July 25, 2003
What's in a nickname?
I went through BWI recently. The TSA screener stopped me and got this confused look on her face. Apparently my intinerary listing "Bill" was a problem. Talk about idiots.
"It's a nickname", I said, but she didn't seem to get the point. Fortunately there was another employee within earshot so I got his attention and said "Got any friends named Robert that go by Bob? Or James going by Jim? So tell your cow-orker here that Bill's a nickname for William." She started to take the "You've dared challenge me so I'm going to make your life a living Hell" sort of posture. Fortunately the co-worker gave her the "How could you be SO stupid eye-roll" and I slipped past, barely escaping the cavity search I'm sure she was contemplating.
How much trouble are we in of the screeners don't understand handling nicknames?
