Airport Security

I read an article today about how many Americans are fed up with the "hassle" of air travel and have opted to either forgo a previously planned trip, or else use an alternate means of going from point A to point B.

The cost of this ambivalence to the travel industry: $18 billion dollars.

Let's look at the "hassle" of airline travel shall we?

TSA security folks are staffed at all United States airports - serving both domestic and international flights.

Most TSA employees are TSA employees because:

1. 7-11 had no more openings
2. After having their police force applications rejected for the umpteenth time, this was the next best alternative.
3. Holding up hundreds, if not thousands, of people each day provides them with an ego boost that no other minimum-wage job can come close to satisfying.
4. The fact that we allow ourselves to be harrassed every single day by this inept corps of citizen-protectors is laughable.

I've said this before and I'll say it again:

WHEN IS THE LAST TIME A PLANE WAS HIJACKED BY SOMEONE OTHER THAN A MIDDLE-AGED MIDDLE EASTERN MALE?

I'm good with the metal detectors, and the x-ray scanners, but let's forgo FOREVER the need to take Grandma out of her wheelchair (twice) and drag her paralyzed ass through the x-ray machine 2, 3, or 4 times while Grandpa is over to the side quivering while leaning on his cane....is this what we have become? We are terrorizing our own citizens in our war on terror. Let's face it, the middle-eastern guys are responsible for just about all the bad stuff going on in the world from hijackings to suicide bombings in crowed markets that kill innocent people to parked cars blowing up next to schools. If it's bombing, someone from the middle east is probably behind it.


Because of the aforementioned, I'm a big proponent of racial profiling. All middle-eastern dudes should have their own line to go through at the airport and it should take them hours to get through it. This seems like a senisble solution as opposed to the thousands of hours spent daily frisking American children and grandparents.

Finally, check out this story:

A group of Americans, retired teachers, recently went to France on a tour.

Robert Whiting, an elderly gentleman of 83, arrived in Paris by plane. At
French Customs, he took a few minutes to locate his passport in his carry
on.

"You have been to France before, monsieur?" the customs officer asked
sarcastically.

Mr. Whiting admitted that he had been to France previously.

"Then you should know enough to have your passport ready."

The American said, "The last time I was here, I didn't have to show it."

"Impossible. Americans always have to show your passports on arrival in France!"

The American senior gave the Frenchman a long hard look. Then he quietly
explained.

"Well, when I came ashore at Omaha Beach on D-Day in 1944, I
couldn't find a Frenchman to show it to."