To add one to the list my brother's 84-year old landlady flew to California a few weeks ago to stay with her niece. She suffered a stroke several months ago, had just gotten out of rehab, and plans to stay with her niece for probably the remainder of her life. In any case, she was born in the US, lived in the same house for something like 70 years, and is hardly a threat, especially given her frail condition. She was pulled off the security line because the security buffoons evidently didn't like her answers to some of their questions. Admittedly, she has been known to make wisecracks when subjected to stupidity, but she is not overtly threatening in the least. The security took her to a room for questioning, and decided to give her a full cavity search as well. Exactly why we'll never know. Such is the state of mindless paranoia here, and rent-a-cops are using terrorism as an excuse to go on power trips. The only thing that puzzles me is why a significant portion of the population still subjects themselves to these invasive security procedures by choosing to fly. They should take a train, boat, drive, bike, or even walk, and let the airlines go screw themselves. Next time another plane slams into a building will be the final proof of the pointlessness of these security procedures. As it is we have 9/11, invasive security, bad economy, high fuel prices, fear of terrorism, and SARS as nails in the coffin of civil aviation. One or two more 9/11-type incidents will mean New York City gains a few square miles of prime waterfront real estate where the airports used to be.