2 thoughts on “I miss the 1980s”

  1. I once had a medium size kitchen knife in my pack (shoestring travel around the globe). Unfortunately I had put it in my cabin luggage. The security (not as now) picked it up and looked at me with a questioning, if not aggressive, expression. I felt really stupid and explained it should have been in the checked in luggage. They politely told me they might have to take care of it. I nodded and said “yes” with vigor! I might even had a red face haha.
    Phew!
    One of those occasions when one feel guilty even if not guilty. Guilty of being stupid, I guess…
    These days not only the knife but I might have been “taken care of” .
    I haven’t flown in decades but I remember tax free shops in airport (after security check) selling at least Swiss Army knives. Back then (pre 9/11) I thought that somewhat odd, even if I actually bought one as last minute gift for someone I was going to visit.
    In the 1970s there were quite many airplane hijackings, although not suicide missions like 9/11. But there was no gigantic paranoia in the 1980s. Well El Al had very high security, but no wonder.

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  2. I can’t claim to have flown a lot but the whole airport experience was a lot more relaxed then than it was now. I remember, a few years ago, when flying home from Finland I had to leave behind an unopened jar of jam because — obviously — jam is a liquid and all liquids are potential explosives.

    Ever since, I have wondered how Exploding Finnish Jam tastes on toast.

    Security matters but we are now way past the point at which people are jumping at shadows and guarding against fantasies.

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