Feel Safer?

Everyone seems to have no shortage of comedic (tragic) stories regarding airport security or the at least the measures we’ve gone to to restore the illusion of it. Well, here is one more. As a frequent traveler I pretty much know the routine: remove anything metallic from your pockets, take your shoes and coat off, make sure you have the boarding pass they just checked 10 feet back, remove your laptop from its bag and make sure it’s in its own container, etc, etc. The futility of it all doesn’t bother me so much as long as it is consistent and I can expect what’s coming. There is a good reason behind most of it. The reasoning behind the laptop thing for example is ensure that the x-ray techs can ensure that you haven’t packed any explosives into your laptop. While going through security in Richmond, VA I had gone through the entire routine. The TSA dude was checking to make sure that I had when he noticed some paper that I had been working on and had tucked into my laptop when I closed it. “You’ll have to remove the papers, sir” he said. I gave him a ‘you’ve got to be kidding’ dumbfounded look for a moment. I of course complied without blurting out the comments that were running through my head. The last thing I need is to get arrested on a felony charge for calling a spade a spade. Hey, at least we’re safe!