I also have realized (after checking my bag) that I have a small liquid like my mascara....slipping it into my pants pocket solves the problem. I'd rather have my item than argue with TSA and hold myself and everyone else up.

The funniest one was when I was in Panama. We had an expensive piece of electronics that security said had to be checked, we hadn't checked it because we didn't want it stolen like our Ipod and other goodies that have disappeared. A guard took us around the corner (like he was escorting us to the counter) and handed us the device out of sight of the other security guards.

O'Hare airport has one of the best passenger friendly security in my opinion. TSA officials are friendly. Once you show your ID and boarding pass before security, there is no further need to show either again except to have your boarding pass when you get on the plane. Some airports check both of these before security, then ask for them again when you pass the metal detector, even though you just showed them 20 feet away. Denver has one of the most rigid systems you can imagine and Las Vegas has one of the most inconvenient standing in line systems.

But you know what, I usually can avoid extra screening by smiling slightly and using the most relaxed posture possible. I just keep my month shut and keep myself amused by the stupidity in progress. And I take my time putting all my belongings and clothes back where they belong, regardless of what's going on.

Warning about Beijing. The screeners are young and inexperienced. They took my wet naps from my liquids bag. Why ? Because they contained some alcohol.

Starting Sept 12th 2001, my karate instructor coped by teaching us how to kill in a 30in square space with what would be available on a plane.

I know how to kill with a magazine.

Which they helpfully provide on the plane.

If we were one inch safer going thru the nonsense, I wouldn't be so angry. But it doesn't make us any safer, it's inconsistent, and they're rude. Add the cost of my flight, the hobbit sized seats for my 6'1" frame, the lost luggage, nasty food, the unexplained delays, and the canceled flights, and it's too much.

Except it's part of my (wonderful) job to travel. So there I am. Rage, constrained.

Don't forget the influence of Karl Rove. Politics is everything. Every rule, every procedure is vetted by the political officer.

The first priority is politics.

Appear to be taking security seriously. Never mind the stuff behind the scenes that goes on. Appear to be doing something. That's all.

It's like W's war on terror. It's all about words, not reducing the threat of terrorism. In fact, he has increased our chances of terrorism by ensuring that most people int he world hate us.

Oops- was that a knock on my door?

The TSA won't listen to the public; as you say, we're the suspects. But if the men and women in the cockpit continue to expose the inconsistencies and inanities of the current screening system, maybe there's a greater chance procedures will improve.

I believe today's airplane security relies heavily on the vigilance of other passengers. Exhausting and disgruntling them during the screening procedure does not help.

Every time I go through screening (I fly about once a month) I am thankful that the TSA shows off the full glory of this administration (fear - stupidty - power - profits).

Why am I glad??? Because 97% of the citizens of this country don't give a thought to the crazy shit going on under this administration until they are standing in their socks being questioned about their hand lotion. Then those regular folks who don't pay a whole lotta attention to FISA or GITMO and only fly once every couple of years start to pay attention and they don't like how they are treated. I hope and pray that those TSA experiences stick with these folks and they do something about it come election time.

The worse times to go through airport security are when they're training new workers, and when things are slow. I think they are required to open a certain number of bags. So when things are show, my luggage almost always winds up with one of those little "we've looked inside" notes. That totally frustrates me because I KNOW they can see inside the luggage with their machines and there is really no need to open the bags at all! Also, slow time or new trainees, more often than not they pull out these little gadgets to look for whoknowswhat on our picture IDs. It doesn't matter if it's a license or a passport. What the heck are they looking at?????

I travelled over July Fourth weekend and went through Chicago's O'Hare Field. There I saw signs entering the airport grounds that cars could be subject to searches. And, while going through the TSA crap, we were told we had to carry out boarding passes.....after we already had that screened a few feet behind us! The car searching was something new to us.

But, no one asked me to take out my now grubby plastic bag so they could inspect it to make sure nothing in it was objectionable or more than 3 oz. Nowadays, in fact, I seldom remove it from my carryon and no one asks about it. Another bunch-of-bull regulation.

My favorite part of that trip, though, was the new luggage. We had purchased a set of three in Chicago, intending to replace the set we were travelling with when we got home. Since our old set was already packed, we simply put a couple of bags (one which contained a new necktie my husband purchased)inside the nesting set of the new luggage and then checked it. Oddly, there wasn't a "we looked inside" note inside, but we KNEW they had opened it because that necktie (instead of being inside the bag with something else) was set out neatly on top of the second piece of luggage inside. Guess they just HAD to make sure there really was nothing (or not much) in that large suitcase than containd a smaller suitcase that contained an even smallter suitcase!

Will there be any relief? My dream is that the next president will eliminate the Dept. of Homeland Security and, with it, the TSA system---or, at least drastically reduce the force and procedures. But I doubt it will happen. Even if the Democrat is elected, he won't have the guts to do much of anything. After all, the people of this country really think "they're keeping us safe." Idiots!

Keep up the battle, Patrick! And some of us will try to do the same from our end of the security line.