I Am So Over Terrorism

It was on the way to Basel from Zurich that I heard the news about the plane that crashed into the high-rise building on the Upper West Side. By that time it had been pretty well established that is was an accident, not OBL making a comeback. But there's no describing the way that I felt when I heard the words, "a plane just crashed into a building in Manhattan."

As I've been globe-trotting these past few months, I've realized that you can never, ever really know what the rules are for what you can and can't bring on board. So, I've just started packing under the strictest guidelines (UK, of course). No liquids of any kind (not even lip balm!), one carry-on back (smaller than the usual standard size), and I am always ready for security (shoes and jacket off, laptop out, pockets empty, adn other bits and pieces securely tucked into my carry on.) Of course, I always get stuck behind the 300 year old woman who hasn't seen a news cast in 20 years.

"But WHY do I have to take my SHOES off???"

Terrorism has some people so freaked out that they carry little emergency terror kits with them. Case in point:
(My friend, Kurt)




I'm still not sure what the goggles are for.