Airport Security

With all the holiday travels, airport security has been a favorite of the news lately, so I thought I should take a stab at it. Well, maybe I should not stab it lest people think I'm up to no good. And being bad is not the goal; the goal is to comment on a curious topic.

The news' concern with the topic has circled around the very legitimate issue of privacy versus security, or a variant thereof: screening luggage; screening people; physical searches of people. However, touching and looking at people is a very thorny subject, and, as I said, I'm staying clear of sharp objects.

I am more concern with things that are blunt, or dumb, or wrong, or broken. Here is a small list of dangerous items I have taken to the airport: water; yogurt; toothpaste; and guava paste. To be quite honest, I do not mind giving up any of these food items (and toothpaste) for the sake of my security. Those people that are up to no good are very creative -- who knows what they might do with this arsenal? So I leave that question to the security experts who know better. Really, they do.

The problem, however, is when the rules have been followed so long, we have forgotten why. Maybe water, toothpaste, and yogurt are dangerous products that should not be allowed in an airplane because it might blow up. Fine. Anything for the sake of my security. However, it was an entirely different reason with the guava paste.

this is like jam, you can spread it on a toast.

Actually, it was too viscous to spread, but that is besides the point. So what if it can be spread on toast -- like jam? What do you think I could do with a toast and guava paste -- choke? Or maybe I can paste the toast on all the exit signs creating confusion and chaos in case of an emergency? Or maybe I can paste the toast on the windshield of the plane and so impair the pilot's line of sight? I suppose I could do quite a bit of damage with guava paste and toast; however, I did not have any bread.

I don't mean to criticize airport security too much; I think those young men and women are doing a rather fine job! Nevertheless, sometimes the reason I get is so absurd I just have to poke at it. Bluntly, not sharply.

I think, next time, I will take some peanut butter...