Dear Airline Industry and TSA

Dear Airline Industry and TSA,

I remember when fear of flying was the most prevalent concern air travelers had.  Remember those days?  I was never afraid to fly, myself, so the biggest concern I had was whether or not my ears would pop correctly during the final descent.  I'd heard stories of people spending their vacations having trouble hearing anything, so I'd pack gum and yawn to make sure that everything was okay.

Now, I wish that were my main concern.  Now I worry about my privacy being violated.  I worry about being touched in places I don't want a stranger's hands on me.  I worry about being charged hundreds of dollars for another seat or kicked off of a flight for being considered too fat.

The worst part of it is that most of what I listed above comes from arbitrary and unnecessary policies.  My ears popping is a matter of biology and physics.  Your security theater has been displayed as a sham by people more informed than I am.  Your anti-fat measures are applied at the whim of whoever happens to be working that day and are used at the airline's convenience to solve issues you cause to begin with.  Flight overbooked?  Just search the plane for someone who looks fat, threaten to charge for a second seat, and hope that they'll be unable to pay so you can shove two more people onto the plane.

The next time I fly, will I be molested?  Will images of my body be displayed?  Will I be harassed and threatened and overcharged?  Will I be ejected from the plane?  I'm not worried about the plane crashing; I'm worried about what you'll do to me on the way to the plane.

I miss the days when chewing some gum would solve my problems.

With love,
Frank Lee