Originally Posted by
Nosmo King
Not always. Public opinion is a VERY powerful tool when it escalates into outrage. I'd say right now the TSA is dealing with its version of the Rodney King video. Once enough people see it, the feces will hit the fan and something will get changed in a hurry.
The debate is whether ALPA should be utilizing this as a tool. With the exception of the usual apologists, the posters on this thread think we should be taking this to the court of public opinion. Not saying this forum is a statistically correct cross section, but the argument has merit.
I'm just waiting for the videos about TSA pedophilia to start being published by disgruntled travellers. That will get ugly. I wonder how many lawsuits will be filed against the TSA in the Ninth Circuit.
An interesting set of arguments. Public opinion is a very powerful tool indeed, but public opinion, when it comes to airlines or pilots is rather... erratic. I don't think I want to try anything in a court that already prejudges we're overpaid whiners, and charging for services is an outrage.
I'm not saying that I find Prater's response to be adequate, or that ALPA doesn't need to find a better voice and a better manner of relating to the pilots, but I also don't think the public usually serves us well. The public is usually loyal only to their wallet, and views pilots in general with the same enthusiasm that you and I look at pickpockets and beggars in Istanbul. This only changes when you're
their pilot, in which case, for a brief few minutes you hold
their life in your hands, and they really, really like you. Then they leave the airplane, to complaint about the service, and you're an overpaid ********* again...
So, stronger message... sure, but court of public opinion... no thanks.
The public needs to be treated to dignity, but we also don't need to let more underwear "surprises" through. How the public is handled (no pun intended) is therefore a matter for the public, and how
we are handled is a different issue. Which, by the way, is the whole point: logic demands that we get treated
differently, for the reasons we already know.