump.

So in my ignorance I packed a fuel pump of my bike along with some other essential parts and blissfully checked it into United baggage claim, not even considering the possibility that I would never see it again.

Upon my still blissful arrival at Atlanta, I was called to the baggage counter, which pretty much means "your f***ed". Turns out that my bag was "delayed due to mechanical malfunction". Knowing that it was BS I tried asking the United baggage lady what happened to it, she said there was not more info in the system. However she assured me that the bag was to be deliver Saturday mourning to the track. At this point I am highly skeptical and very agitated. I decide that the lady is not at fault, and started looking for alternatives.

Saturday: No Bag . However I totally luck out, when an New Mexico road racer lets me use his bike.

Sunday: Bag shows up. 1/2 of the stuff is missing. So I call United Baggage service (41 minute wait, so I hang up). Once done with the track session, I call back only 34 minute wait this time . So I sit through this, only to have the lady on the other end tell me that the system is down and that I need to back another time. However, the announcement informs me that they value my business, and a truly sorry.

Monday: After sitting through 24 minutes of United Airlines elevator music and apologies for inconvenience. I talk to another United Airlines representative. I tell her things are missing from my bag, she asks if there is a TSA sticker on the bag? I say there is. She informs me that my bag was "screened" and that I need to contact the TSA (modern day version of the Nazi Schutzstaffel (SS) that was created on November 19 2001 )[web:fceb4eeeef]http://www.tsa.gov/public/display?theme=5&content=0900051980002f2b[/web:fceb4eeeef]. So about 3 phone calls later and another 45 minutes on hold (this time with the "friendly" staff at TSA) I learn the following:
1. confiscated items will not be returned
2. anything carrying residue of oil or gasoline can be confiscated
3. TSA is not responsible for damage/loss of property that occurs during inspection
4. However, I can fill out at form anyways and they will make sure not to do anything about it.

Morals that I leaned from the Story:
1. TSA can to whatever they want with your luggage (I wonder if they are hiring) Rights or property do not apply to airports, or when it comes to Fatherland security
2. Despite the couple hundred times that I had to heard "we are really sorry, and appreciate your business", it is entirely possible that UA does not give a s*** about me. At least my tax dollars are going to bail them out of a financial crisis.
3. Make sure to read the TSA webpage before traveling! Probably would have saved me a lot of trouble! They are adding new regulations every year (for 2005) lighters are now considered a risk by the Airline Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti (KGB).

If you are in the same position I would recommend the following:
1. Read the guide lines, don't assume anything about your right to your own positions. <--- I screwed up here
2. Make sure nothing has the odor or gasoline/oil, if it does ship it (the irony is that it will probably also end up on a plain)
3. Vote for politicians that support the TSA, and maybe one day we can all get free in-home screening for dangerous objects, with out such pesky limitations as warrants.

[mikesf4i]

That kind of crap is why I dont fly anymore. People are willing to give up their freedoms under the false guise of "safety." The patriot act sucks!!

[ebazyl]

I just love how they are promoting the "freedom of travel".

[Stuart Little]

I don't feel like reading but last time I flew out of Ontario California, they were okay with guns going into checked baggage as long as you showed them it was unloaded before hand... wtf? gas residue?

[-PUCK-]

Damn dude, you have a lot of patience to sit on hold for as long as you did. I don't think I could handle that much elevator music.
Sucks that they swiped your shit.

[CYCLE_MONKEY]

Yeah, there are some f#cked things about air travel now....trust me. We wouldn't have SOME of these problems if those fucking assholes hadn'y flown those planes into the towers.

However.....you're out of line on this one BIG time. There are all sorts of signs warning of not shipping FLAMMABLE items. PERIOD. Wanna take the whole plane down? Fuel vapors are EXPLOSIVE dude. All you need is those vapors, and the presence of pure oxygen (which is carried on board), and you don't need the third part of the combustion triangle (ignition source) to have a fire.

[friscokidd]

That suck azz gene, but what does it have to do with shops? FOOK THEM ALLLLLL!!! Just drive, or something like that.

[Anonymous]

Last year I had picked up some matches from a restaurant as a souvenir. I figured they'd be safer in my checked baggage rather than carry-on. WRONG! I got home, my luggage had been opened, the matches removed, with a note from the TSA basically telling me that I should've packed them in my carry-on. I mean, come on, it's a freaking pack of matches!

Hmm, maybe next time I fly I should start a fire in the cabin just to prove my point.

On second thought, maybe not - I probably wouldn't be allowed to fly again.

[Mel]

Flying sucks, and they consider the stupidest things weapons. When we went to fly to Florida for a cruise last year, I put my marriage license (which I needed to leave the country they said) in a water and fire proof metal tube I bought, and packed it in my carry on. So they see it on the screens, take me and my luggage, and search everything....because of a stupid marriage license!
Gene your experience really sucks...I think I woulda lost my temper and started yelling at people if I was in your situation. You have far far more patience that I do!

[Airreed]

9-11 has changed how we fly forever....

I had one of my soldiers fly to Germany on sunday, SPC Jose Garcia, flying on military orders with a military ID...well guess what, Jose Garcia is on the NO FLY LIST....how many Jon Smiths, Jose Gacia, are out there...after about 45 minutes he was able to fly....

Now you cannot even have a lighter or matches in the plane, i can only wonder how many Zippo's TSA will get.....I guess TSA will have alot of white elephant gifts this Xmas...

Jason