I can’t wait for Thanksgiving! There’s not much more I can be thankful for than a day where I spend time with my family helping to prepare and enjoy a spectacular meal. I am also fortunate that the only traveling I have to do to get to dinner on Thursday is a 45-minute train ride. However, I am used to traveling on days with a higher than usual number of travelers, and even on days when alert levels are higher than average. Earlier this year, I flew a week after the underwear bomber nearly blew up an aircraft en route to the United States in mid-air. With all of the backlash the TSA is receiving for its pat-down policy, I fear far too many people have short-term memories and forget this incident happened less than a year ago. As a good student of political science, I like to argue both sides of a case. For example, I was told the current X-ray machines in place at airports can detect metal, but would not have detected the powder in the crazy man’s underwear. This is a problem. However, if the TSA does their job correctly and travelers are patient, then many — hopefully all — atrocities can be averted. For those of you traveling this holiday season, I recommend patience at the airport. The lines will be long, so try to arrive earlier than normal and bring a book or your new iPad to pass the time. Personally, I believe travel is a privilege, no matter the occasion. I would much rather be held up in a security line with others around me rolling their eyes than up in the air with the same passengers screaming for their lives because not enough attention was paid while on the ground. — Alex Young, vice president and associate publisher