Originally Posted by
PhlyingRPh
LOL.
Tfar, the difference is that it's once or twice a year summer travelers unfamiliar with TSA requirements, and if I may gingerly say so, checkpoint etiquette. I just flew LAX-SMF this afternoon and while waiting in line at the LAX T7 checkpoint, there were two families in front of me as I arrived at the conveyor belt. They were sorting out strollers, diaper bags, those little pink pre-K rollaboards things, camcorder, etc. I asked one of the matriarchs if she wouldn't mind me going ahead. I don't think I was out of line. My laptop bag, shoes, jacket and I only jumped past six or seven people trying to get their stuff together.
I don't do what you describe above. However, when I get to the conveyor belt and people are rummaging through their stuff, I will cut in front of them. I do this even if I am early, because I don't see the point of standing around when I could just walk around a couple of people who are not quite ready / getting their stuff together. Me standing there waiting does no one any good. OTOH, in my estimated 600+ journeys this decade, I can only recall a couple of times when airline staff have escorted me to the front of a line due to lateness/flight change.
Yes, I'd prefer it if others didn't join in.
Yes, this is what I do.
As an aside, I am the guy that accredits the organization in charge of issuing ahole certificates.
I now understand your point better. Thanks. And of course, nobody should mess with the grandmaster of ahole certification!
I fly certainly much less than you do but the thing with asking a security officer for a quick pass has worked the one time I did need it. It was in Zurich, though. Perhaps the agents tick differently there. I find that security in ZRH is very efficient, speedy and polite anyway.
OTOH, if I am early I wouldn't cut the line, even if there are people ahead that take longer. While it does nobody any good if you stand there, you can see from the responses that people might or do get pissed if you skip ahead. So staying does nobody any good but it also does nobody any harm. Skipping has the potential to anger people, so I avoid that. What I said about "if everybody would do that" does apply here. It is usually an argument I hate and refute when it is applied to my own behavior but I think here it could apply very well, just because the incidents are so common and so likely.
Till