Yet another example of the kind of idiotic "security measures" post 9/11 panic has triggered at airports is beautifully told at the Mommy blog.

"Luckily, this year we will all be traveling together on the same flight because we were able to find decent fares. Neither of us will have to brave it alone, like I did once last year, and will endeavor never to do again. I could not believe what they put me through. That rule about not holding a baby during a search--what is up with that?? Believe me, I am fully capable of holding my child far enough from my body to get that little wand where it needs to go, but there was just no negotiating a compromise. I had a purple, writhing, screaming baby, a toddler, and a preschooler with me, not to mention a double stroller clogging up the gate, and in the end I actually had to put the baby on the ground so that they could put me in the off-balance stance, search me, and invesitgate the wire in my bra.

By this time our 4 year old was a sniffling mess because we had forgotten to warn him that they would put his stuffed dinosaur through the x-ray machine. He actually threw himself onto the conveyor belt and crawled in after it, so I had to go in after him and then carry him through the sensor under my arm, wailing and wriggling like a marlin. I am normally polite and understanding, but this time I glared holes into the forehead of the woman who made my put my scared and screaming baby on the floor and asked her, "Do you have children? I do, and they were very secure children until a few minutes ago. They were very excited about this trip, and now I have six more hours to go, several of which will now be devoted to explaining why this is necessary, but not something to be afraid of." Total strangers came up to offer their sympathy and wonder at my composure. I wanted to shake that woman for putting her training so firmly in front of her line of sight that she couldn't see that it was scaring the children and pissing off the passengers. "