Ah - when I was a wee lad. My family dropped my grandparents off at the airport for their trip to Europe. This was just before metal detectors showed up in airports and we walked all the way down and sat with them at the gate and watched them board. I recall a later trip for them where the airport had setup the security checkpoint before the gates. 2 collapsible tables and a walk through metal detector that was aerodynamically styled.
My first job, pre 9/11, was out of state so I flew back home fairly often and I’d arrive at the airport 15 minutes before departure, sprint through the terminal, threw my bag through the metal detector and would hop on just as they closed the doors!
It’s no fun now
Exactly how I remember flying in the 70s and 80s. Dashing for the door.
After 9/11, I was practically denuded at Bush Airport in Houston. With 500 of my closest friends. A whole battalion deploying to the Middle East. I beeped. Numerous times.
Each time I went through the metal detector, something beeped. TSA demanded I keep taking off more. First my uniform jacket. Beep. My belt and totally empty pockets. Beep. Boots off. Beep. Socks off. Beep. I'm standing in the terminal holding up my trousers in a t-shirt, barefoot. Beep.
By this time, there were several dozen civilians all around the terminal watching this kid being slowly undressed trying to get past TSA inspection to fly overseas and fight a war.
Some TSA genius said, "This guy ain't getting through" and he brought out one of those wand detectors. Squeak. Squeak. Around my ankle. Turns out I had a can of chewing tobacco with a metal lid in the ankle pocket of my trousers. Once we found that, and put the can of Copenhagen on the belt to be X-Rayed, I was cleared.
I swear some people in the terminal who had been watching this whole procedure, seeing a Soldier taking off everything but t-shirt, trousers, and skivvies, started clapping when I finally made it through security. This is the TSA.
How embarrassing.