h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Currently i have not had a great time with the US customs service

The first time (as a mere 8 year old) I got in fine...I remember very little about it - they did however take my fingerprints (well a copy, they let me keep the originals)

The 2nd time - Only 11 I was taken off by two guards to ask me why I was attempting to sneak into the country, and how I had gained false fingerprints (I was, a) shocked b) Rather confused about how to actually use false finger prints in person) - turns out they had managed to put them the wrong way round

The third time - 15 this time - I was again dragged off by even more officious, numerous, and grumpy guards - again questioned how I was sneaking in, and what I was doing - this time the iris scans they'd taken clashed with mine...low and behold...they were the wrong way round - I don't know if it's my presence that manages to make borders officials forget their lefts and rights

Fourth time - 17 - rather pessimistic about them by this point in my life I was absolutely certain I was going to be hauled up, and for the first time with decent reason - I was carrying about three hundred pills, and the same amount again between my parents - I'd just gone onto a set of heavy medication by my doctor, and we were carrying two weeks worth, and three weeks in spares (see - we are pessimistic) - rather wondering what they'd think of our drug smuggling I had even procured one of my favourite pieces of documentation, allowing "the bearer to travel with whatever drugs they so wish into the United States" - I was almost disappointed that I didn't get stopped

You see, it wasn't toothpaste.They were more worried about your toothpaste.

Here's the problem as I see it: it sounds good to have more security. But this costs money.

For what they pay, they don't exactly get people with graduate degrees in...er, anything. Unless they happen to be out of work, and even then, they usually can't get hired because the people doing the hiring are suspicious of them.

So you get a screener who is basically doing this instead of bagging groceries.

Grocries and intelligence is very interesting in a uni city

You have three groups

a) The old group - generally those trying to eke out a pension (or lack thereof), normally either grumpy or blissfully not paying attention to customers
b)Those who, ahem, like as you mention, are lacking in qualifications
c)The undergrads and postgrad students who are holding a part-time job, and are capable of holding a very intelligent conversation with you, thereby holding up the entire queue

I used to bag groceries
I am very intelligent
ergo your reasoning is faulty.

I think what is going on is that Nosebagbear has some sort of magnetism or Power
that discombobulates the help and they get all flustered

Quite possibly, or as a legitimate alternative - those who aren't students themselves, or old enough to have acquired sufficient sang froid are driven nuts by having to deal with the onslaught of thousands of students every day

I apologise to grocery baggers everywhere.