Pilot at fault used Profiling against SS Agent

CNN - Crossfire Transscript 1/4/2 ^ | 1/4/02 | Self

[McGavin999]

The USSS Presidential Detail is composed of the best of the best. If someone claiming to be a member of the Presidential Detail failed to fill out a form properly THREE times and then lost his temper because someone was insisting on checking out his credentials, I'd be awfully suspicious too. Hardly professional behavior from someone whose job requires cool thinking in a chaotic situation, hmmmmm?

Face it, the captain was right, and the more we learn about this the more it looks like this agent was not cut out for his job. He'd be happier in some other post, guarding the president requires the cream of the crop, not someone who doesn't know how to act when confronted with a problem. BTW, what kind of USSS agent has no reguard for thoroughly checking out someone's identity?

[Cultural Jihad]

Just how many people do you think will be on that flight?

One. If there were anyone from CNN on that plane they would have disembarked.

[McGavin999]

Several AA employees, including one who was 1,000 miles away and had no idea of the nationality of the agent, oh yeah, and a policemen too.

[Tennessee_Bob]

Even though the Secret Service agent has admitted to not filling out the identification paperwork properly..not just once, but twice? Sorry. The pilot was presented with bad paperwork and an attitude. Had the Secret Service agent presented himself in a professional manner, then maybe you could fault the pilot.

[coloradan]

Just how many people do you think will be on that flight?

Or: "And, this passenger is seated in seat 11C"

Just how many passengers would tear him to shreds, gun or no gun?

[null and void]

Works for me...

[ImphClinton]

The Captain of an airplane, the same as a ship at sea, has the final say-so.

I can not believe you still believe the Media Lies told yesterday. Seems the President should outrank any captain. The president ordered this man on to this flight to protect the President. This Captain had no right to refuse passage without even bothering to call a local number. In fact this Captain wouldn't even allow his suypervison to call and verify this agents identity.

None of the terroist managed to get a gun through security. This agent did so three times. Did this Captain check with the Agents supervisor. No. Did he make any attempt to verify the agents identy. No. Did he have this agent fill out an A. A. form three times because another AA employee crossed out the canceled filght number and put on the new flight number. This was verifiable but this captain nover bothered.

Worse of ass as Bill said he never reported the incident to authorities until he was called on the carpte. Furthermore this sam,e captain kept another legitimate officer off a flight.

Had this flight been hijacked. The agent would not have been able to prevent it. What good are Air Marshals if stupid Pilots will not even allow SS Agents on planes.

[null and void]

Tom Clancy. It follows Debt of Honor, which ends with a 747 crashing into a joint session of Congress. Any book store should have it in stock. If you have a long commute you might consider audio tapes, I think the addy is: www.booksontape.com

[The Westerner]

Maybe the agent had one too many drinks waiting for his flights. That would be the simplest explanation of losing his temper, being unable to fill out the forms right and getting off the plane after being seated (went to get another drink.) Maybe he's a nervous flyer.

[McGavin999]

Had this flight been hijacked. The agent would not have been able to prevent it. What good are Air Marshals if stupid Pilots will not even allow SS Agents on planes.

Well he would have been able to be on the flight, with his gun, had he bothered to SIGN a form that requires a signature. Small detail, one that you would certainly think a USSS agent would notice. The fact that he didn't notice would certainly bring his "stated profession" into question.

[EdZep]

First of all, the pilot, and anyone else with good sense, should be using that "ee-vil" profiling technique. But, it doesn't take profiling to recognize an uncooperative person with a weapon, who doesn't want to follow procedure. Nor does it take much good sense to see what a crybaby the guy has become, and to recognize the possibility that the entire incident was contrived for a lawsuit and 15 minutes of fame. The agent should lose his job for unprofessional conduct.

Bush may not even have had full details. I'd guess that he was just giving a CYA answer, to placate all the hand-wringers like Bill Press. No big. That's politics, as we have made it.

Socialists in Congress? Click on the zeppelin, Grasshopper.

[Bogey78O]

Recheck your facts. He trided to contact the SS to verify the agents identity. Like a thinking man though he didn't call the number the agent aupplied him.

"Ummmm...Yeah...call this number there is a guy there named Habib...Harry....yes Harry. He'll confirm that I am a Secret Agent."

He also relayed it to AA security and the AA security recommended he deny boarding to the agent.

[null and void]

What good are Air Marshals if stupid Pilots will not even allow SS Agents on planes.

They may be worse than useless. Is that guy with a gun really a sky marshal? Or is he in cahoots with the hijackers?

Will the resulting confusion help or hinder the bad guys...

[Bogey78O]

Ok, ask yourself this question. Would this agent be remiss in his duties if he allowed a person to get close to the president with a loaded revolver using the same level of doubt he was expecting AA to accept?

[Right_in_Virginia]

The agent filled the form out incorrectly three times...each time including information that conflicted with information on previous forms. If this---nervous and abusive---agent couldn't keep his story straight, how can anyone find fault with the pilot's decision? I'd fire the pilot if he had let him on the flight.

[Bogey78O]

True. If you see 3 arabs jump up with knives and one with a gun what would the average person think?

[fellowpatriot]

As someone who's husband flies on this airline on a weekly basis, I for one thank God for this pilot's actions. I think he should be commended for what he did.

[AnalogReigns]

Forget the paperwork...who fills out paper work exactly right anyway? The pilot was wrong, because he had the easy opportunity to call the White House to check the agent's story out... It's also true that if the pilot thought he was a fraud, the pilot was negligent in NOT calling the White House in order to keep the folks in the Airport safe... Clearly AmAir and the pilot should appologize and move on...

America cannot be and surely should never be a country which stubbornly asks, "your papahs pleez" and when they aren't totally right shouts, "verbotten!!!" Common sense should rule and it sure didn't here....