A very unfortunate consequence of our “improved security” in response to the 9/11 attacks is that you can no longer store your bags in airport lockers.  I wanted to attend the graduation ceremony this morning at 11:00, but had to return my rental car before 12:30 to avoid paying an extra day’s rental.  I dropped the car off about 10:30 and went hunting for a locker.  No dice.  I ended up checking in for my flight and checking one bag.  The laptop I carried with me back to the school.

Is there really that much danger of somebody storing a bomb in a locker at the airport?  It’s not like there aren’t plenty of other places to hide something.  Couldn’t we post guards at the locker area entrance and have them screen any bags that will be stored in the lockers?

When I got home this evening and opened the bag I’d checked, I found a note from the TSA saying that they had opened it and searched the contents.  I find that incredibly funny, as the only thing even remotely suspicious in there was my electric razor.  I’m glad I didn’t have anything really dangerous in there.  Like a fingernail clipper.

It’s been almost four years now.  Security keeps getting more ridiculous and yet I don’t see any real improvements in the procedures.  There still seems to be plenty of holes that a diligent and imaginative enemy could exploit.  I remain of the opinion that all of this “increased security” is just busy work to make the unthinking majority of the traveling public think that “something is being done.”  I certainly haven’t seen any data to make me change that opinion.