Airport security has its problems. Not everybody who should be further screened is and often times the procedures are clearly little more than a form of harassment based on how a screener feels with regards to a particular passenger (based on a passengers appearance, gender, skin color, etc.).
Examples of what can be viewed as unfair (and indeed may be): I have been forced to hand over any assistive devices for my walking(a cane or crutches), and then proceed through the portals of security. Fortunately I have managed this but only by a bare margin. I hold on for dear life as I move through, gripping both the edge of the portal, and then the edges of the area where luggage is passed along. I was once taken to the side and then carted off to another room where I had to remove my prosthetic leg. It was then checked for any forms of illegal substance or dangerous weapons. You want to talk about humiliating experiences, try sitting on a plastic chair in your undershorts while someone examines the only thing that can get you from point-A to point-B and back again. Recently, having made it through the first part of security, those metal screening portals, I was instructed to remove my jacket. My jacket was held to the side, as was my cane and one of those wands was passed along the sides of my legs. My balance is unsteady and there I was barely able to keep from falling over. When they were through, my jacket and cane were a few feet away. I had to plead to have the cane returned to me. The man who had screened me with the wand looked at another man who may have been his supervisor, who nodded and I at least had my assistive back. It's at times infuriating and always frustrating however if it means safety I am willing to endure those moments of difficulty.
A friend of mine who uses a wheelchair made the mistake of arriving at the airport alone. They had him crawl (essentially scoot through on his rear end, using his hands to push himself forward) through the security portals. Nobody was allowed (or willing at least) to help him. He has a lawsuit pending on this matter. The general consensus is that if a handicapped person is fit enough to travel alone then they should also be able to maneuver through whatever obstacle course the government has deemed necessary for passenger safety.
Needless to say I drive whenever possible; but, when I must fly I go as prepared as I can be. So far out of 7 flights alone since 2001, 3 have been met with screening headaches. Oh, and for the record, the one where they had me take off my leg also caused me to miss a flight, and fail to arrive on time at a hotel. But hey it wasn't a total loss, they refunded my fare--both directions! Thank you ever so much USAIR.
As for this x-ray stuff being instituted now, the victims most likely to be given the extreme searching will be celebrities and attractive men and women who screeners can't resist getting to know better.
Welcome to life. Personally I'd rather have the security even with the aggravations then to have my plane blow up.
