Heard that one before?

On July 4^th, San Diego International Airport (SAN) introduced a new set of videos at the security checkpoints. Starring roles are played by the San Diego Zoo’s Bamboo Bear, Legoland’s Johnny Thunder, the San Diego Padres’ Friar, and Shamu from SeaWorld.

Want to see a whale going through the metal detector? I did – but I didn’t have a trip to SAN planned anytime soon.

So I’m pleased to see that the airport has posted the video on YouTube.

For starters, air travel is frustrating enough these days. So it just makes things worse if you insist on fully reclining your seat back when the person behind is already squished. Or if you walk down the airplane aisle letting your carry-on bag smack into the faces of folks already seated.

And then there’s this: if you get really out of hand, say by getting into a fistfight with another passenger over the armrest, you may have to answer to a Federal air marshal – perhaps the one who recently set a new world marksmanship record for shooting the “Roundabout” in 8.08 seconds during the “Speed-On-Steel Championships.”

The TSA is very proud.

(From TSA site)

Starting on July 4^th, waiting on line at a security checkpoint at San Diego International Airport (SAN) will be a bit more entertaining.

The airport is rolling out a series of “info-tainment” videos featuring popular San Diego mascots offering tips to travelers about what can and cannot be taken through the checkpoints.

Look for the San Diego Zoo’s Bamboo Bear, Legoland’s Johnny Thunder, the San Diego Padres’ Friar, and Shamu from SeaWorld.

SAN isn’t the only airport to feature celebrity videos at the security checkpoints. In Las Vegas, McCarran International Airport partnered with the local Convention and Visitors Authority to create almost a dozen short videos featuring Las Vegas “luminaries” such as Wayne Newton, Rita Rudner, Carrot Top, magicians, aliens, and acrobats demonstrating the proper way to go through the security checkpoints. You don’t even need to be on line at the airport to see the videos: they’re on the airport’s website under Traveler Tips.

If you’re heading home by plane tomorrow from a Memorial Day weekend trip, perhaps you’ll enjoy these cartoons about the security checkpoint experience.

The folks who write the TSA’s blog – Evolution of Security – seem to!

On Friday, May 9^th, the TSA posted full body images of millimeter wave full body scans on its Evolution of Security site.

The images, provided by the manufacturer of the scanning machines, are supposed to show what TSA officers see when someone opts for a full body scan instead of a full-body pat down at airports in Phoenix, Baltimore, LAX and JFK, where the technology is currently being used.

Worried that you and your skivvies might end up plastered on some Website? I am, even though TSA blogger “Bob” says don’t worry: “…TSA will not keep, store or transmit images. Once deleted, they are gone forever. For additional privacy, the officer viewing the image is in a separate room and will never see the passenger and the officer attending to the passenger will never see the image…”

Not sure how it will work out, but you’ve got to give a bit of extra credit to the folks at the TSA for their “Tell us how we’re doing in general” blog and, now, for their airport-specific feedback program. The agency rolled out the new program today, complete with a handy hot-linked map, for six airports: Boston, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles, Dallas/Fort Worth, Dallas-Love Field, and Reagan National.