We flew home today, on Independence Day. Although we had been blissfully out of touch with the world, we were well aware of several ‘generic’ threats to Americans on our Big Day. So, I sat in the assigned aisle seat (serendipitously looking directly at the cockpit door), and looked at my fellow travellers; I looked the most dangerous of us all, and I’m a (nearly) middle-aged man travelling with a wife and 10 year old daughter. Racial profiling would not have picked me out of the crowd.
 
Interestingly, just before we pushed back from the gate the Captain toured the cabin: a Central Casting Airline Captain, greying hair but fit, with the eyes that say he means business. He walked through the entire passenger cabin (2 aisles, a 767), then got in the cockpit and took us flying. I doubt he was looking for anything in particular, but it meant something to me. It meant that instead of hiding behind a reinforced cockpit door he wanted to look at his passengers, wanted to know what his human cargo looked like. Was he willing or interested in challenging any threatening looking fares? I don’t know. Was he making his peace, so that if he had to make the choice he’d leave the door closed and do what’s best for the world? I don’t know; I’ll never know. Life is like that.
 
Thanks, Delta. My bags got home on time, and you’re forgiven for the carrier landing.
