New York area airports no longer immune from the whole body imaging machine

by Scott Carmichael on

After the rest of the country, the large New York area airports are next in line to receive the infamous whole body imaging scanners. The Port Authority announced that La Guardia, JFK and Newark will receive 39 of the machines (24 for JFK, 14 for Newark and 1 for LaGuardia).

As of right now, the machines are still voluntary, and are only used when you have been selected for secondary screening. You are allowed to opt-out and request an old fashioned pat-down, but TSA agents often “forget” to point this out, as a manual screening takes more time.

The machines themselves are still quite controversial, and not without their problems – just ask Rolando Negrin, who beat up his supervisor after he was mocked for his “small manhood” during a TSA training session. Jo Margetson is probably not a big fan either, after a checkpoint operator complimented her on her “gigantic tits“. But more importantly, the safety aspects of these machines have not been fully tested.

The first batch of machines will be installed in New York next month.

[Photo from Getty Images]

Steven Slater Video: Watch the nutty flight attendant ride to infamy

by Tom Johansmeyer on


The above video comes from NBC New York, which claims the exclusive on it. Seventeen seconds in, you can see the emergency slide pop out from the right side of the plane (which is actually on your left). It happens in the center of the screen, but you need to look carefully, because the view is partially obstructed. The slide pops out toward the front of the plane. At 26 seconds, you can see disgruntled flight attendant Steven Slater step out of the plane and start to slide down, though this was shot from a distance, so it’s easy to miss.

What you don’t have to look carefully to notice is that there is activity around the plane. There are people outside guilty of nothing but doing their jobs, making it clear that he risk associated with Slater’s activating the slide very real. It isn’t hard to see why an internal JetBlue memo likened it to a gun.

Click here for five interesting post-meltdown jobs for Steven Slater >>

JetBlue memo: Steven Slater’s slide “as dangerous as a gun”

by Tom Johansmeyer on


The Associated Press has unearthed an internal JetBlue memo, and it’s pretty clear that the airline doesn’t view disgruntled flight attendant Steven Slater as a hero. In fact, JetBlue‘s memo has characterized his actions as inexcusable.

Loved because he left his job in grand fashion – despite the fact that “aviation is in his blood” and he wants the gig back – the emerging reality suggests that Slater really put himself and other people at risk of injury or worse.

Even if Slater was reacting to an uncooperative passenger, JetBlue isn’t interested in his excuses. The company’s chief operating officer, Rob Maruster, wrote in the memo, “If Mr. Slater’s story proves to be accurate, and even if there was a precipitating event that motivated his behavior, that still doesn’t excuse his actions.”

And, let’s not forget that Slater was arrested and charged with criminal mischief, reckless endangerment and trespassing. He entered a plea of “not guilty” and is out on $2,500 bail. According to a report by MyFoxNY, he faces felony charges.

Perhaps the most frightening part of the Slater saga – aside from the fact that a person whose “primary job is safety,” as the flight attendants like to say, lost his mind in something that’s nowhere near a crisis situation – is that he could have injured or killed somebody.The fact that he deployed an emergency slide, notes the memo, is “the most distressing aspect” of the situation. According to The Associated Press report:

“Slides deploy extremely quickly, with enough force to kill a person,” the letter to employees read. “Slides can be as dangerous as a gun.”

Maruster added that the “episode does not reflect the professional and sincere service you deliver to our customers every day.”

Fortunately, when he used this “gun,” Slater also had a beer in his hand. This guy might be getting the “hero” treatment by working folks everywhere, but here’s the question nobody seems to be asking: would you want to rely on him where you work?

Delusional JetBlue flight attendant Steven Slater wants his job back

by Tom Johansmeyer on


Who wants a job that drove him so nuts he went ballistic and jumped out the back door of a plane? Well, that would be Steven Slater, of course. The flight attendant now famous for popping the escape chute, grabbing a beer and going home from JFK airport in Queens – who has been thinking about this for the past two decades – wants his job back. And, that makes sense, since he isn’t likely to get his own reality show.

The man whose father was a pilot and mother was a flight attendant has the aviation industry “in his blood” says his Legal Aid defense attorney, Howard Turman, who continues, “That’s what he likes to do.” Of course, the fact that Slater has a funny way of showing it went unmentioned.
According to USA Today:

“His hope is to return to the aviation business,” Turman is quoted as saying by The Associated Press. AP writes that “Turman portrayed his client as hardworking, loyal and surprised by his own overnight fame. Slater ‘wants to thank the world for its understanding,’ Turman said, referring to the Internet and media response to his client’s public unraveling.”

And, Slater wants to go back to JetBlue. After all, Slater believes, according to Turman, “JetBlue is a wonderful airline which he (Slater) has loved working for, and wishes to continue working for. He understands the problems, but it has been a fair and understanding airline.”

Now, it seems, the limits of that understanding will be tested. JetBlue seems unlikely to welcome the wacky flight attendant back with open arms, according to an internal memo covered by the Wall Street Journal. Though the story of how Slater bailed hasn’t been corroborated, the airline says his actions were “unacceptable.”

Duh.

Fortunately, there are many opportunities open to him, especially if he can get Hertz to give him O.J. Simpson’s old gig. Slater clearly knows how to make a run through an airport.

Point Inside goes global with international airport map update

by Scott Carmichael on

Mobile mapping application Point Inside just added their first international airports. If you missed our original review of this excellent app, check out what we had to say about it back in March.

The app initially launched covering shopping malls, and while that core functionality is still present, the addition of airport maps obviously made it better.

Today, the application adds support for the following international airports:

  • Amsterdam – Schiphol (AMS)
  • Barcelona – El Prat (BCN)
  • Brussels – Brussels National (BRU)
  • Hong Kong – Chek Lap Kok (HKG)
  • London – Heathrow (LHR)
  • London – Gatwick (LGW)
  • Madrid – Madrid-Barajas (MAD)
  • Mexico City – Benito Juárez (MEX)
  • Paris – Charles de Gaulle (CDG)
  • Paris – Orly (ORY)

So, next time you find yourself at an (international) airport you can’t navigate, and you need to find a shop, ATM, restaurant or bathroom – simply open Point Inside and let it help you out.

Point Inside is available for the iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad and Android devices. Android users can scan this barcode to head directly to the app.