TSA: Too Stinkin' Anal

I recently returned from a trip home to Georgia and was intrigued by the differences in the TSA agents in the two airports from which I flew: Salt Lake City and Atlanta.

I had surgery on my wrist a couple days before I left Utah to head to Georgia, and I was trying to adjust to wearing a soft cast on my right arm.

It looked like this:

I expected to have to do some kind of extra security check at some point before they would let me on a plane, so I planned for a little extra time with our beloved TSA people.  After I went through the metal detector, the TSA agent told me to go see another guy to get my cast swabbed (I guess to make sure I didn't have any weapons on the OUTSIDE of my cast...).  It took about a minute and I was soon on my way to my gate.

And yes, for an entire two weeks (insert sad face here), I was in a hot and humid environment and was unable to wash my right arm.  Feel free to shed tears of sympathy now.

Here comes the good part.

My flight from Atlanta to Salt Lake was scheduled to leave at 6:15 AM on Sunday.  I figured that airport traffic would be light, considering the day and time.  Well, the only check-in that had a line was Frontier.  The one that I just happened to be flying that day.  There was a lady who was tapping her foot because she was worried about missing the flight (I walked into the airport at 5:15).  So was I.

And let me just say this: the people who check you in at the airport are slow and useless.  Much like the offense for the Atlanta Braves.  I didn't move in that line for almost 20 minutes while two people were checking in passengers more slowly than the plot development of Master and Commander.  But I digress.

By the time I finally got past check-in, I was booking it to get through security.  But there was a problem.  I still had this cast on my arm.  So Atlanta, being as huge and ridiculous as it is, decides that it needs to be SUPER thorough in checking to make sure that I don't have anything suspiciously hidden inside my cast.  After going through the body-scan, the TSA guy took me aside (away from my stuff) TO TAKE PICTURES from every possible angle of my arm using this outdated machine.  Was it necessary?  No.  I mean, I can understand that you want to make absolutely sure that nothing gets by unnoticed, but SERIOUSLY?  I had about 20 minutes to get to my gate before the flight left.  And I still had to get on the train to go 4 concourses down to my gate.

Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the fact that we've woken up and have a heightened sense of security in our airports.  But could you please cut down on the unnecessary procedures and MOVE FASTER??!!  It would help a lot of people be less stressed about flying.  Most importantly: ME!