The Infinite Checkpoint

1
I was in a rush to catch a flight for an international conference, but the TSA agent stopped me dead in my tracks.
“Ma’am, our scanner is picking up some unidentified metal on your person. We’ll need you to step aside for a secondary screening.”
A spike of anxiety hit me, but I understood the procedure. I fumbled through my pockets and finally found a stray coin I’d forgotten. But just as I was about to move on, she stopped me again.
“Your shoes have rather thick soles. They’ll need to be screened separately.”
Another twenty minutes evaporated as my shoes were turned over, prodded, and scanned before finally being returned. My departure time was now dangerously close. I grabbed my suitcase, ready to sprint to the gate.
But the agent, her face fixed in the same plastic, corporate smile, pointed to the cast on my arm and stopped me for a third time.
“Ma’am, for flight safety, we’ll need to conduct a further inspection of your cast…”
…
“Why didn’t you check it all at once? I’m going to miss my flight!” I finally snapped, my patience worn to a thread after being repeatedly pulled from the line. “How do you even inspect a cast? My arm is broken! This isn’t something I can just slip on and off!”
But my anger was met with that same infuriatingly calm, plastic smile. “I’m sorry, Ms. Morgan, but we have to follow protocol.”
“Please cooperate with airport regulations. We’re just doing our jobs. Please don’t make this difficult for us.”
As she spoke, she ran a handheld scanner over my arm.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
The alarm blared again.
“I’m sorry, but you’ll need to come with us to a private screening room for a more thorough check.”
I had already glanced at her name tag. Tina. Of all the agents, she was the one giving me the hardest time, her focus on me feeling less like procedure and more like a personal vendetta. I could feel the malice radiating from her, and I refused without a second thought.
“I refuse. I’ve never heard of inspecting a medical cast! You’re deliberately targeting me!”
My outburst caught the attention of other passengers, and a few spoke up in my defense.
“She’s right, you’ve been checking her for ages. She hardly looks like she’s smuggling contraband.”
“I’m on the same flight. We’re really cutting it close! Can’t you make an exception?”
“Yeah, this seems like you’re going way too far.”
Tina just offered them a hollow smile. “Going too far? I’m not sure what you mean. I’m just following the rules. Can any of you personally guarantee there’s nothing hidden in Ms. Morgan’s cast? Can you take personal responsibility for her if she becomes a threat on foreign soil? If just one of you is willing to sign off on that responsibility, I will let her go right now.”
The crowd immediately went silent.
I gritted my teeth and tried to walk past, but two security guards materialized, blocking my path.
Just then, a different sentiment rose from the other passengers on my flight, their own patience wearing thin.
“Just cooperate with them so we can all get moving!”
“We’ve been waiting here forever! My time is valuable too!”
“If I miss my business deal because of this, are you going to pay for it?”
Defeated, I let the guards lead me to the small, sterile room. I braced myself for more harassment, but I wasn’t prepared for Tina’s first command.
“Alright, you can start undressing. Please cooperate with the investigation.”
I froze. The door clicked shut, leaving me alone with Tina and a few other female guards.
What followed was a methodical, humiliating search. They made me strip down completely, not even allowing me to keep my underwear on. I had to bite back waves of fury, my hands clenched into fists at my sides.
When they were finally done with my body, I presented the hospital documents for my arm, proving the cast contained surgical steel pins from the fracture.
Tina scanned the doctor’s report and handed it back, her lips pulling into a smirk that didn't reach her eyes. “You’re cleared to go. Sorry for the… inconvenience, Ms. Morgan.”
I was seething. I jabbed a finger at her name tag. “Tina, is it? I’ll remember you.”
She just gave me that robotic smile again. “You’re welcome to. If it helps you remember the airport’s dress code next time, then by all means, remember me.”
“Now, we’ll need to escort you through the main security check one more time.”
I shot her a venomous glare, pulled my clothes back on, and stormed out to go through the screening process again. I thought it was just a formality, but as a series of sharp beeps pierced the air, Tina once again stepped in front of me.

2
“What now?!”
Seeing her infuriating face again, I felt like I was about to lose my mind.
But Tina just kept smiling. “One moment, Ms. Morgan. You dropped this.”
I stared as she held out my handbag. Had I misjudged her? Was this a moment of actual helpfulness?
I took the bag, a flicker of confusion cutting through my anger. But as I turned to leave, she spoke again. “I’m very sorry, but according to regulations, we still can’t let you pass.”
I was so stunned by the sheer audacity that I burst out laughing. “And what is it this time? You’ve already searched every inch of me!”
Tina shrugged. “The physical inspection was clear, that’s true. However, your case is… unusual. Given the multiple alarms, it’s beyond my authority to clear you. Every one of your screenings has been logged in the system, so I’ll have to report this to my supervisor. You can leave once he gives the all-clear.”
I could practically hear the plane’s engines spooling up on the tarmac. I took a deep, steadying breath. “I told you, this is a business trip! A crucial one! If I miss this flight, my company could face massive losses. Are you prepared to compensate for that?”
Tina’s expression remained placid, unmoved. “If you attempt to force your way through security, you’ll be breaking federal law. That’s a situation far beyond my control.”
I forced myself to ask through clenched teeth, “And when is your supervisor arriving?”
She held up a hand in a ‘stop’ gesture and pulled out her phone, tapping the screen a few times. “I’m filing the report now. Please be patient.”
But as I watched her, she just kept tapping, a blank expression on her face. My own anxiety spiked. In a flash of impulse, I snatched the phone from her hand.
She was scrolling through a celebrity gossip site.
She wasn’t filing any report.
“What is the meaning of this? You’re doing this on purpose! You want me to miss my flight!” I pointed at the screen, my voice rising as the last of my composure finally shattered. “From the moment you saw me, you’ve been targeting me! The endless checks, and now this!”

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