Narrative:

The more 'military' measures taken to enforce airport security FARS have a bad -- albeit indirect -- effect on safety. They condition pilots, mechanics and other airport users to resent FARS and to consider many government employees as brain-damaged children. (Comments like 'only in america: your tax dollars at work!' are frequent, sarcastic and often justified.) for a classic example, visit the security gate at ord, between the GA transient parking ramp and FBO. There, I was hassled by mr. X and sergeant Y, uniformed, armed, overzealous, officious city of chicago employees. (I doubt that these 'kiddie cops' were full-fledged, academy graduate policemen.) my alleged offense was walking out of a 'secure' area! First, note what was not involved: I did not cross any aircraft movement area, nor was that alleged, and I did not sneak in or out, nor was that alleged. I rode an FBO van out to the line to do a few mins work in my airplane. The van left. I walked back to FBO, maybe 100 meters, in broad daylight, right past the security gate. I created no hazard to anyone, nor was that alleged. However, I looked 'unusual' which equates to 'illegal' in the mind of an extremely illogical person. Hey, Y'all! The object of airport 'security' is to keep skyjackers out of secure areas, right? As long as I came through the gate in a van, nobody cared who the hell I was. (As is customary, was 'escorted,' only until I got to the airplane.) without probably cause to believe that a crime has been committed, preventing anyone from getting out of a 'secure' area is false imprisonment and a gross abuse of pwrs delegated by police agencies to 'rent-a-cops'. If -- and only if -- there really is a logical reason to prevent pilots from walking between their aircraft and FBO there absolutely must be at least 1 sign to that effect between the transient ramp and the gate, and that sign must be lighted at night. (No, the fact that an FBO van usually picks them up at the aircraft does not necessarily mean that all other procedures are illegal.) if the combined FAA/illinois/cook county/chicago bureaucracy can't name a logical reason for the current procedure, don't put up the sign -- eliminate the procedure! Since 1961, I've flown small and large aircraft all over the united states of america, canada, mexico, the caribbean and several pacific rim countries, an area served by maybe 20000- 30000 airports. Only american airport security types are surprised that I cannot obtain and carry separate identify cards for each airport or memorize a pamphlet or procedures unique to each airport. The ord GA situation is unique, despite protests to the contrary from gate guards who have never worked at any airport except ord. (Ask 20 charter pilots from the north central states if I'm wrong.) training for airport 'security' people should include this fact: private, corporate, and even charter pilots from small town airports usually don't own any identify except their pilot licenses and driver licenses. That's been the case since orville and wilbur, and no harm has come of it. It's ok! We're doing difficult jobs well and paying lots of taxes from incomes that equate to GS-7 pay or less, in most cases. Quit blaming citizens for every clash between nonsensical regulations and intelligent citizens. In each and every instance where logic doesn't support a government procedure, get off our butts callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporting cpr/atx pilot states that the united stated of america is the only place where he cannot move freely about the airport as a crew man. He has no identify badge for the many airports that he does go through, and cannot get them. He believes that there is a large over- reaction to the 'lockerbie incident' that is causing him personal discomfort and embarrassment. This grizzled veteran analyst tends to agree with the reporter, as he has paid $500 for a $150 uniform, worn at least 2 badges, and still has his trousers fall off because the company gifted belt buckle sometimes causes the metal detector to go off. But, the system seems to work, as all of the personnel involved,except the chkers and security people are inconvenienced.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ATX CPR JET PLT DESCRIBES THE EXCESSIVE HARASSMENT FROM ARMED GUARDS IN THE NAME OF 'SECURITY' THESE ARE HIS WORDS.

