(no subject)

Boston Logan security is pretty tight, but the lack of actual passengers makes it a breeze. I checked my carry-on again so I wouldn't have any problems, and there were some minor problems anyway. My car keys were in my jacket pocket, I put my jacket through the X-ray machine, and the car alarm button apparently looked just like a cigarette lighter. They ran the jacket through twice, then asked to look at it and searched all the pockets. Boston is really paranoid about open flames. There was an overflowing bucket of cigarette lighters and matches, confiscated from jonesing smokers. Security had a little commotion behind me as they tried to explain to an elderly lady why she couldn't bring her 10" knitting needles on board. Cops and federal agents everywhere, conspicuously armed. There was some casual prejudice among security -- Mid-easterners (or Latins that looked Mid-eastern) were carefully scrutinized. Some security seemed genuinely apologetic about it, some security just reverted to the "king of my own little hill" mentality. This seemed limited to security, however. Many passengers in the gate area were talking about the hijackings, two were from this airport, but most would revert right back to the half bored, weary patience of professional travellers in any time or place.

Through it all, however, I got to the gate in less than half an hour, with two to go before my flight. The security is thorough, but there just aren't any passengers. Friday evening, Boston to Atlanta, a plane that should be overbooked by 12 had 60 seats free.

The flight was uneventful. The best kind.