I was a tech rep for nuclear reactors in the 80s. I've traveled so much on com carriers I've got several platinum cards from several airlines. Is it fun? Maybe not. Is it stressful? Sorry, no. Not buying. If sitting on a plane all day and then doing it again the next is stressful, get a different job and let me have the badge and gun and I'll ride around.
"Air marshal kicked off plane by furious pilot after bursting into the cockpit"
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MAKG1
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As a tech rep for nuclear reactors, I truly doubt you have even the slightest idea what airborne law enforcement is doing at all. This gives you absolutely no basis to judge how stressful it is. I truly doubt they are just sitting there warming a seat. At a minimum, they must be analyzing their surroundings. I'd be astonished if they didn't take occasional "bathroom breaks" to size up people in the back. Frankly, looking for threats is not as easy as taking a walk in a park, nor is it particularly pleasant.
I don't know what they do either, but at least I have the intellectual honesty to admit that. They may have an easy job. But I really doubt it. If it's anything like you are assuming, it's boring as hell. And as non-revenue passengers, it's a good bet the airlines treat them with the same sort of contempt you do.
Even as a tech rep, isn't it considered SOP to understand your problem before trying to solve it?
JoseCuervo
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The only difference now is the TSA/DHS sillyness getting from the ticket counter to plane. Otherwise the flying is much the same. Some planes had lousy seating then, some planes have lousy seating now. You get in your seat, you endure the prefight briefing on how to buckle a 50's era seatbelt buckle, the aircraft departs, etc etc etc.
Captain
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I was about to post where they really sit but thought better of it. Just remember 1st class is by the cockpit and they work in teams. You figure it out....
Couple other points. They can't drink. The FAs won't serve them anyway. They can't sleep.
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Well, that's true except if you don't need to go through long TSA lines, and get groped. The rest of it is pretty much the same. Shlub down to the gate, wait in line to board, get on, fly somewhere, get off and do it again.
The biggest change is actually part of the job of the FAMs. Frankly, I could do without the lot of them. TSA, FAM, etc. Give the pilot and the co a gun and 12 hours training and let them handle it.
OBTW, I've flown a ton comm in the past decade as well. I very well know what shyte has changed since the 80s, and the FAMs aren't exposed to any of it. I guess you know that they are booked separately, and don't have to go through the same BS as the flying public for tickets and such?
Meh - still not impressed. It's a job, not an adventure. Do it, or don't do it, but they should STFU about it being 'hard'.
mscard88
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I've had them my flights but they were officially on duty (Super Bowl @ city we were flying to) and a couple other flights. Used to fly into Brunswick GA where a lot of the Feds train SecSer,TSA,AirMar etc). Think I had 12-14 one Friday evening. I had to make sure they all knew who each other were. Didn't want a shootout back there! 
Never had a problem with any of them.
Never had a problem with any of them.
bflynn
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I don't think they are complaining that their job are hard. I believe they are saying that fatigue due to a high op tempo has made many marshals ineffective. They work 60-70 hours every week with little rest. Nobody can do that for an extended time without losing effectiveness. And maybe developing some erratic behavior.
On top of that DHS has apparently classified all reports about this so we aren't supposed to know and wouldn't if it weren't for the whistle blowers.
On top of that DHS has apparently classified all reports about this so we aren't supposed to know and wouldn't if it weren't for the whistle blowers.
Nope, I disagree. The only thing that has IMPROVED since the 80's is that there's not any smoking on the aircraft. The seats have uniformly gotten smaller and less comfortable and these days the load is fuller. The amount of "don't get out of your seats" and "We're going to block the freaking ailsle and stop dealing with passengers because the flight crew has to use the potty" nonsense didn't exist.
Add to this the moronic aviation screw up of charging for baggage and the inclusion of the overhead bin. In the 1970's you could get off the plane in a reasonable amount of time. Your carryons were either a hat you put in the shelf or something small that fit under the seat. Now everybody lugs their life's possessions on the plane on the plane and as soon as the plane stops the bins open and the aisles grid-lock.
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Or vice versa. The FAM was flirting and didn't take no for an answer. FA makes her point.
Well, that's true except if you don't need to go through long TSA lines, and get groped. The rest of it is pretty much the same. Shlub down to the gate, wait in line to board, get on, fly somewhere, get off and do it again.
The biggest change is actually part of the job of the FAMs. Frankly, I could do without the lot of them. TSA, FAM, etc. Give the pilot and the co a gun and 12 hours training and let them handle it.
OBTW, I've flown a ton comm in the past decade as well. I very well know what shyte has changed since the 80s, and the FAMs aren't exposed to any of it. I guess you know that they are booked separately, and don't have to go through the same BS as the flying public for tickets and such?
Meh - still not impressed. It's a job, not an adventure. Do it, or don't do it, but they should STFU about it being 'hard'.
Hell, it sounds like I could do that job AND a computer/remote/desktop kind of job while on the flights themselves. I used to ride Amtrak from NYC to DC for business a few times a year. I got so much done on the train, I thought it would be profitable to buy a round-robin from NY to DC to BOS and back to NY, and just use that as my office.
Say 6-10 hours of block time a day? Occasionally close the laptop to respond to a FA request or spontaneous disturbance? Too bad I don't have the LE pre-quals for the gig.
Syracuse will do that to a person. Usually more prevalent in winter, though.
I was thinking the same thing! I could get one of those aircard wifi connections that work with the various airlines, and just tune, turn on, drop out and work on the plane. Back, and forth, back and forth. Make sure in winter I get some stops in Den and SLC for a bit of skiing, go up to Vermont in fall and watch the seasons change, follow the MLB playoffs. Such a deal....
nddons
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I was thinking the same thing! I could get one of those aircard wifi connections that work with the various airlines, and just tune, turn on, drop out and work on the plane. Back, and forth, back and forth. Make sure in winter I get some stops in Den and SLC for a bit of skiing, go up to Vermont in fall and watch the seasons change, follow the MLB playoffs. Such a deal....
Aaaand ... stay on POA all day!
Jaybird180
Final Approach
Yeah, but could you log the time as a required crewmember?