Southwest Airlines to AUSTIN, TEXAS – visiting family
DAY #1 – April 4 – Austin American Statesman, headline
“Staff: FAA let airline slide – Inspectors say supervisors ignored Southwest’s problems. (this story first appeared in the NY Times)
“WASHINGTON–Veteran Federal Aviation Administrator inspectors told lawmakers on Thursday that their agency supervisors looked the other way while Southwest Airlines neglected to inspect planes as required and continued to fly them even after discovering cracks in some of them…
“The inspectors said that their FAA supervisors knew of the issues but had discouraged them from pursuing the safety problems or addressing problems within the agency, even threatening to relieve them of their duties…
[meanwhile] “…Southwest Chairman Herb Kelleher defended his airline’s safety practices, noting Southwest has never killed any of its passengers.” (Note: I am quoting the Austin American Statesman story word for word…)
Then, April 7, I board another Southwest Airlines flight and the plane is full, every seat occupied. How bad would the report have to be for us–myself included–to simply rent a car and take that chance and the additional chance that the bridges and highways, i.e., the fucking infra structure is still in order?
We do what we must… whatever works… for flying, I’ve taken to using Bach Rescue Remedy Spray, a “Natural Stress Relief, Discreet Mouth Spray…” which includes Rock Rose, said to “add courage and presence of mind in the face of terror or extreme fear.” And here I am safely home working on my blog.