<font size=3D2 face=3Darial>You have been sent this message from= David Ross<br>(damiross@attbi=2Ecom) as a courtesy of= WorldNetDaily=2Ecom (<a= href=3D"http://www=2Eworldnetdaily=2Ecom";>http://www=2Eworldnetdaily=2Ecom= </a>)=2E<br><br><br><br>To view the entire article, visit <a= href=3D"http://www=2Eworldnetdaily=2Ecom/news/article=2Easp?ARTICLE_ID=3D2= 8283">http://www=2Eworldnetdaily=2Ecom/news/article=2Easp?ARTICLE_ID=3D28= 283</a><br><br>Monday, July 15,= 2002<br>--------------------------------------------------------= ----------<br>Wipe that smile off your face! <br>By Barbara= Simpson<br>-----------------------------------------------------= -------------<br><br><font size=3D1>Posted: July 15, 2002<br>1:00= a=2Em=2E Eastern<br><br></font><p><i>Dear America West, <p>"Wassa matta? Ain't ya got no sensa yuma?"</i> <p>The answer clearly is "no" =96 given the <i>sensitivity</i> of= the crew on an AW morning flight from San Francisco to Tucson,= July 8=2E <p>A woman passenger, during boarding, spoke the criminal words: = "Have you checked your crew for sobriety?" <p>Just a week before, in Miami, America West fired two pilots= for being drunk as they were about to take off on a flight=2E Not= a proud moment=2E <p>The woman in San Francisco said she meant it as a joke=2E <p><i>Note to AW: Remember "joke," something said in jest?</i> <p>She may have had that intent, but airline personnel clearly= had gotten up on the wrong side of the bed=2E <p>Instead of responding with something like "You bet! Safe, sane= and sober" with a big smile, and moving on =96 their= <i>sensitivity</i> was offended=2E <p>The flight was delayed and the woman was detained, questioned,= removed from the flight and eventually put on another flight on= another airline=2E <p>Airport spokesman Ron Wilson, told the San Francisco Chronicle= that airline personnel "are extremely sensitive [there's that= word again!] to every aspect of aviation safety" and that= passengers who make a "suspicious" comment will be heavily= scrutinized=2E <p>I know Ron=2E As a reporter, I've worked with him on= airport/airline stories for years=2E He's always been solid and= also has (dare I say it?) a sense of humor=2E After this, I can= only conclude, <i>Ron, baby, you need a vacation</i>=2E <p>Since when is asking if the flight crew has been checked for= sobriety considered a "suspicious" comment? <p>What did they think =96 that the woman had force-fed the pilots= a bottle of bourbon before the flight or perhaps planned to= spike their coffee? <p>Wilson noted that airlines don't want to <i>allow</i>= statements that could alarm nervous flyers=2E <p> "Allow?" Who decides? I get it; if something we say causes a= problem for some white-knuckled passenger, we'll be under= suspicion as a possible "crazy=2E" <p>No exaggeration=2E An airline spokesperson said the crew was= "duty-bound" to explore the woman's "alarm" and whether she= "might be unstable=2E" <p>Whoa, Nelly! <i>Unstable</i>? Since when are airline= personnel shrinks? And since when is it "unstable" to ask about= sober pilots, after what happened in Miami? I must admit, I'd= never thought about drunk pilots but I do now=2E Apparently, I'm= not alone; nor in joking about it either=2E <p>An airport policeman, asked about the effect of such a= statement, said that it would "upset the pilot and that's not= somebody you want to get upset=2E" <p>Let me get this straight=2E The person in charge of the plane =96= who's responsible for the lives of scores of people, who wants= to carry a gun to protect against terrorists =96 is going to get= so upset by such a statement that they might not be able to fly= the plane? <p>Sorry=2E If that's the case, that person has no business being a= pilot=2E I don't want someone so thin-skinned that they would= fall apart by being asked if they're sober=2E They'd= <i>better</i> be sober=2E <p> This is crazy! We're not allowed to ask, joking or not, if= the crew has been checked for sobriety =96 because <i>just= asking</i> is suspicious=2E We'll be targeted, detained and= questioned like a criminal =96 all to alleviate the= <i>sensitivities</i> of the crew=2E What else can't we say? <p>Wait a minute! We're already treated like criminals by= security before we even board planes=2E We're singled out for no= legitimate reason (God forbid, we should profile for= terrorists), patted, wanded, body-searched, forced to remove= and/or loosen clothing and have our personal belongings rifled= by strangers in full sight of other strangers=2E <p>We're sandwiched into seats too small, crowded with= passengers, given no or mediocre meals, lousy coffee, overpriced= drinks and stupid movies=2E Then we have the pleasure of dealing= with arrogant, self-important flight attendants=2E <p>And we have to pay for it! <p>And the airlines wonder why business is down? (Oops! Did= <i>that</i> offend anyone?) <p>Airlines forget they provide a service=2E Customers are humans,= not robots=2E We think and laugh=2E Humor makes life bearable=2E= They'd best remember that or they'll soon have more empty seats= than they have now=2E <p>As for their <i>sensitive</i> crews, here are a few= definitions from Webster's for their flight handbook: <ul> <p>Joke: A thing done or said merely in fun =85 to arouse= laughter=2E <p>Smile: To show pleasure, amusement, affection, etc=2E by an= upward curving of the mouth=2E <p>Laugh: Making the sounds and facial movements that express= mirth=2E </ul> <p>Try it, guys=2E You'll like it=2E<P>=A9 2002 </P><br><hr= noshade size=3D"1" width=3D"16% "><br><P><i><A= HREF=3D"mailto:bsimpson@worldnetdaily=2Ecom";>Barbara Simpson</A>,= "The Babe in the Bunker" as she's known to her <A= HREF=3D"http://www=2Eksfo=2Ecom/Complexshowdj=2Easp?DJID=3D2364";>KSFO= 560</A> radio talk-show audience in San Francisco, has a 20-year= radio, television and newspaper career in the Bay Area and Los= Angeles=2E</i></p><br><br>----------------------------------------= --------------------------