gravitational

Add this one to your travel bookmarks: http://www.farecast.com/ Probably won't help much now though. ------ Michael

Suck it up. I'm generally on the 6:00 AM flight every Monday AM and I'm 90 minutes away from the airport. Toss in winter and the possibility of snow the drive increases. Generally put 8-9 hours onsite at the client's once I get there too. Makes for a long ass day. ------ Michael

Try Keneally's in Houston (Near Shephard and Fairview). will add Fuzzy's to my list and might check out this week since I'll be there in a couple hours. ------ Michael

Chicago and New York. Californians don't know how to make a pizza. (Note: Fruit has no place on a pizza) ------ Michael

is it on the inside or outside of the loop? ------ Michael

I just happen to be down here so if you get me directions from the Galleria area I could stop by after a client dinner tonight. ------ Michael

Here's your answer: http://www.homesweethomemailinc.com/ ------ Michael

http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/ ------ Michael

Propellant - granted, I'm not a chemist so I couldn't offer an expert opinion on the cross variations and differences between propellants and explosives. I'd be willing to bet that no where in the TSA training/reference materials does it refer to an AAD as being safe and approved for travel by the US DOT and other worldwide agencies. I guess I'd be curious to run into this guy again to see if he educated himself on the AADs - at least this is what he told me he was going to do. The guy did his job perfectly based on his ineducation and life experience - protecting the traveling public? From my point of view, no. From yours? Probably and I'll accept that. Sucks to be me and I'm just glad I had my gear bag to wrap it all back up into. Unlike the UK, the TSA from my experience has not done random gate security checks like they do in the UK. (again, from experience and I'm in the airport more than most that have responded to this thread) the security people that work in Heathrow and Gatwick are the best in the business from what I've seen. They take their work seriously and question everything. (ask me in person about the 'stupid american' that was going to miss her flight). I've gotten more of a look going thru security in Nigeria than I've had at any airport in the US - they didn't discriminate...everyone got interrogated. Without taking this to a political rant, I do not feel safe flying with the TSA involved (when you hear someone say 'I'm from the gov't. I'm here to help', the best thing to do is run). I do not feel that the security at airports in the US is even remotely adequate. Ultimately who is protecting my american behind? Me and my awareness of my surroundings. ------ Michael

Nope...Take a step back and stand in front of this guy and listen to him say 'my roommate told me...'. That's where his lack of education was. This guy was now an expert with AADs because his roommate told him. I've gotten the rest of it. ------ Michael

Whatever... ------ Michael

And I thought you were top tier. Only happened once. ------ Michael

Almost - Here's the reply that Ed Scott has forwarded to me from the TSA. I obviously fell into the second item for their concerns, but will stand by the fact that the super was mis-educated and could have done whatever swabs he needed to do without opening the reserve. The 'potentially suspect or prohibited' is a really grey area that leaves all decisions up to the individual TSA agent to do their own free will. ------ Michael

...and a 3.0 ounce can of shaving cream was not allowed but if it was 3 ounces it would have passed muster . the organization unfortunately proves over and over again that they're incompetent. that is what scares me. ------ Michael

No...the incompetence is the TSA not following their own rules (and you need to read before responding). shaving cream was a 3 ounce travel size. The appropriate size allowed for carry on. Edit to add... (I think I need to clarify this for you...the travel size of shaving cream was 3.0 ounces. the memo the TSA person had for their reference read as 3 ounces which is obviously means that 3.0 ounces is greater than 3 because it has another number at the end ) ------ Michael

That's what I am thinking as well. Especially since TSA, strictly speaking, did absolutely nothing wrong... the TSA did one major thing wrong - they admitted to their in-education in handling rigs with AADs. In other news... Another 'education' incident with the TSA in recent days. Friend flew down to Houston to hang out over the weekend. They had their 3.0 ounce can of shaving cream taken because it was larger than the 3 ounce allowed as carry on (and no, you are not reading the number wrong). Remember that I fly alot more than most and my exposure to the TSAs incompetence is more widespread. ------ Michael

On this note, my rigger is 90 minutes away and I'm never home to get the rig there soooo... ------ Michael

Yes...it does not stop the fact that the TSA super and everyone around him seemed to not be educated at all in handling rigs - was even told 'none of them' had ever seen a parachute go thru security at ORD. ------ Michael

We all have our experience with traveling with our rig. My experience has taught me that bringing attention to it prior to sending it thru will generally have me on my way with not even a swab. Your experience may have taught you different. I travel a ton...this was a very unusual case in my experience having gone thru ORD a dozen or so times (with gear in hand) since I started jumping. This was the first time in ORD that security did anything other than just send me on my way. Read the original again...choice was simply open the reserver or don't fly. Check or unchecked, it was going to be opened. ------ Michael

No Worries... USPA has worked to avoid this from happening to us...and it did. ------ Michael

I'm awaiting a response from USPA at this point. They've sent this off to their TSA contact so I'm in the waiting game for now. Flew again today (sans rig) and just had to laugh when the guy in front of me has his tube of toothpaste confiscated. Granted, it wasn't a 3 ounce or less tube but there maybe a squeeze or two left in the tube. ------ Michael

Yes, but that's the airline. You're their (hopefully loyal) customer. TSA doesn't care if you're loyal to them or not. You're their bitch. Ex-Plat on American. One of the ladies from the Admirals Club in Denver was returning from vacation and ended up sitting next to me. Vented a little and she said she'd follow up with the TSA in Denver. she's still off and called me today to put me in touch with them. Yeah, very loyal...they take care of me. ------ Michael

I only get mad when they give my seat up when I've been on the road longer than I want to be. ------ Michael

And its clear you havent taken the time to read the letter from the TSA written with the USPA that clearly states they can have you open the reserve tray. The overall point in this situation that I want to convey is that the TSA super was not educated well enough to deal with the situation and did not want to look up the procedure as we evident by his 'first hand knowledge' of AADs having an explosive device in them. I have since chatted with a TSA super at my home airport in Denver. She stated that the materials they have are inadequate in giving guidance on what to do. The best education that she said they've had was you and me as we go thru security and educate the screeners a bit more each time we travel. Remaining calm is also a good thing. ------ Michael

surrounded by 20 or so TSA people and two of Chicago's finest, I don't think I was going to ultimately win this battle on the first attempt. I guess it was "show and tell" day at school... It's amazing how much inadvertent attention a rig can get. They did bring out the digital camera for future. I didn't stick around for their 'glory' party later congratulating the super that made me open the reserve...I was busy searching the TSA site and firing off an email to USPA. ------ Michael