Have I mentioned before how much I hate United? Oh yes, I HAVE! Well I had another wonderful experience recently. I showed up at the airport only to find my flight delayed 4 hours. 4 HOURS! That and nearly every other flight on United’s boards were delayed. There were people getting on an 8pm flight that had been in the airport since 9am that morning. I’m sure most of Southwest’s flights were on time… I don’t know what it is about United that they can’t operate their airline in Chicago without having major delays nearly every time I fly them.

Let me also take this opportunity to berate the TSA. Look, I know that there was that big scheme with liquids, but your ridiculous restrictions are only accomplishing what the terrorists have set out to do - make air travel completely impractical for the normal person. Whereas I used to be able to walk into the airport and just carry-on all my bags with my toiletry bag, I now have to check my lip balm. sigh So now, instead of being able to arrive at the airport at a convenient time, I have to arrive two hours early to make it through the lines, that I otherwise happily avoided by being a good passenger and packing light. Then, instead of just hopping off the flight and grabbing my rental car, I have to go down to the baggage claim and wait another 40 minutes for your slow-ass employees to get the bags off the plane. You’re really making this inconvenient. And Bruce Schneier agrees the restrictions are ridiculous as well. And when will this silly restriction end? Doesn’t look like anytime soon… And today, a United airlines jet was diverted because somebody found a blackberry onboard. Excuse me? Somebody leaves a blackberry in the seat pocket (that would never happen) and the jet gets diverted!? This is a bad path we’re going down. All the better when I finally get my teleportation machine working and stop frying those poor rat’s brains…reconstructing brain matter is just SO difficult.

Update: p.s. One little way to get your liquids or gels through if you desperately need them and they’re not too big…put them in your pocket. Most liquids come in plastic containers and won’t be picked up as you walk through the x-ray machine. Wow…that restriction sure is effective.