A Tale of Two Airports

Here’s the scene at Atlanta’s busy airport one afternoon a few weeks ago (and just slightly exaggerated):

To everyone: 3 lines, folks. Not 2! Not 4! 3 lines only for security,

To everyone: laptops out, folks. Jackets and coats come off. No water bottles. Plastics, meds etc. must be in a one quart bag,

To everyone: belts off before you get to the X-ray machine. The big fella there – off with your belt or back to the end of the line,

To the boy with baggy, saggy pants: take those ear-rings off,

To the teenage girl with her headphones plugged in (and can’t hear): your braces will set off the x-ray machine,

To the elderly man with a hearing aid (and can’t hear): take those metal flags off your shirt,

To the guy with the B-for-Boston Red Sox cap: both shoes come off – are you Irish?

To the big, muscular ex-Marine-type carrying several huge bowling balls in a travel bag -supervisor! supervisor!

To everyone – 3 lines, 3 lines, 3 lines, 3 lines, 3 lines!

Here’s the scene at Munich’s busy airport one morning a few weeks ago:

Mostly silence. Some background noise but not much.

Arriving passengers queue up behind the person in front of them (logical, it seems). The security people nod and gesture but do not speak. There are three large TV screens above the lines showing animated characters removing jackets and belts. Several signs with the red diagonal warning symbol are placed along the security area: no weapons, no liquids, no electronic devices.

Everything is so simple. Everyone knows what to do – wordlessly.