Told By Agent to "Get a Life"

**Speedbird1** · 2010-07-29, 06:14 AM

This is relevant to the incident that I described at T1 at JFK last Sat. Not only were my 2 friends told they were banned from the airport by an agent at T1, she also told them to "Get a life"! She said that she sees them all the time at the terminal so they should "Get a life". Next time, she threatened to call the "cops".Again, they were not doing any photography, had no scanners or binoculars. They are aviation enthusiasts who like to "hang-out" at terminals and watch plane movements. They both recently graduated from Vaughn College of Aeronautics so they are naturally interested in the hobby. They both have applied for employment in the aviation industry so they have "time on their hands". Sadly, that statement, "get a life" represents how most people feel about aviation enthusiasts. My friends call me a "nut case" and even a "Bird watcher". How do your friends feel about you when you say you are spending the day watching planes? They cannot understand the satisfaction we get from plane spotting.

**T-Bird76** · 2010-07-29, 01:49 PM

The correct response to the agent would have been...."No problem, we'll leave but don't take out your frustrations for your failures in life that you only amounted to a low paid security gaurd." To much? ;)

**NIKV69** · 2010-07-29, 02:56 PM

Nice one Tommy! I am a little confused here. If they don't have a camera and are just watching planes why do you they have to leave?

**moose135** · 2010-07-29, 03:00 PM

Originally Posted by NIKV69

I am a little confused here. If they don't have a camera and are just watching planes why do you they have to leave?

Because a spotter stood in the wrong place and got Port Authority po'ed at anyone looking in the direction of an airplane...

**cancidas** · 2010-07-29, 04:28 PM

Originally Posted by T-Bird76

To much? ;)

for one breath, maybe...

**emshighway** · 2010-07-29, 06:44 PM

Agent of what? You haven't identified who this person is. Anyone could walk up to you and tell you not to be there. Are they private security hired by PANYNJ or the Airlines? If you are not in an unauthorized area let her call the PAPD. So you tell them you like one of the stores there and wanted to get something there.

**Gerard** · 2010-07-29, 07:54 PM

I'm curious as I was at Terminal 1 a few weeks back as a ticketed passenger and wondering where one would hang out to get views of the aircraft without being in the boarding area? Is there a public area
above where I was?

**Speedbird1** · 2010-07-31, 06:23 AM

The agent was probably just an employee of Terminal One but I wasn't there at the time so I am not certain. Yes, Terminal One has an area upstairs that offers views of the planes. It is pre-security. It's where I went to see the Airbus A380 arrive for the first time a few years ago. The press was there too.

**mirrodie** · 2010-07-31, 12:14 PM

Speedbird, you could also try this retort as opposed to Tom's.

DFdyQxysQaA

Be careful out there!

**Gerard** · 2010-07-31, 12:36 PM

Originally Posted by Speedbird1

The agent was probably just an employee of Terminal One but I wasn't there at the time so I am not certain. Yes, Terminal One has an area upstairs that offers views of the planes. It is pre-security. It's where I went to see the Airbus A380 arrive for the first time a few years ago. The press was there too.

Thanks. Wasnt sure but I should have as I spent over 5 hours in that Terminal weeks ago. :x

**Futterman** · 2010-08-03, 11:59 AM

In 2004, I was 16 years old and "detained" at LGA with a younger friend for being unaccompanied minors. We were hanging out by the windows at the top of the escalator. Dad had actually dropped us off specifically so we could.

By "detained", I really mean just escorted to a back room while the PAPD cop freaked mom out with a phone call and dad came back to pick us up. While waiting, though, one of his esteemed colleagues made me delete my entire memory card right before tossing this gem out there:

"Get a real hobby, like baseball cards or something."

I WISH I could have seen the airplanes that were flying around when baseball card collecting was in its prime. Man...

B

**N746JB** · 2010-10-16, 10:57 PM

Originally Posted by Speedbird1

Sadly, that statement, "get a life" represents how most people feel about aviation enthusiasts. My friends call me a "nut case" and even a "Bird watcher". How do your friends feel about you when you say you are spending the day watching planes? They cannot understand the satisfaction we get from plane spotting.

Speedbird,

Sorry for bringing Harry Potter and his world into this equation, but you have to look at the non-av people as "moguls" and we, the av enthusiasts, as the wizards who are not like the moguls. They do not understand anything about us and what we do for a hobby. And sadly, they will never understand for the most part our passion for aviation. People who are ignorant of a particular subject often ridicule it.

Secondly, I am sure that there are a great number of security people at the airport who do not enjoy their jobs and love to share their misery with people who lack misery. Misery does love company, no? My attitude towards those folks is: Just because your life is miserable doesn't mean that I am going to let it ruin my passion for aviation and aircraft spotting.

Hope this helps,

-Jeremy

PS, Vaughn rulz!