2008 Woodie Awards
There can be too much of a good thing
Amy Cohen & Stephen Holden
Issue date: 11/29/07 Section: Op/Ed
With Winter Break fast approaching, many of us are making plans with our families and friends to travel. For those of you that will be flying, I urge you to consider the following while standing in endless security lines, shoeless, and praying that you haven't forgotten to take out every liquid item from your carry-on that might be larger than 3.5 ounces: how much of this is necessary?
I recently read in an editorial article from the New York Times that airports will soon be asking its passengers to pack their luggage neatly to make it easier for security to see what is in the bags by x-ray. This includes clothing items folded and stacked, electronics stored in a separate compartment and toiletries separated and contained in clear plastic bags.
I am in full support of whatever security measures our government deems necessary in order to keep myself safe while traveling by air. I will arrive three hours early to Newark International in order to present the same ID six times, go through 19 security checkpoints and listen to directions in four languages, and I will do it happily and dehydrated due to the lack of bottled water that is no longer allowed in my backpack. However, I draw the line when my government tells me the appropriate way to pack my bags. It's a little too Big Brother-esque for my piece of mind.
Effective packing, in my experience, is making sure everything I need gets in my bag and to my destination safely. Rarely are my bags packed neatly, and that is mostly due to the fact that I happen to be exceptionally talented at packing last minute. I'm sure many of you are the same way, and would probably not appreciate having to take the extra time to lay your socks out flat in order to give some x-ray technician at the airport a clean sight line through your underwear. Consequently, I think this is one security measure that borders on the ridiculous.
I recently read in an editorial article from the New York Times that airports will soon be asking its passengers to pack their luggage neatly to make it easier for security to see what is in the bags by x-ray. This includes clothing items folded and stacked, electronics stored in a separate compartment and toiletries separated and contained in clear plastic bags.
I am in full support of whatever security measures our government deems necessary in order to keep myself safe while traveling by air. I will arrive three hours early to Newark International in order to present the same ID six times, go through 19 security checkpoints and listen to directions in four languages, and I will do it happily and dehydrated due to the lack of bottled water that is no longer allowed in my backpack. However, I draw the line when my government tells me the appropriate way to pack my bags. It's a little too Big Brother-esque for my piece of mind.
Effective packing, in my experience, is making sure everything I need gets in my bag and to my destination safely. Rarely are my bags packed neatly, and that is mostly due to the fact that I happen to be exceptionally talented at packing last minute. I'm sure many of you are the same way, and would probably not appreciate having to take the extra time to lay your socks out flat in order to give some x-ray technician at the airport a clean sight line through your underwear. Consequently, I think this is one security measure that borders on the ridiculous.