As everyone knows, after 9/11, the United States went into an ultra secure mode increasing security at Airports, rail stations, ship yards…wait, okay, just at airports. We pumped a lot of money into improving the security at all of our airports.

Some will argue that it has worked as there hasn’t been an airplane related terrorist act since then. I’m not here to argue politics on either side of the case, what I am here to do is to compare security between the US and Europe. So, I’ll be looking at my recent experience flying to Europe and back and how security is going each way.

Going to the airport and traveling somewhere used to be an exotic experience. I’m sure everyone over 15 years old remembers their first flight. The huge open spaces at airports made you feel incredibly small. Who remembers having friends and family wave you goodbye from the terminal windows or there at the gate to meet you. Yep, those days are long gone.

Commercial jet travel is just over 50 years old, the first flight being in 1952. In the United States, December 10 marks the 50th anniversary of Jet travel when National Airlines began flying. American Airlines first domestic jet service began on January 25, 1959.

So in 50 years, we’ve gone from exotic and exciting to mundane, pain in the ass, would do something else in a minute if it was just as quick. I wonder if airlines do testing to see how small of a space they can create for a passenger before that passenger starts showing signs of serious fatigue and anger. Can we fit one more row of seats in economy class?

Enough about the plane, our focus is getting to the plane.

When you arrive at the airport, depending on the airport, your car may be searched or inspected. It’s been awhile since car inspections have been done, but if the terror alert changes colors, it could happen again.

Once inside, you check your luggage in and cart it over to a security point, where you drop it off to be x-rayed, checked (sometimes have electronics stolen from it) and sent off to your plane. Here in Orlando, they have security drop points, so that’s the final point where I’ll see my luggage until I arrive. I’m not sure how other airports are set up.

Before you enter the terminal (or ride out to the terminal), you go through the main security check point. This involves removing your shoes and anything that can cause the alarm to go off. I always remove my belt because if it sets off the alarm, it’s additional time I have to wait. I also plan for this and make sure I don’t wear anything that has excessive metal in it. I drop my bag on the conveyor belt and move through security. Sometimes you may be pulled over for a random search, but most time you’ll just walk through, pick up your bag, and hop on one foot while putting on your shoes (because they don’t have seats to use).

You are finally on the plane and on your way to Europe. Yeah!

When you arrive in Paris (I had to transfer in Paris). You get off the plane and move into the customs line, which is a large room of snaking lines. The wait for us was about 10 minutes, but it was very early in the morning (probably one of the first flights to arrive in Paris that day).

At the end of the line is a customs agent inside a little glass encased box. I step up to it hand him my passport. He opens it, looks at it, hands it back and grunts “okay.” I step past him, check where my connecting flight is and that’s it, I’m off to my next flight.

In Germany, no additional security checks.

[Insert happy vacation here]

Ready to head home? Neither was I, but alas, there are things we must do. While my vacation started in Germany, it ended in Paris. So off to the airport we go.

We arrive several hours early and there is only a couple of people checking in. We move down the line and meet the first person from the airline.

“Destination?” He says, looking at my passport.

“Atlanta.”

He takes a sticker, writes something on it and sticks it to the back of the passport and directs me to the check in counters. My travel mate and I walk up and the usual procedure occurs. Yes, yes, no, no. I place my bag on the scale. It’s weighed. Tag attached it to and it gets zipped up the line and out of my sight. No need for me to drag it over to security.

We make our way to the terminal where the main security is. Into the line we go. When we get up from, they check our passport and ask us to remove our shoes. From my observations, only people flying to the US have to remove their shoes. There were other people passing through in front of me that didn’t have to remove their shoes.

When I think of how much money we’re going to spend on preventing people from sneaking shoe bombs onto planes, it amazes me. To think, all of this effort because one person…one person tried to do it. Now we’ll be spending money on shoe bomb detectors so we don’t have to undo our shoes.

Sorry, but I don’t think it’s the best way to spend the money.

After asking me to remove my shoes, the security agent mentions something to another agent on the other side of the metal detector. I pass through and am asked to step to the side (again, this seems to be for anyone going to the US).

I collect my bag and have to go over to another agent sitting at a desk. He asks if I speak French, to which I reply no. He tells me to wait a moment. While waiting, he looks through my bag. Finally another agent arrives with some kind of fabric on a stick. Asks me to stick my hands out, dabs each on the top and palm, dabs all my electronics equipment and nods “okay.” Guess I didn’t have any explosive residue on me anywhere. Finally, I’m free to go to my plane.

Since we got there early, there was plenty of time to sit and read.

We get bussed out to the plane which is apparently parked somewhere in Switzerland. Find our seats and get ready to fly.

A moment, if you will, to allow me to rant about the plane. We were on a 757 which did not have seat back screens. I’m sorry, but I’m on an 8 hour flight across the pond and you can’t give me a plane which lets me choose what I want to watch on TV? Damn you, Delta!

On the positive note, I did get to see the sexy safety video.

Moving on to Atlanta where we touch down to change planes. Before we arrive, however, we’re all given a customs form to fill out in case we have anything to claim. The only thing I bought was a t-shirt for someone so I’m claiming a whole $12.

The plane lands and we make our way down to immigration.

And we wait. And wait. On a positive note, we can watch the slickly produced “Welcome to the US of A” video by Disney. Which happened to be playing on a screen which badly needed repair and tuning.

Finally, we make our way up to the surly agent. “Reason for trip?”

“Vacation.”

He looks at the passport and customs form. Finally he stamps the book hands both to me. “Give this form to the next agent.”

We move to collect our luggage. And move to the next agent.

“Reason for trip?”

“Vacation.”

“Do you have anything to claim.”

“Nope.”

And we pass through to go hand our luggage off to be put back on a plane.

Finally, we go off to find our connecting flight. Now those of you who have been through Atlanta will know, your arriving flight and connecting flight will always be at opposite ends of the airport.

In comparing both flights, I have to wonder if our excessive security measures do any more to protect us. Can we become better, more efficient and more effective? I don’t have an answer for that, but before we decide to implement more security, maybe we should look at implementing better security.

On a quick note, October 26 marks the 50th anniversary of the first New York to London Jet flight. It was flown by Pan Am. We’ve come a long way in such a short time.