Monday, June 29, 2026 Sign In

Extortion at the Airport

Is Santa Barbara Airport so desperate for money that they need to practice extortion on their clients?

Is Santa Barbara Airport so desperate for money that they need to practice extortion on their clients?

I went to pick up my granddaughter who was arriving on a 9 p.m. flight. I was there early and was told I could not wait. Moved on and waited off the airport grounds.

Once she texted that they had landed, I returned to the airport and was told again that I could not wait for her. Moved on and returned when I could see a stream of passengers coming out of the building. She always flies carry-on so is quick to get off. I could see her coming when the man “guarding the curbside” harassed me again. I said that I could see her. Instead, he wrote a ticket, which he finished processing after she was in my car! In fact, he handed the ticket to her, an expensive one.