Was flying to LA a few days ago, and flying out of LGA, as opposed to my normal route of EWR-LAX. Going through security at the Northwest gate, I took my laptop out and ran it through... Screener on the other side, after I walked through - young man, probably in his 20's or so...

"Dude, you a Simpsons fan?" (I have a few stickers of Homer on my laptop, lets me ID it easily, and puts clients at ease that I'm not some stiff PR consultant).

"Yup. Love the show."

"Me too, it's the most brilliant show on TV. Homer your favorite?"

"Yeah, he's just the commonality of all mankind."

"I agree - I wrote a few papers on the Simpsons in college."

I asked him where he went, he went to a community college in NYC. All this while I was getting my stuff together, etc.

Finally, I asked him - "you got an address? I've got some Simpsons stuff from the last Western Show (a cable trade show) I'll send you if you want..."

His eyes lit up like it was Christmas. He couldn't grab a pen fast enough. He gave me his address (lives in the Bronx - hellish commute, I'm guessing 4/5 to Times Square, PABT bus to LGA. Ugh - 2 hours each way min...)

He shook my hand as he gave me his address, and thanked me for being "cool." (Which, at 32, is always nice to hear...)

I mailed him off a bunch of stuff yesterday.

So... End result, I guess - they're not all bad. (Not that you'd know, from reading the posts on here...) ;-)

Really decent guy, just trying to earn a living.

I'll say it here, and then let all of you anti-TSA people gang up on me... Hate the game, not the player. Although I think the majority of us on here know better, in that we don't hate the individual TSA people, but the system as a whole. That's understandable.

Anyhow, keep an eye out at LGA and see if one of the TSA guys is wearing a Simpsons pin of Homer going "D'oh!"



-Peter