India, June 3 -- After 12 years of being a flight attendant for a major carrier, I feel like I should add the title of "Professional People Watcher" to my resume. It's a fascinating pastime for my fellow flight attendants and me, and it's pretty entertaining to see some of the silly things that people do-and bring-with them to the airport. Like, do you really need to bring all that bedding aboard?

Due to recent disruptions in government funding, airports and security checks have become an even bigger nightmare than usual. What's more is that some travelers aren't doing much to help themselves get through the lines more efficiently, making them even longer in the process. As a flight attendant, trust me when I say that we can always spot...