I just got home from DC and on the way back, one of the TSA agents dropped my laptop on the floor. Her reaction? None. Her apology? Non-existant.

This bureaucratic nightmare has made me stop flying except for once or twice a year. Mostly now I just plan to drive. The extra 2 hours (1 each direction) needed to get through endless checks, which investigators say doesn't make us any more safe, means that I could be 130 miles in any direction for a trip.

The system really is in need of an overhaul. On the way to DC, I was stopped by three agents to show boarding pass and ID. What's wrong with this? Nothing, except that the line was short and the time elapsed between presentations was less than 5 seconds. And they were all within 10 feet of each other. There were more agents than people in line.

And please do not get me started on the caste sytem supported by the TSA. First class passengers get a special line. Since when is the government supposed to care how much you pay to ride the plane? Of course, in the present administration, we all know that money buys access, but do we need to see the rich not be put through the same rigors in terms of security? If the business execs had to stand in the same lines as everyone else, I have a hunch that the system would change, and change quickly.

Finally, get rid of the so-called "random" testing. I do random sampling for a living right now, and the way that the TSA selects people is not random sampling. It's convenience sampling, which is not random, and has a much higher probability of error. So what does that mean? We're just inconveniencing people and we're no more safe.

Ok, enough ranting. The laptop is still functional, although a piece of plastic broke off. Just a reminder to drive next time.