Is stupidly contagious?

It's been about five years since I've traveled by air, and I have to say, we haven't gotten any smarter. If you haven't flown in the past two decades, let me clue you in. The minute you step into an airport you are no longer a US citizen, you are now a threat to the policy makers. Especially now under the heath guidelines of some of the dumbest amongst us. 

You start by entering a cattle gate that will subdue you with an endless maze of ropes, while under the watchful eye of the gate keepers. They could make it really easy and wave you through an open gate marking it a straight shot, but that wouldn't do. They need you to zigzag through an empty queue for three min to size you up and determine if you need to be further scrutinized. 

Make it the first station, you scan your pass while a person looks over your identification, they can't tell if it's you until you pull your face diaper down to show them your pearly whites. So much for the science of face masks, if you pull it down at any other time, and a gate keeper will yell at you like a kindergarten kid with their finger in their nose! Now to my favorite part…

The next move doesn't apply to senior citizens, or anyone who is VIP, just everyone else. Off with your shoes, belt, hat, and flannel or sweater. (Apparently this is the equivalent of a lead apron to the next phase, an X-ray machine.) so in a tote with the rest of your personal items they go, but make sure they're in a separate bin! Apparently the X-ray machine can not distinguish a laptop from a pair of jeans while passing through, oh and the shoes, hat, and sweater…. This machine is the super-duper one that can view through them! Unless they're owned by a senior citizen that is. 🤦‍♂️ 

So with shoes in hand, seven bins of personal items perched like the mad hatter at a tea party, you shuffle across the room, holding your pants up, doing the security equivalent walk of shame. 

But it's all for safety. 

I'm not surprised that so many really think their vaccination will only work if everyone else gets vaccinated, we've taught them for twenty years, that critical thinking skills are to be set aside for the policy makers and TSA agents. All of this is stupid, it doesn't make you any safer, but don't say that to them, they'll throw you in a room in handcuffs for an hour. At least they left me my cell phone. 

And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul

John Muir