Pushing the Rules

This past Labor Day weekend my parents and I took a spur of the moment trip to visit my brother in San Francisco. We are usually not so last minute or impulsive but thanks to quick research conducted by Mom we managed to get some great deals on airfare and car rental and we had a good two-and-a-half-day trip to the left coast. Since this was the first time in a long time that I had travelled by air, I got to experience the new rules of travelling first hand and got to see that some of my methods of keeping the guards happy do seem to work.

When passing through security, I always try to be ahead of the curve. I have almost all metal objects in my bag and I wear shoes that are easy to put on or take off. If I'm carrying my laptop I am sure to take it out of the case and keep it in a bin on its own. I was gratified to see the guards in DC and San Francisco give nods of approval at my dilligence in keeping things moving. You may think that this is merely an attempt to suck up to the guards, but if it means that I get through security without being pat down or scanned with a wand or any other method they see fit to ensure our safety, then I figure I've won. I also got to experience the new rules regarding liquids and all during my passage through security. Recent incidents have made carrying liquids a taboo. Nothing is above suspicion and it's understandable that security will take such a threat or violation so seriously.

Signs, placards and announcements are all over the airports informing people of the new rules and the upgraded threat condition status. Despite all that, there are still some stubborn souls who wish to test the rules by carrying drinks through security. My original thinking was that hold off buying drinks until you're through security, then you can buy pretty much anything you want and carry it onto the plane right? Wrong. It turns out that once you get close to boarding, the flight, the crew informs you that you cannot bring drinks or liquids on board. Despite these additional warnings people still tried. It's such a double edged sword though. The flight we caught out to San Francisco was an early morning one which required us to be at the airport by 6:00 so we were on our way by 5:30 or so. Needless to say in the rush, we didn't have much time for coffee so thankfully, right outside our gate, there was a Starbucks. Freshly infused with our jolt of java, we got ready to board.

Knowing that liquids and gels were verboten, we gulped down the last of our coffee and jittered our way into the line to board. Some latecomers also had the same idea but weren't about to gulp down an expensive coffee so they tried to carry it on board. Didn't work out so well. They were tossed or made to stand to the side and finish before being allowed to board. Now here's where the two dogs begin vying for power. Who will yield first? The airline or the passenger? In this case it has to be the passenger. The flight can leave without you, the crew is within their rights to deny you access; so knowing all this, why try and push things so far? You're only delaying yourself and everyone else on your flight.

Stop bringing gallons of water and then acting as if you didn't know. I can understand someone who hasn't travelled in months or years doing it, but most of the offenders are business travellers. With laptops in one hand and colas in another, you can't tell me that they aren't aware of what's happening. They're the same ones who often try to rush through security without taking out their laptops or emptying their pockets or anything of the sort. They become belligerent when asked to step through the metal detectors again and then huff and puff like a big bad wolf when made to undergo a bag screening or additional investigation. You're just like the rest of us, so calm down and give in. It's for everyone's safety and you aren't going anywhere unless the captain and crew agree that you aren't a threat. So relax, they have coffee on the plane, be nice and you will indeed be flying the friendly skies.