By Thoreau
The announcement at the airport is “Due to increased security measures, passengers must maintain control of their belongings at all times.”
“Increased”? I’ve been hearing these announcements in some form since 1995 or 1996, when they feared that the Unabomber might attack LAX. I’ve spent half my life listening to that warning message. I have college students who are as old as that warning message.
I’m not saying it’s a good idea to leave packages lying around at the airport, and this is one of the less bothersome security measures, but the “increased” part of the message bothers me. Maybe I should be glad that they’re not playing the “We have always been at war with Eastasia” line, but it still bugs me. I guess it’s that it treats the wound as fresh.
Also, I know that this is nothing new, but it’s still annoying to watch them lecture the person ahead of me in line about her can of soda. I mean, they sell cans of Diet Coke in the terminal. They also sell Mentos. Think, people!
It is a psychological gambit. Most air line passangers travel relatively seldom, and the word “increased” conveys to them the idea that today is a special day, a day when they should be extra careful with their baggage. As they do not pass the air port daily, they don’t really internalize that these measures are routine.
Seasoned passangers, on the other hand know better. They also know not to leave the baggage unattended, as that will lead to the destruction and loss of it, perhaps combined with a lengthy interrogation.
The sentence makes more sense if you replace “security” with “insecurity”.
What would the protocol be for sending a message to Walden?
There are a number of levels of decloaking that can be employed. What is the general nature of the message?
FWIW, think of the ennui amongst flight attendants describing how to put on a life vest as one flies across Kansas. Just in case one crashes into a puddle.
The charm of Southwest is on occasion the inner snark is allowed to pop out a bit.
As far as I know, the international aviation regulation requires the instruction on the lifevest use only if the flight crosses or flies by seas or large lakes. The US, however, requires this instruction in all cases. However, in Europe, I’ve often seen pre-flight safety demonstrations that skip the life vest portion, as the flight is heading inland.