December 08, 2004 | Business Class Casual Casualties

Thomas Quinn, director of the Federal Air Marshal Service, is again threatening to fire air marshals for not adhering to a dress code, according to this piece by Audrey Hudson in the Washington Times.

Air marshals are being told that if their dress is not up to snuff, they will be suspended from flight duty. <...>

One air marshal who asked not to be identified called it "ridiculous" that marshals are expected to blend in with holiday travelers by wearing a suit.

"On Thanksgiving Day, travelers don't wear business suits to visit family and friends," the marshal said. The dress-code policy is a sore point among the traveling marshals, who say it compromises their undercover status.

Now, this is just stupid three ways to Sunday.

But then again, I think the idea of Federal Air Marshals is better than having real air marshalls.

Stick this program in the black budget, have about 20 agents and make everyone think there are 12,000 of them.

It's a cheap way to make sure that anyone contemplating hijacking a plane has to contend with the possibility of an armed law enforcement agent being on board.

And apropos of nothing, does anyone know if air marshals get miles?

Posted by Ryan Singel at December 8, 2004 09:55 AM

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