Worried about this trip, part 2

The first part of my worries were specific to our family and health situation, but it is worse because of the world.

I am not thrilled that pat-downs are getting more invasive or that it seems like TSA agents might be getting more abusive:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-03-03/u-s-airport-pat-downs-are-about-to-get-more-invasive

https://www.rt.com/usa/387885-homeland-security-rape-table-newark-airport/

Questions about passwords don't seem great either:

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2017/02/give-us-your-passwords/516315/

Of course the laptop ban does look at what country you are coming from (which doesn't make it better), so would be unlikely to affect us, but you know, airlines tell you not to check small electronics and that they won't replace them if they are lost or damaged. It's a horrible policy.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/16/opinions/extension-laptop-ban-opinion-schneier/

However, it may be easier to get to the root of my concerns by looking at the things that have been happening on the planes, after the TSA.

http://liveandletsfly.boardingarea.com/2017/04/22/aa-stroller-incident/

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/california-family-kicked-delta-flight-threatened-jail-refusing-give-toddler-n755141
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dr-gridlock/wp/2017/03/26/two-girls-barred-from-united-flight-for-wearing-leggings/?utm_term=.f572668722da

http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/10/travel/passenger-removed-united-flight-trnd/

The most interesting discussions were about the United incident, so let's go there.

First of all, overbooked is the wrong word for that. They needed space for employees that needed to get to another city, but that is not the same as having sold too many tickets. One interesting discussion point was that there is a good chance that the airline does not have enough employees to cover a few call ins. That's certainly possible, knowing how everyone is trying to cut costs.

That leads to the other thing. Rather than random selections, they were picking the passengers who'd paid the least. When they selected Dr. Dao, they already had three people, but they chose someone traveling with his wife, bumping two people. They went with someone who had considered volunteering, but because it would delay him overnight (keeping him from scheduled appointments with his patients), chose not to. Those both seem like good reasons to leave him alone, but he had paid less for his ticket.

I always search for lower fares. I have to. We can't afford to travel if I don't do that. Is it weird that I think if they are willing to sell me the ticket at that price that I should be able to go? It no longer gets me a meal or a free checked bag, but still, it should give me that trip. I guess in a world where the rich have a private lounge and cameras for gloating at the less fortunate, there is no more logical line of division:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/may/12/lax-private-terminal-rich-people-celebrities

There are two other interesting things about that. One is that the airline should have been able to arrange ground transportation for the crew, or offered limos to the bumped passengers. That wouldn't be a possibility with all routes, but in this case it was doable.

The other things is that even though the airline was clearly out of line - probably due to poor planning - it is the doctor who had his past dragged over. None of that affected his actions or the airline's actions, but there always has to be a reason why the abuser is allowed to abuse. Too many of our patterns involve upholding the already powerful.

So I worry about navigating this. Worrying about making connections in an unfamiliar airport with my mother's bad knees is not new. Worrying about her getting a little disoriented because of the dementia is newer, but still something that I have dealt with and can. Worrying that someone will judge her for her accent, or that someone in a low level authority position will be abusive because they are underpaid and overworked and the only thing that satisfies them is making someone else suffer, that is new.

So I have added the phone numbers for both senators, our representative, and the ACLU into my phone. I probably won't have to use them, but I wish I didn't have to worry about it.

Don't we all have enough worries already?