Narrative: THE MORE 'MIL' MEASURES TAKEN TO ENFORCE ARPT SECURITY FARS HAVE A BAD -- ALBEIT INDIRECT -- EFFECT ON SAFETY. THEY CONDITION PLTS, MECHS AND OTHER ARPT USERS TO RESENT FARS AND TO CONSIDER MANY GOV EMPLOYEES AS BRAIN-DAMAGED CHILDREN. (COMMENTS LIKE 'ONLY IN AMERICA: YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK!' ARE FREQUENT, SARCASTIC AND OFTEN JUSTIFIED.) FOR A CLASSIC EXAMPLE, VISIT THE SECURITY GATE AT ORD, BTWN THE GA TRANSIENT PARKING RAMP AND FBO. THERE, I WAS HASSLED BY MR. X AND SERGEANT Y, UNIFORMED, ARMED, OVERZEALOUS, OFFICIOUS CITY OF CHICAGO EMPLOYEES. (I DOUBT THAT THESE 'KIDDIE COPS' WERE FULL-FLEDGED, ACADEMY GRADUATE POLICEMEN.) MY ALLEGED OFFENSE WAS WALKING OUT OF A 'SECURE' AREA! FIRST, NOTE WHAT WAS NOT INVOLVED: I DID NOT CROSS ANY ACFT MOVEMENT AREA, NOR WAS THAT ALLEGED, AND I DID NOT SNEAK IN OR OUT, NOR WAS THAT ALLEGED. I RODE AN FBO VAN OUT TO THE LINE TO DO A FEW MINS WORK IN MY AIRPLANE. THE VAN LEFT. I WALKED BACK TO FBO, MAYBE 100 METERS, IN BROAD DAYLIGHT, RIGHT PAST THE SECURITY GATE. I CREATED NO HAZARD TO ANYONE, NOR WAS THAT ALLEGED. HOWEVER, I LOOKED 'UNUSUAL' WHICH EQUATES TO 'ILLEGAL' IN THE MIND OF AN EXTREMELY ILLOGICAL PERSON. HEY, Y'ALL! THE OBJECT OF ARPT 'SECURITY' IS TO KEEP SKYJACKERS OUT OF SECURE AREAS, RIGHT? AS LONG AS I CAME THROUGH THE GATE IN A VAN, NOBODY CARED WHO THE HELL I WAS. (AS IS CUSTOMARY, WAS 'ESCORTED,' ONLY UNTIL I GOT TO THE AIRPLANE.) WITHOUT PROBABLY CAUSE TO BELIEVE THAT A CRIME HAS BEEN COMMITTED, PREVENTING ANYONE FROM GETTING OUT OF A 'SECURE' AREA IS FALSE IMPRISONMENT AND A GROSS ABUSE OF PWRS DELEGATED BY POLICE AGENCIES TO 'RENT-A-COPS'. IF -- AND ONLY IF -- THERE REALLY IS A LOGICAL REASON TO PREVENT PLTS FROM WALKING BTWN THEIR ACFT AND FBO THERE ABSOLUTELY MUST BE AT LEAST 1 SIGN TO THAT EFFECT BTWN THE TRANSIENT RAMP AND THE GATE, AND THAT SIGN MUST BE LIGHTED AT NIGHT. (NO, THE FACT THAT AN FBO VAN USUALLY PICKS THEM UP AT THE ACFT DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN THAT ALL OTHER PROCS ARE ILLEGAL.) IF THE COMBINED FAA/ILLINOIS/COOK COUNTY/CHICAGO BUREAUCRACY CAN'T NAME A LOGICAL REASON FOR THE CURRENT PROC, DON'T PUT UP THE SIGN -- ELIMINATE THE PROC! SINCE 1961, I'VE FLOWN SMALL AND LARGE ACFT ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, CANADA, MEXICO, THE CARIBBEAN AND SEVERAL PACIFIC RIM COUNTRIES, AN AREA SERVED BY MAYBE 20000- 30000 ARPTS. ONLY AMERICAN ARPT SECURITY TYPES ARE SURPRISED THAT I CANNOT OBTAIN AND CARRY SEPARATE IDENT CARDS FOR EACH ARPT OR MEMORIZE A PAMPHLET OR PROCS UNIQUE TO EACH ARPT. THE ORD GA SIT IS UNIQUE, DESPITE PROTESTS TO THE CONTRARY FROM GATE GUARDS WHO HAVE NEVER WORKED AT ANY ARPT EXCEPT ORD. (ASK 20 CHARTER PLTS FROM THE NORTH CENTRAL STATES IF I'M WRONG.) TRAINING FOR ARPT 'SECURITY' PEOPLE SHOULD INCLUDE THIS FACT: PRIVATE, CORPORATE, AND EVEN CHARTER PLTS FROM SMALL TOWN ARPTS USUALLY DON'T OWN ANY IDENT EXCEPT THEIR PLT LICENSES AND DRIVER LICENSES. THAT'S BEEN THE CASE SINCE ORVILLE AND WILBUR, AND NO HARM HAS COME OF IT. IT'S OK! WE'RE DOING DIFFICULT JOBS WELL AND PAYING LOTS OF TAXES FROM INCOMES THAT EQUATE TO GS-7 PAY OR LESS, IN MOST CASES. QUIT BLAMING CITIZENS FOR EVERY CLASH BTWN NONSENSICAL REGS AND INTELLIGENT CITIZENS. IN EACH AND EVERY INSTANCE WHERE LOGIC DOESN'T SUPPORT A GOV PROC, GET OFF OUR BUTTS CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTING CPR/ATX PLT STATES THAT THE UNITED STATED OF AMERICA IS THE ONLY PLACE WHERE HE CANNOT MOVE FREELY ABOUT THE ARPT AS A CREW MAN. HE HAS NO IDENT BADGE FOR THE MANY ARPTS THAT HE DOES GO THROUGH, AND CANNOT GET THEM. HE BELIEVES THAT THERE IS A LARGE OVER- REACTION TO THE 'LOCKERBIE INCIDENT' THAT IS CAUSING HIM PERSONAL DISCOMFORT AND EMBARRASSMENT. THIS GRIZZLED VETERAN ANALYST TENDS TO AGREE WITH THE RPTR, AS HE HAS PAID $500 FOR A $150 UNIFORM, WORN AT LEAST 2 BADGES, AND STILL HAS HIS TROUSERS FALL OFF BECAUSE THE COMPANY GIFTED BELT BUCKLE SOMETIMES CAUSES THE METAL DETECTOR TO GO OFF. BUT, THE SYS SEEMS TO WORK, AS ALL OF THE PERSONNEL INVOLVED,EXCEPT THE CHKERS AND SECURITY PEOPLE ARE INCONVENIENCED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.