08-01-2004 08:01									#1
	BA defends right to queue for the loo at 20,000 ft Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations: Deluxe Edition

from the times

quote: FLYING across the Atlantic is already stressful enough in the current security climate without having to spend eight hours with your legs crossed. However, that is what the flying public could face after the United States ordered airlines entering its airspace to ban passengers from queueing for the lavatories. The directive from the Transport Security Administration (TSA) requires the crew to make announcements every two hours telling passengers that they must not “congregate outside the toilets” or any other location. British Airways, which yesterday was forced to delay Flight 223 to Washington for the fifth consecutive day while the US carried out security checks, dismissed the directive as unworkable. A BA insider said: “Queueing is a great British tradition. How on earth are we supposed to organise trips to the loo? “Should we make people put their hands up or have a ticket system like at the deli counter at Tesco’s? It would be unworkable to stop passengers forming queues outside toilets. There’s big demand for the loo after meals have been cleared away.” BA is attempting to avoid a confrontation with the US authorities and its only official comment on the directive was: “We are happy that our current procedures adequately cover the requirements.” But in reality, the airline has no intention of ordering passengers back to their seats. BA has been unable to obtain an explanation from the TSA of the security benefit of the directive, which was issued on Christmas Eve. The only lavatories located near the cockpit on transatlantic flights are reserved for first-class passengers, who do not have to queue because there are so few of them. Simon Evans, chief executive of the Air Transport Users Council, said: “This directive is just absurd. It is a security measure too far, which would only make passengers feel more uncomfortable. “People in aisle seats might spot an empty loo but, by the time they climb over the people sitting next to them, a queue could have formed.” The directive applies to all airlines which enter US airspace. Qantas plans to respond by making pre-flight announcements and instructing cabin crew to monitor passengers during the flight. Warren Bennett, chief executive of the Board of Airline Representatives of Australia, said: “It gives the impression paranoia is taking over and is going to place enormous stress on flight crew to be toilet police.” The British Department for Transport refused to comment on the directive and the TSA failed to return calls.

you'd think the department responsible would have better things to do...

	08-01-2004 08:29									#2
	Tired of ads?

Just replace all airplane seats with toilet seats. Problem solved.

	08-01-2004 08:42									#3
	Avatar Enlargement: We've got the solution

[a]Just replace all airplane seats with toilet seats[/a]

	08-01-2004 09:56									#4
	Got spare money?

In other news transatlantic passenger ships make a comeback after major airlines retrofits their fleets into flying crappers. Apolyton posters are once responsible for chaos...

	08-01-2004 10:09									#5
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This is an idiotic directive. The times I have flown to and from Europe, I have used British Airways, and when I went to use the bathroom, I queued. I say if we aren't allowed to queue, the terrorists win.

	08-01-2004 10:13									#6
	Help yourself to an AD-FREE life

i think they should put more toilets on planes. i mean it might reduce the number of people they can fit on planes but in the end that would be better for 'terrorism control' because there would be less people per flight to check out.
when i lived in holland we flew back to new zealand every year - thats approximately 24 hours (2 twelve hour flights) each way, and i could probably count on less than 2 hands the amount of times i went to the to the toilet in the 4 years i was making the trips.
one reason was the queue, another was half the time i didn't even know where the bloody thing was, and the third was by the time about 100 other people have used the toilet, you really don't want to go in there.
so yeah thats my solution, more toilets.

	08-01-2004 10:22									#7
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations

quote: Originally posted by Shi Huangdi I say if we aren't allowed to queue, the terrorists win.

This should be the slogan for a public awareness campaign.