David Saves the Week
HEROS
Sometimes when everything seems to be going wrong,special people make things work out. This page is dedicated to the people who saved a dive trip by going out of their way to help me. It is also dedicated to the Transportation Security Administration who are trying there best to keep us safe, but are suffering growth problems.
There are two tales that come together at the end like all multiple story lines should.
It starts in Raleigh as Tony and I arrive at the airport and check our bags for Miami on our yearly trip to Roatan. As usual, I tell the guys at the curbside that I do have some tanks in the bags but that there is no pressure in the tanks. Within each of the bags is a copy of DOT regulations and a description of the tanks. I also include my cell phone number in case there is a problem. No call comes and we head to Miami via Atlanta on DELTA.
We arrive in Miami at 415 in the afternoon on Saturday. Two things come to my attention. One of my bags with tanks in it has been opened and checked by TSA and the other hasn't. There is their normal note but except for a little jumble in the packing, there is no problem. However, I discover that the scrubber for my rebreather is not in the bag. Panic sets in. Where in the heck can I get scrubber on Saturday afternoon in Miami?...especially this time of day.
My mind started working overtime. I had left some scrubber in Roatan but could not be assured that it was still there. I had to find some scrubber. Enter the first hero. I called Brian Hughs in Maryland and asked him to search the net for anyone who could have scrubber in the area. He was to call me back. By 4:30 Brian had a list of dive shops...some with "rebreather" on them. I called each and every one to no avail. Some were closing but non had scrubber. Then I got hold of Patti Mount of IANTD (I actually asked for Tom). She informed me that Tom was bouncing his butt off in the Bahamas on a boat, and that she could not help because of her schedule. She then gave me Davids Mounts home phone number. It was getting late and I almost said to myself...give it up...but called him anyway.
David was more than helpful, he offered to open the offices on Sunday morning several hours before the flight. His statement was, it really is terrible to have a dive trip messed up. I called Brian back and thanked him for the help.
Tony and I took a cab to the IANTD offices and David soon pulled up. Being oblivious to sports issues, I did not know that he had a big super bowl party that afternoon and was using his get ready time to help me out. Soon we bagged enough scrubber for the trip and I gave him my office address to send the rest of the tub. He took my credit card, we shook hands and off we went. What a nice guy. He was hero number two in this story for taking his time out to help an inperfect stranger out. How many would do it. That group is a class act in my book.
With a false sense of security, we hit the
airport with hours to spare. Then I ran into a brick wall.
When the TSA x-rayed my bags, they called me
over to watch them open the bags. I was happy to do so as
my safety in flying is important to me. Things went downhill
from there. They pulled out the tanks and said that
they could not go on the plane unless the valves were out. I
asked about the DOT regulations and they said that those were
not their regulations.
You cannot get anywhere if you lose your cool, so I asked what
their rules were. They said no valves. I was able to get
the valves out of the two 6 cubic foot tanks and the spare air.
The oxygen tanks had tapered valves and could not come out.
I asked what we could do. Everyone was quiet and professional. I
asked for a "supervisor". He left after hearing the problem
and came back in a few minutes and said it was against the rules. I
politely asked to see the rules....maybe I thought the wording was
something I work with. They told me that I could not see the rules.
I got them to open and shut the
oxygen valves...it did not impress them
that nothing came out. Sometime in the
conversation, the word gauge came up. Hope
rose in my heart as bubbles rise from the depths.
I had a filler whip with a pressure gauge. It uses
scuba yokes and blocks for adapters. I got the guys to
hook it up to check the tanks. When they opened the valves,
there was no pressure showing on the gauge. That satisfied
them and everything was packed away for the trip. Guess the
gauge was the thing. Ponder that for a moment...
I must say, I always sensed that they were on my side, (except for the supervisor) but were bound by the rules as they understood them. They were professional in every way and tried to help me out. It was a clear case of
people put in decision positions who "knew" the rules but did not
understand them. The fault is in the management level...additional training
is the answer. I appreciate that they stuck with me to get things sorted out.
When I got to CoCo View, my stashed scrubber was still there. Now I have even more as I used less than I carried. Billy, the manager is the next hero.
On the way back to the US...no questions were asked about the tanks in the baggage, nor were questions asked in Miami on the flights back to Raleigh. The difference in enforcement is another perfect example of unclear rules and poor uniformity of application.
After I got back, I went on the TSA website and dug out a phone number. It is there but hidden. I called to discuss the problem and asked for a clarification. The poor soul who answered the phone did not have a clue...he sent me to the DOT site to look at hazardous materials transport. I told them that I would be glad to work with them to get these problems from happening.
I gave them my phone number and my email address asking for an answer. Its been over a week since that call. I asked for an answer within a week. I am sure that this story is not finished. It will be when I get a real answer out of TSA.
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