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04/09/2008
News Break
So let's all take a good long look at the last week and a half in the aviation world. It's all very interesting and I have several things to say about it all.
Sunday, March 30th - News is sent out that Aloha Airlines filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and will no longer be flying after Monday, March 31st. Aloha ticket holders were told that their tickets would be honored by United Airlines and Hawaiian Air. but only a stand-by basis.
Now, Matt and I were supposed to go on honeymoon in Hawaii and we booked with Aloha Airlines, those bastard people!
Long story short, we tried several scenarios, all of them ending in not having enough of this or not having enough of that, so we scrapped Hawaii (it'll still be there a year from now) and decided on something entirely different. Instead of sand and water, we'll have rock and desert. High plateau desert to be precise. More on that later.
Wednesday, April 2nd - ATA announces that it too has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. It's last flight is April 3rd from Honolulu to Phoenix.
Uncle Benny, Diana and Alf booked with ATA to go to Hawaii in May. I have no idea when, how and if their tickets will be honored or by whom.
Again, bastard people.
Monday, April 7th - United Airlines announces that it has not filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, but has grounded hundreds of flights for 'safety' reasons.
Wednesday, April 9th - American Airlines joins the club, grouding well over 800 flights today alone. The reason: loose bundles of wiring in the wheel wells of their fleet planes. Sources within the airline stated that grounding the flights was the best and most logical way to prevent any 'mishaps.'
Well, yes and no, you idiots.
Yes, grounding the planes is the best way to prevent 'mishaps' as you call them. Why wouldn't you ground them?
Still, it begs this question: Why would say it's the most logical way of handling things? Clearly you aren't very well educated as a truly educated person would not be judged for worth based on the degree they hold from MIT. A truly educated person has common sense instilled in them by their parents, mentors, friends and relatives. So then the conclusion we can all draw from that, having just heard you say it's the most 'logical' way to handle things, points to your relatives, friends, co-workers, etc. being a bunch of idiots too.
Surely the most LOGICAL way to handle this is to ensure that your planes are in remarkable condition in the first place. If a plane in your fleet breaks, you fix it. Plain and simple. I mean, that part of the job isn't rocket science.
And no, don't you dare throw the financial strain into the equation. You're literally taking the lives of hundreds, no...of thousands of people into your hands each and every day to cart them around the country. What gives you the right, let alone the sheer lack of moral aptitude to take those lives and say, 'oh, we don't have the money to fix wiring bundles in the wheel wells of our planes?' What?
Nothing gives you that right. Not your money (or 'lack' thereof). Not your higher ups. If anything, you should be calling your supervisors on the carpet and calling into question their moral and ethical fortitude for making the decision to let things slide. That's your prerogative. It's your job, first and foremost to keep us safe.
I don't care about finances. Either you ensure my safety or you cut down on the number of planes in your fleet to make sure each aircraft is kept to impeccable standards. That's the way you play this game. Yeah, I know...your blithe poker face just twitched and I noticed. So bite me, American Airlines. You too, United. And Hawaiian? Don't think you can escape my observation either. You can bite me too for jacking up the prices of your tickets just because you can. Just because now you have a corner on the market.
It has also come to my attention that there are some planes somewhere with cracked wings. WTF?! If there's a crack in the plane, you bolt its tires to the tarmac and fix the damn thing before sending it anywhere. ANYWHERE! Bottom line.
So to you, my dear and beloved airlines, I give you this message on behalf of all the people in the country that have been hoodwinked, swindled and outright stolen from us: get it, the flip, together. We pay you premium money to be kept safe. Do your jobs. And do them well.
And while I'm going on in a ranting mood, I think I'll say my peace about the Olympic torch that's being run through San Francisco today.
To the protesters: get over it.
The Olympic torch is a symbol of kinsmanship and honor that has yet to be attained. The symbol of antiquity to remind us where we came from, where we have ended up and all the right and wrong choices we made to get there.
It isn't about politics. It's about sport. And because it's about sport, it comes with the territory of sportsmanship. Assaulting a torch bearer is shameful. There is no honor in that. Nor is there anything to be gained. Yes, you'll be remembered, but only for a moment. The propensity that the Olympic torch moves with, the symbols of what it bears, are far bigger than you. Than your protesting.
So do me a favor. Stop wasting the time of our police and other law enforcement agencies. They're time is much more worthy when spent tackling drug kingpins, or as the case may be in my opinion, hauling your ass to jail to spend the night in crowded, misguided proud solidarity.
Stop scaling the Golden Gate Bridge. What's the matter with you? Is there a doctor somewhere in the states that prescribes pills to induce idiocy? If so, he should be called in for questioning by the FBI and electro-shocked for his own good.
And now, if you'll excuse me, I have just discovered that perhaps my crankiness is hunger induced. It doesn't mean I'm not right about airlines or idiots. I'm going away to eat.
Later Days,Arty
12:14 Posted in Blog | Permalink | Comments (4) | Email this
Comments
I like your rants Arty, your distress brings a smile to my face. And yes, I know you hate me.
Posted by: Benny | 04/11/2008
Well, I hope Arty mentions something soon here about this past Saturday. It was a fantastic ceremony. I'll let her give the details on a future blog.
Posted by: arnieland | 04/14/2008
Ditto! The Lord is good!!
Posted by: ganda | 04/14/2008
Soon? When I get married I intend to stay away from blogging for as long as possible. I generally blog when I'm unhappy.
Posted by: Margo | 04/14/2008