Spirit Airlines: Workin with the commies

by Grant Martin on

Remember that trade embargo that the US has against all of Cuba? The one that forces you to drive to Tijuana to pick up Cuban cigars and the one that prevents you and your family from stopping in Havana on your annual cruise? Yep, that embargo.

We as Americans have been forbidden from trading with the Socialist nation for over forty years now, as our good buddy Fidel Castro kept the country under lockdown and its population in poverty. Our “sanctions,” which have recently come under increased scrutiny, are meant to punish the totalitarian government and encourage democracy in the island nation. How well that’s working is another debate.

But our trade embargo sure isn’t stopping Spirit Airlines from doing business with the Cubans. They’ve been paying the government regularly to use Cuban airspace on their flights over the Carribbean — something that spokeswoman Misty Pinson claims was not premeditated, saying: “Spirit Airlines never had the intention of violating any requirements or laws to carry out its international operations.”

How does your morality buzzer NOT go off when you’re writing checks to Cuba? Aren’t all business transactions with the communist state illegal?

Needless to say, the embattled airline is now coughing up 100G’s in fines for illegal payments to the Cubans. Better to fly around next time.

Women barred from men’s dining room at private golf club

by Jamie Rhein on

Whoa! Wait a minute. How can that be? Where have I been? I keep thinking I have more freedom of movement about the world than I actually have. Here’s one more place I can’t go.

I just read that at the Phoenix Country Club women are not allowed in the men’s grill room where the serious business deal making and dining occurs. No, the women who want find food to nosh on are pushed off into the women’s grill which is smaller and without the buffet, the bar or the lovely view of the golf course. The women’s grill has a hotplate.

There’s a bit of a fuss going on at the country club since some members want to move on into modern times where a couple can eat eggs together for breakfast, for example. Some of the men are as appalled by living in the days when women weren’t allowed in saloons–“respectable” women mind you and are having a time of it for standing up for their wives. This is true. Here’s the article that covers the details. The story involves peeing on a pecan tree as well as other juicy grammar school-like tidbits.

But before you go to the article, consider this. Several years ago, and I’m talking many–when I lived in Columbia, South Carolina during middle school, my mom took my brother and me to a roller skating rink. When we found out we had to be members in order to skate, we decided that rink wasn’t for us. Why not? Becoming members had to do with religion and skin color. We just happened to be the right religion and and the right skin color, but we didn’t like the rules. We thought the rules should change.

Since then, I think, rules have changed. But, I often live in La-La-Land where we all get along, so I can’t say if this is 100% so. *Before those of you from the south start sputtering, let me assure you I loved so much about South Carolina. Seventh grade was my Renaissance year and I was sad to move.

But, this story is about men and women and not race and religion–so perhaps, they aren’t similar. After all, there are men’s clubs and women’s clubs–and most people wouldn’t argue about that, so what’s the difference?

If the women had a grill as good as the men’s, and the business deal making happened outside the men’s grill so women could participate, I wonder if there would be as much of an issue?

Here’s what I mean. When I was in the Peace Corps, I had some friends who lived in my village who were from Pakistan. The women in the family–18 year-old twins and the mother, didn’t interact with men other than their dad/husband because he was the only family member who lived in The Gambia.

These were wonderful people who treated me extremely well. Once there were men coming for dinner. Since the dad was to have guests, I was invited to keep them company where they would eat in another room. The food was put in the dining room. While the men filled up their plates, we waited in a bedroom with the door closed.

After the men went to the living room, and the door was closed to the dining room, we got our food. Okay, sure the men at first, but there was plenty left.

But, this isn’t the same as the men’s grill either. I was told I could go visit with the men if I wanted to. I didn’t want to. Probably because I had a choice–and I was already in the best company.

As for the women who are at the Phoenix Country Club looking for some equity, I hope they have a frying pan if they want to cook up those eggs on their own.

And if any of you are heading off to a private club somewhere, check to see who can get in. It might surprise you.

LAX employees march and protest against — LAX

by Grant Martin on

Think your airport sucks? It’s ok, most people don’t like their local airports. But you’re in a pretty sad state of affairs when even the employees that work at that airport think it sucks.

That’s what’s been going on at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) recently. Employees, union members and even J D Power and Associates notables have been marching around the terminals protesting the state of the airport and the industry.

I can see where they’re coming from with regard to the airport — Terminal 2, where I spend most of my time is a run down shell of a terminal, where amenities are few, gates are crowded and dirty and a combo meal at Burger King can cost up to twelve dollars.

Just earlier this week, local Los Angeles news reported that there were over a thousand people in line over at Terminal 1.

With regard to their qualms with the industry, I’m not sure if they have much traction. Airlines are cutting back in all facets of the business, including, I’m sure, employee staffing. Any time layoffs and superfluous cost cutting are involved, employees are going to be unhappy.

Luckily, none of this ruckus seems to be (further) affecting airport operations — as of this afternoon, the FAA isn’t reporting any significant delays.

Denver group trying to allow pot smoking in airport lounges

by Grant Martin on

Denver recently approved a measure making possession of a small amount of marijuana legal, so the next logical step in opening places in which to smoke the reefer was obviously Denver International Airport. That’s what a group of activists called Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation (SAFER) are trying to do.

Their argument is that it’s a great alternative to drinking at the airport, which often leads to stress, passengers flipping out and causing a ruckus aboard aircraft — things that we seem to report on weekly here at Gadling.

To that end I suppose they have a point, but for the fact that pot is still illegal on the state and federal levels, under which persons possessing can still be prosecuted.

However, in the farcical world where all good intentions lead to results, I can see a brave new world where passengers happily pile into a plane with zero legroom, no overhead space and 12$ soft drinks, happy as cows grazing in a pasture where children don’t cry and nobody cares if they can’t open their laptop on postage-stamp sized tray tables. Food sales onboard would skyrocket, complaints would plummet and the flight attendants would hug you instead of asking you to return your seat back to its upright and locked position.

The airlines should get behind this legislation immediately.

The new TSA photo ID requirements and what it means for you

by Grant Martin on

By now you’ve probably heard that the TSA just enacted new rules stipulating what is required for photo identification when going through airport security. People all over the place are outraged about it, and I thought that we should give a quick shakedown on what the change is and what you need to do about it.

Basically, the rule states that anyone refusing to give their ID at the security checkpoint can be denied access. This does not mean that if you forget or lost your ID you’ll be turned back. This only applies if you refuse to give any identification and refuse to work with the TSA to establish your identity.

To put it more simply, “Don’t be a jerk when you forget your ID at the airport, or the TSA will throw it right back at you.” Several accounts I read over the internet over the past few days, including this one at The Consumerist, strike me as borderiline passive-agressive jabs at the TSA or workers at security checkpoints, as if they were waiting for security to do something stupid so they could rush home and blog up a stink.

While this new policy is admittedly pretty stupid, it’s a waste of energy and breath to take it our on your sad TSA worker or your blogging peers. Consider writing to your congressman or complaining directly to the TSA if you want your issues to fall on the right ears.

In the mean time, if you find yourself at the airport without proper identification, relax. You’ll have to go through extra screening at the airport and might be held up a little, but you’re not going to be taken to Gitmo.