I’m recently returned from a California beer trip, and it was good, no doubt. Very good, in fact. And more about that in a bit (or over here and here), but first, about the flying experience these days.

I understand that we live in curious times and that some dude stuffing his underwear with explosive material is bound to have repercussions, but Pearson Airport in Toronto has taken security to new heights, or depths. It starts with US Customs, entry to which is now allowed only by flight number, so forget arriving early to the airport because it doesn’t matter, you’ll still have to cool your heels in the concourse until they call your flight number. (And Torontonians, bless ‘em, still insist on lining up, even though it makes neither sense nor difference.)

The Future of Airport Security?

Once past customs and immigration, you must now contend with security, where you’ll be met by a huge line-up and well-meaning agents attempting to comply with rules that, one security officer told me, change almost daily. You will step on some sort of rubber pad and an arrow will light telling you what direction to go. (Lord knows what happens if it doesn’t light; I’ve never seen it.) Then you will go through the normal scans before being subject to a possible second scan and a mandatory secondary inspection of every bag you have with you. Yes, that’s right, absolutely every single bag is opened and rifled through. Every…stinking…one.

Now, I could understand this as an appeasement of our cranky southern neighbours if they were performing anything near the same measures, but they’re not. In San Francisco, in San Diego, in Chicago, it was business as usual: off with the shoes, out with the computer, through the machines and thank you very much. So why the chaos on this side of the border and not the other?

Believe me, I am about the most tolerant frequent flier you could imagine, but there are limits! And I haven’t flown domestically yet this year, so I’ve no idea if the security for Canadian flights is as bad, or if other Canadian airports have instituted the same measures. Anyone else? Tell me your experiences, folks.