Originally Posted by jkhuggins

I'm not trying to disagree with you here. I'm glad that your kids are able to move through the checkpoint with ease, and I support your right to pick whichever line is most appropriate for you & your family.

Unfortunately, not every child is as well-behaved as yours are (including my own). For some, parting with a comfort item may cause as much trauma as when an adult has to put their Blackberry down to go through the x-ray. For others, obeying the simple directions to stand here, walk through now, wait here, etc., may be problematic. It shouldn't be ... but there's a reason why we call such behaviors "childish".

So I can understand why the line guardians may have questioned your choice ... though nothing excuses that sort of rude behavior.

It points out the problem with the "choose the line that's most appropriate for you" approach to screening. There's little way to tell the difference between children better-suited to the black-diamond lane and children better-suited to the family lane.

And I speak as the parent of small children here, so I'm as critical of my own kids as anyone. I haven't been through a checkpoint where we've actually had a choice of lines (or, at least, a choice that wasn't being actively ignored by everyone in line) ... but I know that my kids wouldn't qualify as "expert" travelers. I'm glad that yours do.