The Other Side of a Funny Travel Moment
Dear Dan,
Enjoyed the story of your families trip to Cabo, Mexico.
It should be noted that they were kind in letting your son keep his trophy.
Making fun of security personnel for doing ithat means that they might be less likely to do it for someone in the future.
There are thoughtful people in the worst of bureaucracies.
Taking your toothpaste is the bureaucratic equivalent of letting you know that they could have done otherwise, Credit where credit is due for kindness. Perhaps not mentioning it or mentioning it differently, would have been thoughtful in return. Not ridicule.
I'm no fan of the senseless, either, but they treated your son's feelings and his treasure with respect.
Best wishes to you, and your family, with appreciation for the newsletter,
Leah
Hi Leah,
Thank you for taking the time to write and for your kind words about the article. I am very glad you enjoyed reading about our family trip. It was a special experience for us.
I also appreciate the thoughtful perspective you shared. I agree with you that many people working in large systems are doing their best, often under difficult circumstances, and I try to give people the benefit of the doubt whenever I can.
In this particular case, though, the situation was a little different than the lighthearted way it may have come across in the story. We were actually required to go back out of security, check a bag, and pay an additional fee because of a folding chair and a small tube of toothpaste. The marlin “sword” simply went through with no questions asked because my son had already passed through screening ahead of me. So the humor in the article was really rooted in the inconsistency of the experience rather than any lack of appreciation for individual kindness.
That said, I understand your point. It is easy for humor to be interpreted differently depending on personal experiences and viewpoints. I certainly did not intend to diminish the efforts of people who are trying to do their jobs well.
I appreciate you sharing your thoughts in such a considerate way, and I am grateful to have readers who engage so sincerely with what we write. Thank you again for being part of our Cook’n community.
Warm regards,
Dan
Enjoyed the story of your families trip to Cabo, Mexico.
It should be noted that they were kind in letting your son keep his trophy.
Making fun of security personnel for doing ithat means that they might be less likely to do it for someone in the future.
There are thoughtful people in the worst of bureaucracies.
Taking your toothpaste is the bureaucratic equivalent of letting you know that they could have done otherwise, Credit where credit is due for kindness. Perhaps not mentioning it or mentioning it differently, would have been thoughtful in return. Not ridicule.
I'm no fan of the senseless, either, but they treated your son's feelings and his treasure with respect.
Best wishes to you, and your family, with appreciation for the newsletter,
Leah
Hi Leah,
Thank you for taking the time to write and for your kind words about the article. I am very glad you enjoyed reading about our family trip. It was a special experience for us.
I also appreciate the thoughtful perspective you shared. I agree with you that many people working in large systems are doing their best, often under difficult circumstances, and I try to give people the benefit of the doubt whenever I can.
In this particular case, though, the situation was a little different than the lighthearted way it may have come across in the story. We were actually required to go back out of security, check a bag, and pay an additional fee because of a folding chair and a small tube of toothpaste. The marlin “sword” simply went through with no questions asked because my son had already passed through screening ahead of me. So the humor in the article was really rooted in the inconsistency of the experience rather than any lack of appreciation for individual kindness.
That said, I understand your point. It is easy for humor to be interpreted differently depending on personal experiences and viewpoints. I certainly did not intend to diminish the efforts of people who are trying to do their jobs well.
I appreciate you sharing your thoughts in such a considerate way, and I am grateful to have readers who engage so sincerely with what we write. Thank you again for being part of our Cook’n community.
Warm regards,
Dan