Originally Posted by
forumname
For many, it's not really a choice at all. You can move, but what if you're company keeps opening bases and closing them or expanding/shrinking them on a regular basis? Moving a family around constantly isn't feasible.
Not trying to further the debate on this one, but this is a reality many of us have faced.
And as mentioned before, it's not just commuters. The example of the baby is a perfect one. What if the guy with the 4pm show with a midnight or 1 am duty off had to get up at 5-6 am, help the wife with the baby, run errands, THEN go to work? He's not any better off then the guy that got up early to commute in. If anything, he's worse. The guy on the commute probably got a nap in.
I understand perfectly where you're coming from I've commuted since day 1. I get it. But no pen and paper with a congressional stamp on the top is going to fix issues associated with the wife, baby, and errands. That's where the sick calls or FMLA time come in. That's where you just have to decide when it's time to make the fatigue call. If the company tries to take a pass at you for it then use your union and the FAA as best as possible. Some of the "solutions" being proposed aren't going to make things any better for a commuter in my opinion. Making me commute more, spend less time at home, and more time on the road doesn't seem like a better solution for me to rest and relax. I see your points and I agree with them for the most part but what I don't agree with is people acting as if there was never an option for them to not fly when they knew they shouldn't. That until congress acts their hands are tied. People basically admitting they're flying when they know they shouldn't because they heard of a guy that got on a company hit list. Sometimes it's ok to play it safe. To prove it if I don't shake this cold I have within the next 4 days I'm not going to work
