"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:HnKRc.117977$eM2.7584@attbi_s51...
I was talking about the impact on Americans, Paul. I think it goes
without
saying that foreign nationals have come under much greater scrutiny since
9/11. This shouldn't come as any surprise, since they came under virtually
NO scrutiny prior to 9/11.

They would have had no idea what nationality I was. It was a domestic
flight from Chicago (though I wouldn't imagine there's airline service from
Cedar Rapids to London!).

Actually, if TSA DIDN'T question you, I'd be wondering what those extra 20
bodies in Cedar Rapids were doing all day... (Playing cribbage mostly, I
suspect.)

There are 20 of them?? Blimey. I suspect they were bored too.
They were pleasant enough. Was a bit strange that they didn't ask
me there and then why I was taking a photograph and followed me
out to knock on the taxi window just as we were about to drive off!
I would guess they would have hoped that I had driven off, then they
could just get back to their cribbage! :-)

As a European used to airline security, it only becomes annoying if
there are long queues. Flying BA from Dusseldorf is annoying because
BA have their own x-ray machines, so you have to go through two
lots of security. It made sense when the airport machines were the
old type, but now they've upgraded to (as far as I can tell) exactly
the same machines as BA use upstairs.

Paul