travel tip

i learned that if you want to get through the security checkpoint quickly, you can just stand in the line for the preferred and first-class passengers. if you stand there with confidence and present your boarding pass and id to the security person with an enthusiastic, "hi, how are you doing today?", they'll let you walk right through. actually, i don't think they even check to see if you're in first class or not--they only look for your name. i have been doing this every week in the pittsburgh airport and it hasn't failed me yet. it saves tons of time...and makes you feel important even though you really aren't a first class passenger.

in an unrelated note, i was looking around the candy store in the airport today while waiting for my flight to board. it was one of those places where there are lots of bins of candy and you pay for it by the pound. well, there was this little boy in there that was about 5 years old or so. and his mom was buying him some candy. i heard him remark, "mom, i think this is the best airport ever! can we come here everytime we have to fly on a plane?" he was so thrilled by all ofthe candy and thought the airport was the only place to get it. it made the anaology of "a kid in a candy shop" come to life for me.