Air Marshals Say Dress Code Makes Them Stick Out

The NY Times ^ | 071504 | By BRIAN WINGFIELD

[tiamat]

aruanan wrote:


Well, if they just made them wear a white shirt and tie, with no coat, and put them in pairs, and made sure they looked like they were in their early 20's, they could be disguised as Mormon missionaries.

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Oh, I LIKE your answer!

[OldEagle]

I was in Europe during the cold war and the first thing I learned about going native was to ditch the GI low quarters.
A lot of tourists visit the area where I live and I can almost always spot a European man by the shoes.
Some things never change.

[OldEagle]

Mormon missionaries live pretty much at or below the poverty level. I doubt that they fly very often. Probably Greyhound.

[tiamat]

I've seen them on bikes.

Wondered if they were FBI til I heard them talk....

[NYCVirago]

Mr. Adams said a dress code was put in place in April 2002, after the airline industry complained that air marshals' attire was too casual. He said some marshals had worn shorts, blue jeans, sandals and T-shirts while on duty.

What the heck is the airline industry thinking? They should know better. I almost never see anybody dressed up on a plane, unless they're sitting in first class.

[eccentric]

Make your flight safer. Dress up!

[Mulder]

The Air Marshall program is a total joke (James Bovard discusses this at depth in "Terrorism and Tyranny"), and does nothing but give the politicians and bureaucrats something to point to as "we're doing something".

A much better approach would be for the airlines to simply offer free tickets to any federal agent, local police officer, or CCW holder, to bring their gun and fly armed.

The airlines could even offer to pay them to ensure that on 100% of their flights, they have an armed "good guy".

Not only would this program enhance security, it would save the taxpayers millions of dollars.

[ChefKeith]

Or have them in BDU's/body armor and MP5's on a sling.

[Jotmo]

Obviously, you don't do a lot of air travel.

[Mulder]

No, that is an idiotic solution.

I'm surprised that the "strip me, search me, humilitate me" crowd hasn't suggested on this thread yet that all the passengers should simply be gassed (while naked) before the plane leaves the ground, and anyone that makes a joke should be summarily executed, and all their possessions seized by the TZA.

[Romish_Papist]

Here's a simple solution, mandatory suit and ties for all male passengers, mandatory dress or pants suits for female passengers, children appropriately attired. In order to make this work, all airlines must participate in the dress code policy and the airlines have the right to refuse boarding to any passenger who doesn't comply with the code (they would also forfeit the money they paid).

If the TSA grunts want to be slobs let them go play with dope dealers and see how much they like that action. As for the occasional fat, drunk, slob passengers who may show up, tough teet, our national airspace, our rules. Hit the pavement if you don't like it.

Are you honestly saying we should mandate how people dress when flying on planes? That's insane.

[Romish_Papist]

"In order to gain respect in a situation, you must be attired to gain respect," Mr. Adams said in an interview. If air marshals were allowed to be too casual in their dress, he added, "they probably would not gain the respect of passengers if a situation were to occur."

Please. These guys are trained to be authoritative in these situations, it's all about a commanding voice and not wearing a friggin' suit. Besides, I'd imagine people who won't "show respect" if they're not weariong suits, will do so when they see the Air Marshall's gun.

[Jotmo]

A full size weapon can easily be concealed in casual cloths.

No jacket required.

[Romish_Papist]

If an air marshall wears a tank top and shorts, where is he going to carry his sidearm? Perhaps that is the reason they wear suits.

Tank tops? No, but it hardly requires a suit to conceal a firearm. A ful suit not only makes them stick out but would likely hinder free movement.

[Jotmo]

The more sensible alternative is to abolish this ridiculous category of supercitizens and go back to pre-1960's where the right to keep and bear arms wasn't infringed during travel.

Bingo!

[LibertyAndJusticeForAll]

Homeland Security is run by idiots.

Unbelievable idiots. These are the same folks looking over our shoulder at what we read, and who knows what else. Real comforting.

[Malsua]

>>Don't most marshals sit up front, ie, in business class? And people are wearing sweatsuits and tanktops in business class? Yikes.<<

I fly business to Asia and Europe to the tune of around 100,000 miles a year. Business class is usually skewed to both to extremes. Suits or Fancy dress, or complete opposite.

I've found the biggest slobs seem to be folks who are travelling alone and come from money and expect absolute comfort in whatever they do. They same people in Business class are the biggest pain in the asses to the attendant staff.

[Ohioan]

Your suggestion that those of us who wear suits on airlines are in particular danger, is just plain silly. Suits have pockets that are ideal for holding tickets, hotel confirmations, money, passports and other papers. Frankly, I do not understand people who prefer to have to carry special contraptions to carry essential papers, rather than simply dress in a business suit. I do not believe that I have ever gone on an airline without one.

William Flax

[aomagrat]

This sounds like the liberty dress code we had when I was in the Navy. We couldn't wear uniforms because we would stand out, so the captain made us wear long slacks, shirt with a collar, closed toe shoes. And this was in Corfu Greece. We were the only people on the island wearing long pants and collared shirts.

[ItsForTheChildren]

"In order to gain respect in a situation, you must be attired to gain respect," Mr. Adams said in an interview. If air marshals were allowed to be too casual in their dress, he added, "they probably would not gain the respect of passengers if a situation were to occur."

"Look, Achmed! He is attired in a Brooks Bros. suit of the finest worsted wool! He must mean business. Let us lay down our boxcutters a beg for his mercy!"

The person with the gun saving my life gets my respect. I don't give a damn how he/she is dressed. Mr. Adams, you are a idiot.

Secretary Ridge, please fire this moron.