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COLUMN: Backfire on approach

| June 13, 2018 1:00 AM

Bill Brooks, I was appalled to read your article on Monday, June 11, wherein you recommend and advise travelers to take steps to improve their travel experience, but at the cost of all others who obey the rules.

I am a frequent flyer and I agree, GEG is a pleasure compared to many airports that I visit. Readers who follow your advice to place “fragile” stickers on their luggage when nothing is fragile, in order to have the bags arrive first at baggage claim, are being deceitful as well as creating an extra burden to the airlines which eventually will cause them to charge extra or ignore the sticker entirely.

Worse yet, you recommend that travelers, in order to expedite the security check and get you to the gate, order wheelchairs “even if you are not wheelchair bound.” I cannot understand how you could make such a recommendation in all good conscience. Those in need of wheelchairs might find them unavailable. The lineup of wheelchairs at the gate would delay others from boarding. On my last flight, I noted seven wheelchair attendants with wheelchairs waiting for passengers to exit the plane, which caused a delay in passengers exiting the plane. Imagine if everyone chose to cheat the system.

These recommendations to your readers to be deceitful in order to gain an advantage will most probably backfire and eventually cause changes at the airport that will impact those who actually need these services. Shame on you.

ROBERT S. HUMISTON

Hayden