taking a laptop?

Des Browne (Defence secretary) made some interesting comments on the today programme, reported in the times on line. Referring to us, the general public, he said

Originally blurted out by Des Browne
...overwhelmingly the people of this country have supported the measures that were taken because they knew why they were being taken and they were explained appropriately by the Government to them and there was a significant degree of support for them.

Well Mr Browne, I don't think that is quite true, is it? You are quite correct that I understood the original restrictions and supported them. However I do not understand the latest measures and no one from the Government has explained them to me. Nor do I see any evidence of you taking a grip of BAA to sort the continuing disruptions out. By the imposition of unworkable and ineffective rules, and your laissez faire dealings with BAA, you have created a situation where the terrorists can claim to have won.

Full artical here.

I have emailed Mr Browne's office with a copy of this post and invited a reply.

Originally posted by Gelding
To be honest I dont see why the army or police should help. BAA are a publicly traded company why should my tax go to help out their cockup? Football clubs etc have to pay for policing, so why should the BAA be any different? Now if they paid for that help, different story.

Because it was the government that told them to do it - they dont tell clubs to have football matches!!!

And in a situation like this when a load of dickhead terrorists plan to blow up aircarft from airports in MY country then Im happy for as much of my taxes as the government wants to be spent on ensuring OUR/YOUR safety and then catching them and hanging, drawing and quartering them!!!

Can I take my Mont Blanc pen or what, is that a sharp object[}:)]
or do I write the green slip in my own blood.

Glad my other half will be able to take my laptop.

[Neil]

Originally posted by MarkJ
Because it was the government that told them to do it - they dont tell clubs to have football matches!!!

Good point Mark!! I agree with you about spending taxes to protect us during the initial problems, but the already high taxes we pay (and getting higher with increased passport charges, for our security), plus the money we pay for travelling (which a % goes to BAA from the airline) should not be increased to cover extra security on the back of this, BAA as a company is responsible for providing adequate security and staff and it is their problem to sort it if they need more, not ours. We should not suffer because of it.

Neil:)

Originally posted by easygoingeezer
Can I take my Mont Blanc pen or what, is that a sharp object[}:)]

I think you should be fine with that, but if it's a fountain pen, you won't be able to carry any liquid ink :D (no, I'm not sure if that'll affect ink cartridges or not!)

Cheers

Michael

Originally posted by Attitude23

Originally posted by MarkJ
Because it was the government that told them to do it - they dont tell clubs to have football matches!!!

Good point Mark!! I agree with you about spending taxes to protect us during the initial problems, but the already high taxes we pay (and getting higher with increased passport charges, for our security), plus the money we pay for travelling (which a % goes to BAA from the airline) should not be increased to cover extra security on the back of this, BAA as a company is responsible for providing adequate security and staff and it is their problem to sort it if they need more, not ours. We should not suffer because of it.

Neil:)

The answer isn't to throw yet more of our money at it. We already pay more than our fair share in taxes in various guises - why the hell should we believe that paying even more will make the slightest difference (or indifference) that people in charge have? Oh yes, milk them us some more, call it by another name (dreamt up by some oik paid megabucks) - but essentially do nothing?

Surely the government and BAA are simply not doing their jobs in the first place?

If fact we have already thrown more money at it Claire - the post 911 security tax. I would dearly love to know what BAA spent that on, because it certainly was not more, better trained, better motivated security staff.

I now hear that the police want a thin blie line tax for the work they do at airports. I actually think this is a fair request, but they should get it from BAA, not me. Then there is the Terror tax that Mr O'Leary seems to have started talking about - yeh sure mate!

Originally posted by sailor99
If fact we have already thrown more money at it Claire - the post 911 security tax. I would dearly love to know what BAA spent that on, because it certainly was not more, better trained, better motivated security staff.

Yes, I realise that Jeremy. But naturally, I hear there's now talk of another tax - terrorist tax! Like you, I'd love to know what BAA spent it on...[:(!]

Wow is there a tax on Terrorism now as well, I was already shocked that politicians had agreed on all sides that we should have a Global Warming Tax, its raining too much tax, oh no this summer it a too sunny tax.

Being that farting contributes to global warming we will get taxed for that next.

There has been a security tax since 911. The word now is that there will be an additional Terror Tax. To be fair, I have not heard a member of the government confirm that this is being considered, so I think we have to say the additional terror tax is speculative.

I agree EGG perhaps we will have Methane credits!

What about the cows?

They produce twice as much or more methane gas...[:$]

I think they should be taxed[:o)]

[HighFlyer]

Originally posted by sailor99
There has been a security tax since 911. The word now is that there will be an additional Terror Tax. To be fair, I have not heard a member of the government confirm that this is being considered, so I think we have to say the additional terror tax is speculative.

I sure hope so! Reading my e-ticket for the weekend, i have a credit card surcharge, a security surcharge, an insurance surcharge and a fuel surcharge levied by the carrier. I'm all for security but when the tax i am paying on my flight is almost double the original fare base it does seem crazy to think of increasing it further!

Thanks,
Sarah

One day the air I breathe is gonna have a tax - in fact when I go diving it is coz there's VAT on a tank fill!!!