The Peanut Butter and Jelly Bomber

On my flight home from a recent trip to New York, I once again encountered the airline security police. The flights to Northwest Arkansas through Chicago would take me directly to a spring break week with my two grandchildren, Caitlyn and Charlie, plus Caitlyn's friend. I put a jar of peanut butter and a jar of jelly into my carry on bag to ensure a quick meal at the cabin where we were staying in Eureka Springs. Evidently, according to my husband, I did not read the "restricted items" list. I admit I did not, but I knew all prescriptions had to be put in clear quart size bags for inspection, all cosmetics had to be in three ounce size bottles. no liquids of any kind would be allowed like bottled water from home, and on and on. I reasoned to myself that peanut butter and jelly were no liquids. Upon removing my vest, jacket, shoes, coins, watch, jewelry, and belt to go through the security line, I heard the dreaded words from one of the officials, "bag check." I saw the next woman put on her plastic gloves and thought, "I wonder what they saw." She immediately took out the peanut butter and jelly and tossed them into a large garbage container where they hit the bottom with a breaking thud. Our homeland security chief Janet appears on television regularly to assure the public that, yes indeed, our rules are being relaxed every day. I am still waiting for good common sense to prevail as an Anglo American grandmother goes through a security line.