I love to fly. I just wish that planes didn’t take-off and land at airports.

US airports have become awkward places, where a general feeling of paranoia follows you from the security check, and all the way down the concourse. From PDX to O’Hare, I was seated near the very back of the plane. To my right sat a kindly, gray-haired woman who was traveling home to Virginia. After a few minutes sitting silently next to each other, she leaned over and spoke in a soft voice, “I’m just glad that they let me though the security check.”

“Why, did you do something wrong,” I replied. “Oh no, dear,” she continued, “they just make me so nervous. I never know what might happen.” We shook our heads in agreement.

This just all seems so in contrast with an article I was reading the other day about the golden days of air travel. In it, there were pictures of happy passengers walking down the runway to get on the plane. Latter, it showed them on board, smoking cigarettes and eating steak in the luxury of first class.

To a certain level, I understand the security, just as I understand the ban on smoking. However, something has gone wrong when an innocent, elderly woman feels that she might be detained for no reason.

PS. I am typing this up during my layover in Chicago. However, the wireless gateway is asking me to pay $6.95 to get online. Coming from PDX where the wireless is open and free, the “greeting” page for the O’Hare network here made me chuckle:

Wi-Fi User Alert: “Free” Hotspots: Too Good to be True (Mind the SSID)… If you detect a “Free Wi-Fi” SSID in an airport, it is NOT a free hot spot, and could be an attempt to defraud you. For any questions or concerns please call: 1-800-550-5030. Thank you.

Your welcome! But, I think that I will wait.