Flying Home

It was an interesting experience flying home yesterday.  I had watched the news and saw the warnings about tougher security because of the attempted bombing of the plane on Christmas Day.  They warned about long lines, more restrictions and tougher scrutiny.  “Get to the airport early” was the main message.

My flight was scheduled for 9:20 am out of Grand Rapids.  I got up really early so I could get to the airport early.  I left my hotel at 6:00 am and drove the 40 minutes to Grand Rapids.  I dropped my rental car off at 6:40.  Went into the airport and looked for the long lines.  There weren’t any long lines.  At least not any longer than usual.  The airline I was using had no lines.  So I picked up my boarding pass, dropped my checked luggage with the TSA officials (at the Grand Rapids airport they scan everything right by the airline counters), and headed for security.  There must be long lines there, right?  No…not really.  I was the sixth person in line and no one was behind me while I was in line.  I went through security, put my boots back on, grabbed my stuff and headed for the gate.  Stopped by a food counter and picked up a really bad egg sandwich and a soda and went to sit by the gate to wait for my flight.

7:10 am.  That’s when I arrived at the gate.  Over two hours before my flight.  Took me a half hour from getting out of the rental car to get to the gate.  That’s it.  No long lines, no tougher scrutiny, no big restrictions.  Just the usual check in process.  I could have slept in another hour.  Instead I was sitting by the gate with everyone else who got there early and waited. Watched the news on the TV warning about long lines at airports.  We all looked at each other and snickered.  Long lines.  Hah!

Oh…about the tougher scrutiny.  I had removed all the stuff you can’t take on the plane from my carry on and my purse and packed it in my suitcase.  I didn’t bother putting liquids in the quart size bag.  Figured all I really would put in it was a tube of lotion and I didn’t want to bother.  Not to mention I didn’t have a quart size bag.

Well, I thought I had removed everything.  I really did.  As I was sitting at the airport in Cleveland, during the layover, I was poking through my carry on and there, at the bottom of the case, was a tube of lotion.  Which was great because my hands were a little dry and I needed some but, as I am putting lotion on, it made me think.  How was that not detected going through security?  Why did I not get pulled aside and the tube of lotion confiscated?  I didn’t do it on purpose and it was just lotion but aren’t they supposed to catch things like that?  In case it was something explosive?  Where was the tougher scrutiny?  How was this missed less than a week after the attempted bombing?

This really makes me wonder.  Human error.  It is bound to happen.  Things slip through and that is how someone can get on a plane with explosives in his underwear.  I truly think that we can’t be 100% safe.  Because it is humans who are doing the checking and humans make mistakes.  They work struggling with lack of sleep, strung out on caffeine,  distracted by personal problems, or bored with their jobs and daydreaming while working.  We can have everyone shouting about better scanners and better security but I truly don’t think it will happen.  Because I was able to get a small tube of lotion through security.  By accident but it happened.  Really makes me wonder.