An Unusual Traveler On The Conveyor Belt
The security officer slid his blue-gloved fingers along the zipper of a small patterned handbag sitting on the metal conveyor belt. Right beside the luggage perched a bright yellow ringneck parakeet, its red beak gleaming under the bright fluorescent terminal lights.
Passengers in the queue behind shifted their weight from foot to foot, watching the metal detector archway. The officer leaned down, bringing his eyes level with the bird’s head.
He asked the yellow traveler if there was anything to declare before passing through the final checkpoint. The bird tilted its head, adjusted its pink neck ring, and announced that it was simply extremely handsome.
Inspecting The Dangerous Contents
The officer’s eyebrows shot upward while a traveler in a green jacket clutched her backpack and burst into laughter. The officer straightened his uniform and pointed toward a larger grey carry-on duffel resting on the inspection counter.
He requested the duffel be unzipped immediately for a mandatory physical search. The feathered traveler shifted its claws on the stainless steel surface, flatly refusing to cooperate with the inspection.
When asked for an explanation, the yellow bird cautioned that the luggage contained items far too dangerous for the flight cabin. The officer placed both hands on the heavy zipper, pulled the teeth apart, and peeled back the fabric lining.
Neatly packed inside the main compartment sat four transparent zip-top bags filled entirely with black-and-white striped sunflower seeds. The officer stared down at the stash, his eyes wide in disbelief as the feathered traveler explained that hunger hits hard at cruising altitude.
Cleared For Departure
Smiles broke out across the faces of the waiting line as the officer zipped the grey luggage shut and slid it across the stainless counter. He nodded to the feathered passenger, confirming that the path ahead was clear.
Before moving forward, the bird stretched its bright wings wide, feathers fanning out into a pale yellow arc above the luggage. It called out a sharp halt, warning that its passport had been left behind.
As the officer froze in place, the bird pulled its wings inward, cracked a beak-wide grin, and reminded the entire terminal that birds do not carry paperwork. It hopped down from the inspection table and strutted away across the polished airport tiles toward the boarding gates.
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