Getting Through Airport Security

Anyone who's been on a few commercial flights knows; Airport Security can be a real pain. I've never had a particularly bad experience with Airport Security but then again I've never tried to do anything to illegal in an airport. But its not very surprising to me that they do very little to keep us safe. Most of the time they just herd passengers along, barking in our face the things that most observant travelers know already.

Still, I don't just blame Airport Security completely for all the problems getting through the line at an airport. Passengers can also be just as antagonistic. They can be pushy, rude and just plain stupid. That same barking may not be necessary if after you hear "Please take your laptops out of your bags and put it in a bucket," you actually take out your laptop and put it in a bucket. In line doing nothing? Try reading the signs! They literally tell you what to do. Extra points if you figure out to do some of those things before you get to the top of the line.

Here are  a few tips I live by going through Airport Security that I think they've worked out pretty well for me;

• Prepare Before - Don't dress in clothes that take forever to take off. Don't put on a bunch of jewelry you are going to have to take off. Most importantly, Don't put a bunch of stuff in your bag that you are going to have to throw out, like water.

• Prepare In Line - If you are traveling with a bunch of stuff you couldn't avoid bringing in line, while you are in line start prepping. Take out that laptop. Take off that coat. Put all your things in your bag so you don't have to empty your pockets. This way when you get to the top of the line, you can just slide on through. 

• Be Nice (Smile Even) - Airport Security may not be nice or even demonstrate basic public decency, but thats no excuse for you being an asshole. Don't anticipate a problem and treat them like if they are already strip searching you. Be kind to them. A smile goes a long way, and they may be genuinely having a bad day and you being polite might just help. I think if I had to watch people leave on awesome vacations day in and day out, I'd probably become a serial killer.

Airport Security is a drag and apparently they don't really do anything to keep us safe. The system should be revised so every passenger isn't treated like a criminal. That being said, bitching about it in line won't help the problem. Please be mindful of the fact that you have to go through security. The faster you make your way through, the faster the rest of us can get to our vacations.

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