[cialesxtr]

Originally Posted by MattLarson What makes you think I am upset?

Matt

Maybe your accusitory post????? FOR NO "RESONABLE PURPOSE" What are you talking about?

Matt

[Peterli]

My concern is that an airline employee would do this for a terrorist.

Exactly. That's why all this beefed up security bullshit makes me feel no safer. It seems to me that a well-financed terrorist outfit would simply bribe its way past all that, while I'm standing there, in my underwear, holding my shoes and laptop, being semi-violated.

[Weislenalkata]

He's a private citizen, why should he not be screened like everyone else?

More "do as I say, not as I do"?

Matt

After reading the story, I was left with the impression that it was an airline employee who caused the security breach, not Gore. The story mentions that when Gore was ordered to go through security, he complied fully.

This is a nothingburger.

[Biassasecumma]

After reading the story, I was left with the impression that it was an airline employee who caused the security breach, not Gore. The story mentions that when Gore was ordered to go through security, he complied fully.

This is a nothingburger.

Partisanship aside - this is not nothing.

An airline employee made an exception in procedures that are there to save lives, where would one draw a line between when to enforce and when not to enforce?

In my book - Al Gore has nothing to do with this, what concerns me is that security policies were set aside.

[OQmYckYz]

Exactly. That's why all this beefed up security bullshit makes me feel no safer. It seems to me that a well-financed terrorist outfit would simply bribe its way past all that, while I'm standing there, in my underwear, holding my shoes and laptop, being semi-violated.

Ya, just like my wife being on the no fly list. She works for the government and has to travel to DC alot. It's hilarious when she goes somewhere with gov bigwigs and she has to go through extra screening.

Or my friend in the army that had to take off his boots to go through security, meanwhile carrying his rifle.

[Jerwittdergut]

Are you suggesting that airport screenings should be something other than completely random or mandatory? What makes Al Gore less of a risk than you or me? ANY answer to that question would involve the dreaded PROFILING!!!! Which we are supposed to believe is just plain wrong!

Actually, there are already airlines giving people special passes to avoid security. All they have to do is pay $100 a year and go through the same security clearance procedures paperwork-wise as a TSA employee and they by-pass the megs, the x-ray machines... all of it. It's called pre-screening.

That said, I truly hope you're not serious about whether or not Al Gore is an equal security risk as someone off the street, walking into an airport. Do you know the types of security clearances he had to go through when he was VEEP? Come on.

That said, it doesn't appear that anyone in Gore's camp made a request to go around security. Seems it was just some well-meaning airport employee who will now most probably lose his job.

I'm with Birdzeye on this... it's a non-sequitur.

[Shipsyspeepay]

When Gore Becomes President of the United States hes gonna TAX Airport CEOs TO DEATH!!!

[OQmYckYz]

That said, I truly hope you're not serious about whether or not Al Gore is an equal security risk as someone off the street, walking into an airport. Do you know the types of security clearances he had to go through when he was VEEP? Come on.

Yes, I know them very well. They simply do a credit check, check criminal records and interview people that know him. It's not as glamorous as you think. In fact, my wife is investigated more thoroughly than he is. Yet she was on the no fly list, for no other reason than her name is similar to a person of interest.

[Weislenalkata]

Partisanship aside - this is not nothing.

An airline employee made an exception in procedures that are there to save lives, where would one draw a line between when to enforce and when not to enforce?

In my book - Al Gore has nothing to do with this, what concerns me is that security policies were set aside.

Well, I agree with you. I should have made it clear that, from the standpoint of looking for some excuse to bash Gore, this was indeed a nothingburger. The security breach was done by an airline employee, and clearly someone else was doing his job, spotted the breach, and had Gore go through security. It also sounds like the airline is dealing with the employee.

[Weislenalkata]

Ya, just like my wife being on the no fly list. She works for the government and has to travel to DC alot. It's hilarious when she goes somewhere with gov bigwigs and she has to go through extra screening.

Or my friend in the army that had to take off his boots to go through security, meanwhile carrying his rifle.

And I bet your wife will never be able to straighten out that being on the no fly list either.

I haven't been very happy about having to take my shoes AND glasses off to go through security.

[OQmYckYz]

And I bet your wife will never be able to straighten out that being on the no fly list either.

I haven't been very happy about having to take my shoes AND glasses off to go through security.

She will. Once they find this person.

My friend wears special shoes for the airport. Leather ones and no socks. LOL!

[Peterli]

Ya, just like my wife being on the no fly list. She works for the government and has to travel to DC alot. It's hilarious when she goes somewhere with gov bigwigs and she has to go through extra screening.

Or my friend in the army that had to take off his boots to go through security, meanwhile carrying his rifle.

Wow... I guess I should thank my lucky stars I haven't wound up on the no-fly-list somehow. Of course, we might both be on it for our next flights for talking about it here

[Jerwittdergut]

Yes, I know them very well. They simply do a credit check, check criminal records and interview people that know him. It's not as glamorous as you think. In fact, my wife is investigated more thoroughly than he is. Yet she was on the no fly list, for no other reason than her name is similar to a person of interest.

I know the normal TSA check isn't particularly glamorous. My husband had to go through it. However, Gore's screening, I'd wager, was a bit more stringent.

Sorry your wife has to deal with the no-fly list. Unfortunately, no one wants to exercise common sense or perhaps they're afraid of acting independently. But I've heard of children on the no-fly list who were kept from getting on a plane with their parent. Truly absurd. And, yes, just because of a shared name.

