About a year ago, my family took a vacation to Las Vegas and flew America West Airlines, now U.S. Airways. The flight over to McCarran Airport was unremarkable, we had a nice time in Vegas, we lost our collective shirts but had a good time.

Our problem started once we tried to leave McCarran. We arrived at McCarran early, our flight wasn’t scheduled to leave until 10 p.m. We hung out in the terminal tried to check our bags early, that was our first mistake.

Seems checked baggage wouldn’t be available until an hour prior to departure, so we had to lug our luggage all over the terminal.

Once our flight appeared on the departure board, we checked our baggage. Then we were allowed to got through the TSA screening to our terminal…the TSA was polite and courteous, not like they are portrayed.

Once we got into the departure terminal we waited, waited and waited. Finally, after it got to be around 9 p.m., someone from U.S. Airways informed us that our flight as well as the flights to twelve other destinations served by U.S. Airways were cancelled due to zero visibility. The destinations were from LAX in the south, to Seattle-Tacoma in the north.

We were told that we could take a chance on a flight to Santa Barbara; however, we’d still need to find our own way home to San Luis Obispo. We declined the offer, instead choosing to take a rescue flight the next morning from McCarran to LAX, then from LAX to San Luis Obispo, getting us home at 3 p.m.

We were scheduled with United, they at least were friendly to our situation. We later found out that because of U.S. Airway’s screw up their operators who normally handled overseas connection had to come out and try to rebook 3,000+ passengers on other connecting airlines.

We then had to encounter the indiginity of camping out overnight at McCarran, seems that U.S. Airways doesn’t give hotel vouchers if they have to cancel flights. To say that the furniture wasn’t comfortable is an understatement, second mistake!

Once we made it threw the night, somehow, we had to experience the indignity of going threw another TSA screening. Never mind the fact that I was crankier than a bear, the TSA agents assigned to United were beyond rude. They pulled my mother and I out of line, rummaged through our luggage, and when I asked why, a guard shoved me against the glass partition and said if I moved a muscle they’d shoot me!

Once they had me down to my pants, shoes removed, no shirt on, and my belt and my change in my pockets spilled out on a tray, they informed me I could get redressed, they stopped us because we were acted unusual; not getting any more than 4 hours sleep will make you act funny!

As a result of our expriences, I refuse to fly anywhere anymore, add to that the experiences of overly rude flight attendants who have a God complex, is it any wonder people want to see the airlines fail?

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200811/airport-security

I liked the part where TSA takes his stuff out, he unfurls a flag of Hezzbollah and tells the TSA droid what it is, and she can’t put 2+2 together.

TSA is just another crappy federal job for formerly career McDonalds workers, and all their functionally illiterate friends.

As for laptop, I jam the laptop backpack into my carry on, so I don’t get dinged. Next month, I am travelling US on a real tix rather than non-rev’ing, I wonder if they will waive my $15 bag fee?

As for issues of carry on luggage, the airlines need to start to enforce their own rules. They need to take the laptop bag clause out. The same with enforcing that the bag needs to be able to fit under the seat. It should be no surprise that the folks carrying on their gym bag (HELLO!) also are the ones in a hurry to get on and get their bag in the bins overhead because they know it’s too big). Whatever the case, we shouldn’t piss away tens of millions of dollars on “security” to limit liquid sizes whether it’s to encourage a few folks to check in their bags nor in the same of increased safety. It doesn’t make us any more safe and it’s costing us a lot of money.