Nothing to do next Wednesday? Want something interesting

[MineralMan]

to do? Head for your local airport and take a seat in the ticketing area near a security screening area.

As the news-illiterate or news-phobic members of the public throng to the airport to go to grandma's house, you can be sure of a lively look at life in 21st Century America. Unlike in past years, where you got to see folks trying to argue with the TSA folks about their extra large bottles of hair products, jumbo slurpees, and the like, or trying to figure out why that change in their pockets made the metal detector beep, or why that X-Box is treated like a computer and has to be removed from whatever bag it's in, there are new things to confuse and amaze travelers. Always entertaining, the security line promises to break new records for silliness this year.

Now, everyone here on DU knows about the new screening procedures, of course, but...there will be lots and lots of people at the airport on Wednesday who have not seen a newspaper or watched a television news program for years. It's all so depressing, you know. Boring, too. Why, just today, we learned that over 50% of Americans don't know that the Republicans won a majority of seats in the House of Representatives. Of course, since less than 50% of the eligible population bothered to vote, that may not be such a surprise.

Anyhow, you can expect all sorts of witty antics as these uninformed travelers meet the uniformed TSA folks who are going to ask them to step in front of the x-ray machine so they can be seen au natural. Some will object, of course, and will be led to a place where they can put their feet on the footprints and get patted down in the new enhanced way.

I can almost guarantee that you'll learn some new phrases you may not have heard before. It should be very instructive and will pass some time learning more about human nature and why people really should expose themselves to a little news from time to time. You'll learn, too, why flying on the day before Thanksgiving or Christmas is a really, really bad idea.

Sadly, I have to deal with company that day and get ready to cook a big Thanksgiving dinner, so I'll have to skip this, but if you go, be sure to post some of the most interesting events here on DU on Thanksgiving, while your RW family members doze off their turkey and dressing.

[sally cat]

1. No thanks. I don't find the situation amusing. I feel bad for those who have to endure this.

[MineralMan]

3. Security screening is always funny.

Truly it is. It's amazing what some passengers do in the security lines. Truly amazing. It is as though they have never even heard of security screening. It's been that way, now, for a very, long time, and it's quite a spectator sport. Tourists are always great fun, no matter what the type of transportation.

[monmouth]

2. I leave on the 23rd so don't know if I'll have to endure it or not. However,

having said that, I don't care if I am scanned. If it keeps a crazy person off the flight that's good. I'll never see these TSA people again and my scan looks like hundreds before and after me. I'll even wear underwear for the occasion...LOL..

[MineralMan]

4. Good decision, I'm sure. This is not the time to go commando.

I'm not flying until Christmas. And my wife and I are shipping all the presents for the family early, so we can travel as light as possible. Christmas time is another hoot at the security screening.

"Whaddya mean I have to unwrap Bobbie's toy machine gun? It's a freaking toy, isn't it?"

[monmouth]

7. Hahaha, son in Jersey kiddingly said "Mother, please, do not make

the six-o'clock news. He's such a good kid...I'll behave..

[haele]

5. They're probably going to be very, very cautious because of the reporting -

Especially at Lindberg Field (San Diego Internat'l, where the junk almost got touched...) From what I heard reported on the radio earlier this week, a TSA rep to the Port District pukka here apparently told the local NPR he's warned TSA employees that they are not exempt from sexual harassment or sexual assault laws if they are too aggressive with the pat-downs.

Anyway, in my holiday travel experience (the in-laws insist that we join them at Thanksgiving and buy our ticket in May/June to ensure we're there...), if it's really busy, they're going to want to process people through as quickly as possible, especially at peak times. It's a matter of efficient crowd control - even staffed with OT employees, they just don't have the manpower to risk a major disruption or potential riots with the sort of already over-excited, anxious, and frustrated crowds they will be seeing, and if they cause too many people to miss flights to be seeing the grandparents because they want to pat everyone down or shut down a terminal because of a TSA supervisor with a Napoleon complex, it *will* cause a riot and do the agency more harm than good.

The day before, early morning or red-eye flights are going to experience the more in-depth screening.

Haele

[Gin]

6. at my airport you cant go back where the screening is happening

gotta have a ticket

[MissMarple]

8. The Denver airport should be fun. You can have a bird's eye view of people going through security.

There is a huge floor area for the security set up. It is overlooked by a large balcony fronting shops and eating spots. I'm waiting for youtube postings.