Had to go to the airport last week to pick up daughter No. 1 for the summer, daughter No. 2 had already arrived so I took her with me. Got the gate pass at the airline desk and proceeded to security, where the TSA has FINALLY stopped their assinine practice of treating people who are not even getting on the plane like terrorists. We both passed through with no problems .

But ... after sitting in the waiting room for 20 minutes, and as daughter No. 1's plane was pulling up to the gate, a very excitable ramp agent came up and said the TSA needed me back at the checkpoint immediately becuse daughter No. 2 did not have a gate pass. I eyed the plane, calculated how long it would take daughter No. 1 to get out, and asked the ramp agent to fetch the TSA goons.

At the same time, asked the gate agent there to work with me and stall for a few minutes, she said, "Sure, we hate those guys too, they treat us worse than dirt!" By this time passengers are deplaning, and it takes at least 5 minutes for the TSA goon to show up.

He starts off by demanding daughter No. 2's identification. I point out that she is just a kid. He asks if I have her SSN so she can be "entered into the system and checked." I say no, I don't carry that with me 24/7. I then ask him what the problem is, and he launches into an explanation of "sterile areas" and "revised security procedures" and such. The gate agent, God love her, kept peppering him with questions.

In the midst of this silliness, daughter No. 1 arrived, I showed the crew member my ID, turned to the TSA goon and said, "Well, I have what I want, you can keep searching for what you need" and left.

And the airlines wonder why more people aren't flying?

I work as an airport paramedic and nobody likes TSA.

I've concluded that given enough time, the TSA will actually prevent the hijacking of an airliner. If the planes are on the ground empty, they aren't good targets.

But didn't you feel safer knowing the Keystone Cops were on patrol? While they were wasting time with you what were they missing I wonder? Thankfully I don't have to fly often at all.

Nothing sterile when the people in front of you remove their shoes at the screening checkpoint and have a need for "odor eaters." <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />