Is inefficency contageous

I am on a plane at least once a month. And it stresses me out. I will be the first to admit, I am not the person who gets to the airport 2 hours ahead of time. I am the one who rolls in about 45-60 minutes before my flight takes off. I never check bags and I pride myself on being quick through security. I limit my exposure to most airline personnel as a general practice. I am sure these people are perfectly kind, but why bother. I don't need their help and they certainly don't need to deal with another customer.

But, why is it that other people don't do this? Why isn't everything more automated? If I did need to check luggage, why can't I just have a luggage drop-off line. I don't want to stand with all the people that have missed their last two flights and need to update their address and airline reward numbers... I just need to drop off my bags. I planned ahead, I got to a computer, checked-in, printed the boarding pass, and just need you to put a little sticker on this bag. Heck, I will put the sticker on myself, I just need you to give me the printer. I do it at the grocery store in the produce section...

Is it a control issue? Are their regulations around me putting a sticker on my bag and dropping it on the conveyer belt? If so, I have a few suggestions for that.

I will also mention at this point there are different airlines and different airports that run more efficiently than others. I love the Delta terminal at Logan. I get to chose how I want to go through security- with the families and crying children, as a casual traveler, or as an uptight huffy puffy business traveler. It's great to seperate people, b/c families don't want to be stuck in front of a late business exec as much as the business exec doesn't want to listen to crying children longer than she has to.

I might suggest at this point that any corporation that is so closely linked with the government is doomed. Airlines, Energy, Waste Management, etc. If a corporation has to work with government agencies too closely they will never be able to realize or institue efficient business practices, because that would just be too easy...