America's Security fixation
To fly to Toronto I had to change at Houston George Bush Airport Texas, there was an hour and fifteen minutes between flights. More than enough time you might think. However, if you had mixed opinions about the US before take a connecting flight through the States, you will be positively incandescent about the officious stupidity of the twats after you have tried to swap planes there. I landed at Houston at 5:30. I'd had to complete a customs form declaring that I wasn't bringing anything in, a Visa waiver saying I wasn't staying on the plane.

On disembarkation I had to queue for an hour so that I could be quizzed by one of the bureaucratic monkeys of the Immigration and Nationalization Service that fingerprints you, photographs you and asks stupid Questions.

INS Officer: How are you feeling today Sir?
Me: Not very well actually?
INS Officer: Are you ill?
Me: No, I am really annoyed at being made to queue up for an hour and go through passport control just so I can change flights and get out of a country I had no intention of visiting in the first place.

I ran to collect the checked in suitcases from my previous flight which were laying deserted awaiting thieves, having been decanted from the plane some 40 minutes previously. I rush on to US Customs, "Anything to Declare Sir?", "Yes, I declare I am very angry with this ridiculous facade!" Running on, I threw my suitcase into a chute, which sent it on to the next flight. It wasn't opened or checked by Security personel, as had happened in Costa Rica. I hurried off to have my hand luggage checked. "Take the laptop out of the bag, let me look at your shoes, all metal items in the tray......" I managed to get on the connecting flight just as it finished boarding and was sat next to a woman who was running several hours late as she'd missed her flight due to an identical theatrical drama.

Well to those of you that say 9/11 blah, blah, blah as justification for this farce, think for a minute about the flights that travel direct from Costa Rica to Toronto. They still fly over the US, anything naughty they are carrying, is still with them on the plane, they don't have INS officers checking people who fly over the US. Er, why not have two queues? One for people in transit, one for people entering. Unfortunately, it's a little too simple for the semi-evolved simians that define American security measures.

Sorry, but something has gone horribly wrong with the US. What happened to common sense and why did a fraction over 50% of the electorate decide that GWB was a suitable inheritor of a post previously filled by the likes of Washington and Roosevelt?