Originally Posted by
Nightsky
Ugh - it's very sad to see so much jumpseat decisions being taken away from the captain and transferred to the gate agents (so many of whom are already bitter about it being a pilot only privilege to begin with). As a commuter, I don't even want to think about what a hassle it will be 10 years from now. What kind of new TSA regs will we have to jump through, how much more powerless will the captains be than they are now, etc.
I don't know what you guys are talking about. The captain still has ultimate authority because he or she is the one with their hand on the parking brake. You want something done and the ground crew isn't doing it, the aircraft doesn't move. Simple as that.
Example: I was in Toronto one morning dealing with the Swissport Toon Parade and we needed a screw driver to open a jammed panel. Asked the rampers and was told that there were no screw drivers anywhere to be had on the ramp, that they were not allowed to carry screw drivers and myriad other BS. Solution? Told the lead moron that we wouldn't be going anywhere unless we got a screw driver. Two minutes later I had 4 screw drivers in my hand, 2 phillips and 2 flat head. It's amazing what that parking brake can do!