SWA Business Select. Boarding position A1-15 (I book my flights 3-4 weeks ahead of time and have never been lower than A5) plus a free adult beverage. Exit row seats are fair game. I fly it whenever I can.

Otherwise I'm an aisle-seater, too. It's where my legs end up as soon as everyone is buckled in. I enjoy being taller than normal until it comes to flying. I need one more retirement before I can fly first class everywhere.

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1980 300TD-China Blue/Blue MBTex-2nd Owner, 107K (Alt Blau) OBK #15
'06 Chevy Tahoe Z71 (for the wife & 4 kids, current mule) '03 Honda Odyssey (son #1's ride, reluctantly) '99 GMC Suburban (255K+ miles, semi-retired mule) 21' SeaRay Seville (summer escape pod)

Will drive --- Flying isn't fun for me anymore. I guess I will have to fly to get to Europe or back to China though. The boat takes too long.

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daw_two
Germantown, TN

Links:
Sold last car --- 05/2012 1984 300D Light Ivory, Red interior
No longer selling Cluster Needles Paint
No longer selling New Old Stock (NOS) parts

Past:
3/2008 1986 300SDL "Coda"
04/2010 1965 190D(c) "Ben"
& many more

I think it has more to do with where the airport has room for the large xray machines than whether it's better for the TSA to inspect with or without the passenger present. At DFW the inspection was initially done near the check-in counter. The passenger had to get the bag tagged and then haul it over to the TSA setup. Nowadays, presumably after some remodeling, the TSA has moved downstairs and bags go on the conveyer, just like always.

I have a big collection of TSA notices. I like to fly around with my S&S coupled bicycle (google it) to ride in various places around the US and Europe. It's an unusual enough setup they open it nearly every time and then have to go find me to help repack and close the case. I've gotten accustomed to it.

Prior to 9/11, you could place some decent locks on your luggage; post 9/11 all luggage locks must be "TSA Friendly" READ, any idiot now has very easy access TO YOUR PERSONAL BELONGINGS. Thank you, but no thank you. How about shipping your SECURELY LOCKED LUGGAGE via UPS or FED/EX directly to your destination?? That way, Mr. "Sticky Fingers" doesn't have access to your personal belongings. Of course, carry on a small bag with one or two changes of clothes in case your now SECURELY LOCKED luggage fails to arrive, but with Fed/Ex tracking, I seriously doubt that will happen. Also, if your luggage contains valuables, be sure and purchase additional shipping insurance from Fed/Ex. Easy and stress free, now that's the way to do it!!

I just wire or zip tie the bag shut. If anyone wants to open the bag, they have to cut the "lock" with a pair of dykes, so tampering would be at least evident. TSA locks -- lock with a known key available to every TSA official and their criminal half-brother ain't a lock at all.

I would have taken other passengers' names as witnesses then pushed the issue. An arrest would require a local cop, which might have a different opinion, plus a jury would likely take a dim view of the situation. (In a subsequent civil suit as well.) No guns, but I have both lawyers and money.

Lastly, the TSA is not allowed to confiscate most items that don't violate a law, only to prohibit flight with them. Your friends could have walked back out of the checkpoint and mailed their phones to themselves.

Anyway, with any luck, the TSA thieves who did your friend will f@@k the wrong guy and end up being the "victim of a botched mugging" or wearing concrete cowboy boots in the East River a year or two later. Karma's a *****.

Unfortunately, the stories come to me second hand so I have no way of verifying them. The story came from a man who said one of his relatives had worked in the airline business for years. He told me his phone was seized at the gate and when he raised a fuss, they threatened him with arrest. Once they have your property in THEIR hands, there is no turning around and going to a mail drop. Perhaps they have changed their rules (again) and are not confiscating items that don't violate a law.

The luggage security locks are only one of many reasons I won't get on an airplane. Flying on a cigar tube with panic prone people who have absolutely ZERO training in handling aircraft emergency procedures is not my idea of a good time........

And that is the theme of most, if not all of your stories. They all are about the 4 foot long bluegill that weighs 20 pounds that you never saw or was able to verify but you were told that someone you know met the brother of the girl who talked to the guy who did catch that fish.

My father has spent most of his life traveling to places we probably can't find easily. He has been to many places that are so corrupt that they will ask for a "special fee" that you might enter the country. Most of his luggage problems are "it got run over", "it got lost and came back a month later", etc, etc. Your odds of getting broken in are there but so slim, based on percentages that it might be slightly more difficult to win a raffle.

How much experience do YOU have again?

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01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

Where are these panic-prone people? The overwhelming majority of people on flights I've taken have been pretty chill.

I hear you about the inability to secure your luggage. I just don't bring anything particularly valuable with me. I could do without getting treated like an inmate by the TSA every time I go to get on a plane. The Israelis have a much better way to do airline security.

That said, I wish I had more discretion in deciding whether to drive or fly. I travel fairly regularly to LA and Seattle for one of my jobs. They used to be pretty flexible about letting me drive and then reimbursing for mileage, but now they always want me to fly. If I take a two week trip, park my car at the airport, and get authorized a rental car, which I often do, then the cost is higher than if I simply drove and got the 53 cents a mile or whatever the going rate is.

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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 401,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 26,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.
99 Mazda Miata 183,xxx miles.

Try "early-bird check in". Considerably less costly because you can select the deep discounted fare due to the advance purchase. Also eliminates your need to checkin early on the return...........usually impossible unless you've got your laptop with you and you make a "date" with the computer 24 hours ahead of the flight.

Cost is $12.50 each way and you'll get a seat that is lower than A45. This is perfectly fine for getting a decent seat. The aircraft holds about 135.

Also, for some reason all the lemmings sit at the front of the cabin. The rear seats will always have extra seats available unless it's full.