[MineralMan]

"But Mike sounds a bit stupid. You really don't leave your bag and wander off like that. And I suspect he's leaving out a few smart-ass remarks of his own in the retelling of this story."

Yeah. And, actually, I carry a butane lighter with me all the time. I put it in the little tray with all the other junk I forgot to take out of my pockets, and it just goes through. Cigarette lighters are allowed.

I always wonder about the folks who seem to have all this trouble. I travel all the time, and have been selected for additional screening a few times. I'm polite and cooperative, and it takes a couple of minutes, then I'm on my way.

Smart off to the folks, though, and simple psychology takes over. You want to be a smart***? Be prepared to wait a bit. Want to get on the plane? Be polite.

[CedarDave]

Checked a 25 lb tote of work tools in Boise on Sunday. Southwest agent took me to TSA inspector who looked at the agent, she nodded something, and he put a cable tie on it and sent it to the baggage loading area. At the gate, the TSA inspector had me take my cell phone off my belt and said that I didn't have to take off my sneakers to go through the metal detector. My biggest hassle was finding a SmartCart to take my bags to the check-in counter.

In my travels, I have found that folks in the larger cities and those east of the Mississippi tend to be more surley, arrogant and more likely a pain in the a** than those out in the heartland. Could be just my liking my rural, western lifestyle, but maybe not.

[A_perfect_lady]

Hey there, fellow godless atheist!

I always wonder about the folks who seem to have all this trouble.

Yeah, me too. Makes me think of that woman who was breast feeding her baby while going 65 mph on the Ohio Turnpike. Why did she ignore the officer trying to pull her over for 3 miles? Well, she's been "sexually assaulted twice" and "assaulted by a trooper" as well, you see.

Or a relative of mine who is inexplicably harassed by every single landlord she's ever had.

Or the guy who has a string of rotten bosses all through out his working life.

I mean, many of us run across a jerk, but some people just draw them like flies. Do they ever contemplate the possibilty that THEY are the jerk, the smart-ass, the passive-aggressive SOB? No, of course not! They're just... so darn unlucky!