I suppose this is a good, thing, overall, but still, it's not the best thing in the world either.
After all the scaremongering of the Bush-Cheney decade, the groping by TSA, and the odd bombing attempt, passengers on plane more and more often are the vigilant security they need.
Not that it always turns out that each suspicious person is actually just a person doing their thing and for whatever reason others become suspicious enough to make reports to Flight Attendants.
But some times a paper sack with strange sounds coming out of it is a "suspicious package" and sometimes it's just a bag with a bagel in it.
Milatovic, who is a mathematics and statistics professor at the University of North Florida, was minding his business when other passengers turned into super sleuths.
Passengers reported hearing strange noises coming from a plastic bag. State police said later that the bag contained a set of keys, a bagel with cream cheese, some other small food items, a hat and a wallet.
Mmm...bagels and cream cheese. I want one right now.
Now, seriously, he wasn't very cooperative when asked about his bag - he snubbed the request and got on a cell phone.
They yanked him off the plane until the matter was resolved.
This citizen sluethery is a growing phenomenon now, with people able to discern nefarious details from seemingly simple behaviors.
Monday's incident is another example of other passengers essentially becoming the authority on terrorist activity on planes.
Recently, passenger complaints have resulted authorities taking action against innocent passengers who went to the bathroom too often on a flight and who were just being annoying.
Better safe than sorry, I am sure.
No word on the fate of the bagel or cream cheese.