Brain surgeons? Test pilots? Race car drivers? Those guys on the floor at the stock market? There are lots of professions where a moment of inattention can be catastrophic. (Me, I'm paid to think creatively about solutions to problems. Letting my mind wander - but not too far - is part of the job. But I'm not claiming that people will die if I shut my eyes for a few minutes, either. )

Your colleague Dean is on another thread describing how he found something surprising in a leather folder because he was alert. Your management describes you as being on the front line in the war on terror. I've had screeners pat me down from shoulder to wrist when I'm wearing a light blouse with sleeves that stop well above the elbow. How can you say you're searching for the 1-in-a-trillion hidden bomb and not be aware that you're searching someone's bare arms for it?