We heal at our own pace after 9/11

1 comment:

• Leon Ceniceros posted at 8:18 am on Mon, Sep 12, 2011.

  Posts: 2612

  I worked for Western Airlines for 20 years and Delta for 13 until early retirement. I still see these huge aircraft flying into two of the most famous skyscrapers in New York City if not the World. Back then Airlines were much smaller families. You knew almost every one by sight if not by name. I worked in Pilot Scheduling for Western and pilots would come by and literally pass the hat, their uniform hat, to collect money for a pilot who was sick or for some flowers for a funeral. Pilot family members knew that if they came to Pilot Scheduling for assistance we would accomadate them by hook or by crook to resolve the dilema. Taxi chits would be given out to pilot family members against company policy and a reason for termination if found out. When our parents or family members were on a flight, they were treated like royalty in return. We were one big family. We looked out and protected one another. I don't know how many wedding rings, diamond rings, USAF Academy rings and even a brand-new 18kt gold Rolex President watch that I found next to the men's room sink and turned in to the Chief Pilot's Office. Errant wallets full of cash and credit cards were routinely run up to the gates and given to embarrased pilots. I can't tell you how many pilot and flight attendant's cars that I jumped in the Employee Parking Lot and vice versa. Seeing a pilot's Bentley or Ferrari being used to jump a bag handler's Datsun B-210 or beaten up VW Bug.
  I can only imagine how devasting the sight of seeing those commercial jets would have been to a pilot or flight attendant that day. They would never feel safe on the job ever again. There place of work had now been forever changed.
  I see the programs on our Local and National TV networks of passengers complaining about losing their "rights" by the TSA searches and check-points. Commercial flying is not a "right". Citizens do not have the "right" to fly. It is a commercial enterprise. If you don't want a pat down or a body scan then fine, take a bus or a train to your destination. The passengers, cabin and flight crew want to be safe on board their flight, no matter what it takes. They have the "right" of safety while traveling on a commercial airline.

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