the Friendly Skies.....

There is an iconic scene in the movie Five Easy Pieces ( i was kind enough to post it below). Jack (no last name needed) is ordering breakfast. He is very specific about what he would like. He is told "No Substitutions". A stand off- things escalate. A rebel stands up to "the man". He won't be pushed around by mindless bureaucracy.

great scene. (oh by the way the dark haired actress in the booth- Toni Basil. "Oh Mickey")

Classic '70s.

A dozen or so years ago,I was listening to an interview with the legendary author, radio guy, raconteur, Studs Terkel, and the subject of this scene came up.

Studs made the point that he felt for the waitress who was trying to take the orders. Middle aged woman, long hours, low pay, on her feet all day and here was this wise ass coming in giving her a hard time.

Hmmmmmm Food for thought (no substitutions though)

I remembered this scene and Studs take on it, this weekend as the TSA battle played out on TV, Radio, web..........

I am privacy boy, so the idea of the scanner and/or the pat down makes me crazy. I am all for safety but there has to be a more effective way of screening than treating everyone as suspects.The shoe removal, the liquid ban, the scanners, we always seem to be one step behind.

I don't pretend to have any answers , but our reaction can't continually be knee jerk.

oh back to my point, As horrible as the stories are of the people who are being patted down by insensitive agents, I think about the agents who are standing there 12 hours a day (totally made up that number) listening to a steady stream of nastiness AND having to pat down everybody who opts out of the scanner.

My heart goes out to the guy/gal who has to be running his/her hands all over my fat ass (and the millions like it) all day long. No excuse to be nasty and thoughtless and to abandon common sense, but wow that is not a job I would want.

Many years ago a paramour and I went camping in Florida (Disneyworld) The airline lost our luggage- you know all our clothes AND OUR TENT! The thing we planned sleeping in for the week. Upset? oh yes, but I will say as I was dealing with the lost luggage guy I was thinking "There ain't enough money in the world to pay someone to do this everyday"

Those TSA folks would change places with lost luggage guy in a heartbeat