Travel Tips

Travel Tip: Why You Shouldn’t Make Jokes at the Airport

717px-Groucho_MarxThere’s a great story about the late American comedian Groucho Marx.

As he returned to New York from a trip to Europe in 1933, he filled out his customs arrival form in typical Marx style.

Born: Yes.

Hair: Not much.

Eyes: All the better to see you with.

Then, in front of the customs officer, he turned to his wife and asked—in a whisper intended to be loud enough to hear—whether she still had the illegal substances.

Groucho, his wife, and their two young children were immediately detained and strip searched.

What’s the lesson here? Please…no joking with the TSA, customs, or border protection.

That advice is especially necessary this summer, since we’re expecting much longer lines and security delays due to serious staffing shortages.

I hope you’ll quickly deduce that there’s nothing funny about joking at security checkpoints.

Just get to the airport early and be polite—even when you’re frustrated by delays.

We’ll all try to laugh about the ordeal later.

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