California Gangin' On Marines...
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
When.
Will.
It.
Stop.???????
UPDATE: Apparently NOW. Via MM site who has updates from various sites, comes the news that OAK apologizes!
“There was no disrespect that was intended,” said Omar Benjamin, executive director of the Port of Oakland, which runs the airport. “There was confusion. There were mistakes that were made.”
Read the rest- the funny part is, the TSA vehemently denies they had any involvement in preventing the troops from going into the terminal.
Looks like OAK has been PWN'd...
Follow the links HERE AS WELL.
UPDATE: Apparently this has received some real attention- per MM, there has been an investigation requested.. look HERE
Recent postings to some blogs HERE and HERE have another bad episode for Marines in California. Seems that some that were in transit to Hawaii were NOT welcome in Oakland...
On September 27th 204 Marines and soldiers who were returning from Iraq were not allowed into the passenger terminal at Oakland International Airport.Instead they had to deplane about 400 yards away from the terminal where the extra baggage trailers were located.
More after the jump....
When will SOMEONE put the brakes on California? Are there ANY gonads left in that state? Anyone with any sense of patriotism and the 'Right Stuff'?
I own an airline- I understand what restrictions, regulations, and procedures are necessary for security. NOTHING that went on here was insurmountable at the airport to deny these gentlemen (and ladies, I assume) access to the terminal.
Yes, the charter company could have helped here a LOT. But, as they indicate at JFK airport, Oakland certainly could have made some gestures.
Of course, they did not. Only excuses. As usual.
US Military personnel and airports do not good relations make- one episode that STILL bothers me is at the Dallas airport, where TSA was stripping an entire planeload of soldiers on RnR leave to their pants and socks in order to go thru security to get to the USO while we waited. 240 troops, in line at the security, 15 steps from the USO, debased. People in line (civilians) also told TSA to hand them weapons and let them on THEIR flights- they'd feel safer!
Stripping soldiers IN UNIFORM at these checkpoints was disgusting to watch. I'll admit, even the TSA manager whom I spoke with was not comfortable with it, but that was his job, he said.
Now, throw in California politics...
It must be the weather out there...
-Wolf