Travel psychology, coping strategies

OBOW reader Guy Winch writes at Psychology Today:

Tensions are always high over peak travel times and I doubt there will be much holiday joy emanating from security lines this year, regardless of their screening methods. We tend to be much less annoyed in such situations if we anticipate them in advance. Therefore, be prepared for long lines at check-in, security and even boarding and prepare children as well, so they too can adjust their expectations accordingly. At best you’ll all be pleasantly surprised. - PT’s Squeaky Wheel blog (How to complain the right way)

Preparation and management of expectations are among the reasons OBOW often focuses (to the irritation of some) on the security follies. Our reporting bad news (negativity?) is not meant to encourage disrespectful behavior or anger. A good attitude is especially helpful in bad times. Get mad when you read about the latest outrage, maybe — but leave the anger at home. 

Comments

[Charles]

>> prepare children as well, so they too can adjust their expectations accordingly

Translation: Buy them copies of "The Decline And Fall Of The Roman Empire".

[Alan]

Unfortunately Charles, I think your book choice is appropriate. Indeed, we seem to be living in the last days of Romulus Augustulus.

[Till]

US imperialism is a bit more invasive and heavy-handed than what the Roman empire did, though. :)

Seriously, though, I don't quite agree that one should leave the anger at home and be placated so that everyone just has a jolly good time and things go smoothly.

The situation is serious enough that it's worth standing up for it. There are different ways to do that. You can write to your congress people, participate in forums, explain to friends what is really behind these techniques because most people frankly have no clue. Read the comments on CNN from both commentators and editors. If they did have a clue they'd be more outraged.

So sublimating one's outrage and anger into an attitude that is respectful but uncomfortable and questioning at the TSA checkpoint is a great thing to do. After all, the TSA's attitude is uncomfortable and questioning, too, but without being respectful.

What the TSA does bring is guaranteed hassle and, IMHO, infraction of civil rights and freedoms. What we get for it is a VERY uncertain increase in security. As a matter of fact no TSA measure has ever prevented the slightest attack despite millions being spent and thousands being upset.

When your fellow travelers learn about the issue and when they see that people are courageous enough to stand up against it, they might join.

Otherwise, the NIemoeller quote might be easier to understand than the Fall of the Roman Empire or Spengler's Decline of the West:

They came first for the Communists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.

Then they came for me
and by that time no one was left to speak up.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_they_came...

The Declaration of Human Rights from 1948 is also a good read as "refresher":
http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html

Other countries and big ethics and church bodies feature phrases like 'Human dignity is inherent, inalienable, unassailable, inviolate and indivisible.'

Afaik, the US Constitution does not contain such an Article or Amendment or else this would not be possible.