[Gasfghj]

BackstreetGirl
Actually, there are already airlines giving people special passes to avoid security. All they have to do is pay $100 a year and go through the same security clearance procedures paperwork-wise as a TSA employee and they by-pass the megs, the x-ray machines... all of it. It's called pre-screening. Well, if Gore and all of his entourage were pre-screened (something liberals opposed by the way because it makes life easier when some poor people are ill-equiped to afford such treatment) then I will take back what I have said vis-a-vis his special treatment.

BackstreetGirl
That said, I truly hope you're not serious about whether or not Al Gore is an equal security risk as someone off the street, walking into an airport. No, but I was making the point that those who treat PROFILING as something inherently wrong are engaged in it themselves when they question (as samantha did) the utility of searching people like Gore (where as those of us who openly support profiling make the same point about a 80 year old native-born grandmother of 5 being as likely to be patted down by security as a muslim national of Syria are somehow racist or discriminatory).

BackstreetGirl
Do you know the types of security clearances he had to go through when he was VEEP? Come on. None. Security clearance requirements are statutorally created. As a Constitutional Officer, neither the President or Vice-President (nor any member of Congress for that matter) need to get security clearances for their jobs. In fact, it was pointed out when Clinton was elected and sworn in the irony of someone with his background being President when it was an open question whether he would have gotten the required security clearances for many of those in the Executive Branch he was the head of.



BackstreetGirl
That said, it doesn't appear that anyone in Gore's camp made a request to go around security. Seems it was just some well-meaning airport employee who will now most probably lose his job.

I'm with Birdzeye on this... it's a non-sequitur. I would agree if and ONLY if Al Gore was completely unaware that he was receiveing special treatment. Something that I would find highly unlikely given the media coverage of what people have to go through these days unless he is utterly and completely out of touch.

[OQmYckYz]

Wow... I guess I should thank my lucky stars I haven't wound up on the no-fly-list somehow. Of course, we might both be on it for our next flights for talking about it here

The funniest part was when we discovered she was on it. It was 5:00am, we were on our way somewhere and had our 6 month old daughter with us. My wife is a very "normal" looking girl. Blonde, blue eyes, long hair, no tattoos or anything... very normal and conservatively dressed, looking. Me, on the other hand, heavily tattoo'd, baggy dickies shorts, baseball cap bill flipped up, hoodie, goatee.... just overall punk. The skycap is checking us in and says, "Sorry mam, but you must go through extra screening." We ask why and he tells us. Then he says, "This whole TSA crap is just that. You're a very sweet, normal looking lady, then there's this guy" and nods to me, "yet we don't give him a second look."

Then he took us to the front of the ticket line to get us our special screening and he made $20.

[OQmYckYz]

I know the normal TSA check isn't particularly glamorous. My husband had to go through it. However, Gore's screening, I'd wager, was a bit more stringent.

I thought you were talking about security clearance checks. They're really not that big of a deal. Heck I pass them and I've done alot of time when I was younger.

[Jerwittdergut]

Well, if Gore and all of his entourage were pre-screened (something liberals opposed by the way because it makes life easier when some poor people are ill-equiped to afford such treatment) then I will take back what I have said vis-a-vis his special treatment.

Generalizations probably aren't such a good idea. I don't have an objection to pre-screening. I think buying that privilege isn't particularly different from being able to afford to sit in first class instead of coach. (And I do suspect you'd consider many of my views "liberal").

No, but I was making the point that those who treat PROFILING as something inherently wrong are engaged in it themselves when they question (as samantha did) the utility of searching people like Gore (where as those of us who openly support profiling make the same point about a 80 year old native-born grandmother of 5 being as likely to be patted down by security as a muslim national of Syria are somehow racist or discriminatory). I also don't have a problem with a degree of profiling. On the other hand, I heard about someone who would very much NOT have been profiled, but her boyfriend put an explosive in her bag. But as a general rule, I think people can make certain risk assessments. The problem arises if they miss the dangerous person/people by doing it or whether profiling becomes a de facto means of harassment.

None. Security clearance requirements are statutorally created. As a Constitutional Officer, neither the President or Vice-President (nor any member of Congress for that matter) need to get security clearances for their jobs. In fact, it was pointed out when Clinton was elected and sworn in the irony of someone with his background being President when it was an open question whether he would have gotten the required security clearances for many of those in the Executive Branch he was the head of. Now *that's* interesting. I didn't realize that, but I suppose it makes a degree of sense given the election can't be undone due to any security issues and our representatives can't do their jobs without information. Thanks for pointing that out. Went right past me. (On the other hand, I just had saki with my lunch. heh!)

I would agree if and ONLY if Al Gore was completely unaware that he was receiveing special treatment. Something that I would find highly unlikely given the media coverage of what people have to go through these days unless he is utterly and completely out of touch. The only information I have with regard to the situation is what was contained in the OP. There is nothing there to suggest that any request was made for special treatment beyond the norm. Did he know he was receiving special treatment? I'm not really sure it matters because if the group was told to follow the employee, it would have been easy to make the assumption that this is how it had been decided to deal with his entourage at this particular airport.

[xiaoselangone]

Unfortunately same rules do not apply. For the elite it never has..

Your right. The screener could have got hit with a cell phone or something for daring to do his job…

[Joesred]

What makes you think I am upset?

Matt

Then it's a non issue isn't it? Gore was screened. Airport person needs re-training. Problem solved.

Right?

[xiaoselangone]

And he didn't ask to avoid it and when they asked him to go through it he did it happily.

What exactly are you upset with him about?

We’re not mad, we’re laughing our asses off that he had to be lead back from the gate to the terminal because he isn’t important anymore… Ha ha ha ha, how embarrassing…