So I’m sitting here in the Winnipeg airport after being in the security line up for an hour. Yes, one hour. My flight is delayed. I would have made it anyway because I was at the airport early enough. I’ll have to tell DM she was right about getting to the airport really, really early.

The security line up was due to the second, inept attempts at bombings in London reported in the news today. There were several things that impressed me about the whole situation.
1. My ability to laugh as I walked to the end of the line which ended up going down some stairs.
2. The ability of others who walked by the incredibly long line to laugh at the astoundingly long line up that went downstairs.
3. The general good nature of everyone involved. No hissy-fits, no grumbling and complaining, and most people still willing to laugh and smile in the line up.

There was one thing that did not impress me at all.
1. The people who thought they were better than the rest of us. No one gets special treatment in these cases. (Except the old ladies in wheelchairs who couldn’t move well on their own and I’m more than okay with their special treatment. It’s a respect thing. Of course, I didn’t have to talk to them which might have change my mind.) We’re all in the same boat, which is having the potential for missing out flights. Not really a great risk as all the flights are delayed, but still. And everyone in the line up was being kept abreast the reason for the line up and given reassurance that no one would be left behind. I want to talk to these people, but I know it’s useless. I just made their “line cutting in” a bit more noticed and difficult. What really frosts my cookies is that one particular individual that I noted as having cut into the line wasn’t in any hurry once he got on the other side of security. He went shopping. Is it important that both people who cut in were male? Is this the superiority that they feel? Why don’t they have to follow the rules?

In times like these, rules are necessary things. I’m finding a lot of similarities to the current book club book I’m reading. We live in luxury and for that, there are consequences and prices to be paid. For the luxury of having planes that fly us around the world, we have to pay in dollars for the safety of the aircraft, but in also in lives once in a while. Terrorists, the infrequent failure of the plane, the rare incompetence of the pilot, and more terrorists.

We protect stupidity. We can only have so many safeties in place and it’s already bordering/crossing the line on absurdity in some cases. Would my mother have been reported to child protection services when I was little because she let me eat sand? Gross, dirty, bug filled sand that might have given me pinworms? We’ve gone too far. I’m torn about whether we should interfere in the lives of others. Where should the line be drawn? My way of life works for me, but I will never (or hope I never) force it upon others. And I certainly don’t condone a government that does. I was so pleased with our prime minister when we did not aid the Americans in their attack.

GAH! And this is why I shouldn’t read the news.