It never fails to amaze me every time I step into the security line at the airport that many people are just plain dumb. For some reason, no matter what time of day or night, when some people walk through the automatic doors of the airport, they leave all common sense behind. I am secure in my stance on this statement because I am not the most savvy of people when it comes to current events. I don't watch the news all that much and read the newspaper on Sundays although many times it is to clip coupons and "ohhh, ahhh" over stuff I will never buy. Sure, I browse the Internet to get the important local and political news but again, I am in no way a news-buff.
So, in saying all that, I have a hard time believing that the business men and women, and vacation travelers I encounter in the airport security line still do not think it is necessary to take off their shoes, throw out their new cup of coffee or leave their bottle of new perfume behind. Are you kidding me? I would say that 75% of the time I am traveling, I witness this argument. HELLOOOOO, DOES THE SHOE BOMBER or 9/11 RING A BELL TO YOU? Not only does it bother me that they are giving the airport security guards a hard time, but they are bothering me because they are holding up the line and have their heads so far up their arse that they did not hear the announcements every 2 minutes over the airport loudspeaker nor did they read the sign they just walked past to get into the security line.
Does the ease of modern technology bring stupidity? I would like to think it is the opposite. We have the world at our fingertips. Literally. We can search on the Internet, call, type and read anything with the click of a button from our blackberry so why is it that we are too busy reading an email to hear an announcement or check what is acceptable on airplanes? This brings me to the conclusion that modern technology may be teaching us to over analyze. I think we now feel that if we do not get an email or call from an airlines before we leave for the airport, the security guidelines must not have changed...even though it is all over the Internet and news. However, now that I think about it, when I get my departure time text messages and reminder...it often states what you can and cannot bring on the plane, so I am clueless once again.
When I was a kid, we used our imagination so much to play house, store or even restaurant. We did role reversals, created complex scenarios and created games to keep ourselves occupied, and to have fun. I believe this has helped my generation to think past emails and use common sense to problem solve and keep up alert. Since it is hard to find a kid now that is more than 5 feet from a video game or computer, how do we teach them common sense? Better yet, how do we teach the security-line warriors common sense?
In some way, I think the smarter we become, the more dumb we get. Is there a way to have the best of both worlds? How can we make people start paying attention to what matters?
1 comment:
I saw a news article about packing your bags neatly or they might get opened and it reminded me of my recent airport experience where one woman's bag was re-examined for that very purpose. I was picking up my purse and peered over the edge to the ex-ray moniter to see it was just a mess in her bag. No wonder. Silly people.
I was one of the few people that read all the guidelines beginning to end multiple times over before I ever set foot in an airport.
Post a Comment