And they wonder why we hate them...

I'm more than a little amused at the current public fuming over the latest institutionalized indignities from the Transportation Security Administration. But despite the loud venting of opinion, nothing will change. The government's position is clear: if you want to fly, you have to suffer whatever rituals they choose in order to get near a plane. Only when a critical mass of people say "fine, then, **** air transportation," sending the airline industry into financial crisis (again), will there be adequate pressure on the government to change.

Personally, I fly as little as I can get away with, and almost all of that is business related. I did, however, just complete a personal trip that yet again reinforced my disgust with what we're expected to passively endure.

My wife was kind enough to surprise me during the trip with a very nice photo print I've admired for a few years... a print whose price tag puts it in the category of "something we rarely do." Since the print was matted flat, we were carrying it sandwiched in some mailing packages. Figuring (rightly, as it turned out) there was a decent chance of it getting mangled among baggage in the scanner, I asked at the checkpoint if the print could be manually inspected. I was assured this was an acceptable request.

So imagine my irritation when the TSA attendant insisted on trying to find a way to make the print lay on top of one of those ubiquitous gray bins, piling on some coin holders to weight it down. When I noted I'd requested a manual inspection, she bluntly told me "it'll be fine in the scanner..." The print predictably flopped off the bin as it went through the heavy curtain, with the luggage behind it about to crinkle it in the process. Only my shout caused the operator to stop the conveyor belt.

The first "helpful" agent having suddenly disappeared, the next TSA individual asked what the problem was. I explained the situation, and he removed the print from the belt for a manual inspection. All to the good, except he found it necessary to curtly inform me it's a good idea to ask for a hand inspection BEFORE an object goes into the scanner.

I simply replied "I DID... AND MY REQUEST WAS IGNORED." I also took note that the manual inspection took less time than the original fumbling around to try to position the print on the conveyor belt in the first place (ahh... government efficiency...).

Sounds like a metaphor for most of our interactions with our "public servants" these days...