Random Check

On the way into work today I heard advertisements for the Blockbuster Music Awards sometime this. These awards are filmed this year in Vegas just like last year. My wife and I were in Vegas last year during the taping of the show. We left to return home on the same day they were being taped, a few hours after the show had started taping.

In the airport we notice 3 overly made up women with a huge guy with a nice suit and sunglasses on getting checked in for tickets. When we get up to security we notice the same four people and realize that they’re Destiny’s Child. I couldn’t have picked two of them out of a lineup but I do know what Beyonce looks like. I assume the large guy with them was some sort “No you can’t have your picture taken with them or get an autograph” repellant. We’re pretty close to them in security, about four people or so behind them, and we notice that Beyonce is the ‘random’ check. There are four male TSA people with no women. They tell her that they must hold her until a female agent can come to finish the security checks. She is still there waiting by the time we make it through security and I was able to get a closer look at her, she was gorgeous.

I fly a good bit, 56 separate airplanes and 49,000 miles this year. Anyone who travels enough knows that it is airline that picks the people to get the random rubber glove treatment. They usually don’t randomly pick people who fly First Class or are frequent fliers with them, they don’t want to inconvenience they’re better customers. With the 56 flights I’ve gone through security over 40 times this year and been in First Class on about 25 of those planes. I started this year with a preferred status with the airline and have kept it up. I’ve never been the random check. I’ve only had to have my bags get another look twice, both times they were looking for my inhaler because I left it open and it makes an L shape.

I’m sure Beyonce flies a lot and I bet when she does fly commercial it is First Class. Who knows, if I was bored and a famous beautiful star I like came through security I might ‘randomly’ want to keep her there an extra 15 minutes also, probably not. Since I do fly a bunch it is good to know all of our TSA agents are diligent in looking for threats to the air.