The Parable of the Traveler's Appearance

A traveler was asked to move on.

The traveler had not been profiled.  There was nothing about the traveler's skin that would have caused suspicion. The traveler was not in unusual clothing. The traveler did not carry a bag with multiple pockets that could contain any number of triggering devices. 

A person who tended toward distrust might have wondered why the traveler's cell phone was always at the traveler's ear.  A person with a propensity for worry might have suspected that the traveler's agitated demeanor may have triggered nervousness.

What was in the traveler's coat pocket? one might have asked oneself.  Why was the traveler even wearing a coat, to start with?  It was a sunny day, and the temperature was in the mid seventies.  A coat was inappropriate.  Was the traveler over-warm?  Was this the reason for the traveler's perspiration.

A bystander had been conditioned to fear the traveler.  The bystander knew to watch for signs of a threat when seeing travelers.  Who traveled in this unsafe day and age?  People who had places to go.  And people who had reasons to prevent other people from going where they might want to go.  Was this traveler indeed a traveler?  Or was this traveler here to prevent other travelers from going where they might want to go.

The bystander approached security and pointed to the traveler's perspiration and the traveler's coat.  The bystander pointed to the traveler's large coat pockets.  The bystander pointed to the traveler's simple bag and suspiciously unsuspicious skin.

Security scrutinized the suspiciously unsuspicious traveler, nodded thanks to the bystander and approached the traveler.

Security did not approach the traveler with aggression.  One did not approach travelers with aggression.  Security did not exhibit any concern at all.  Security signaled to the traveler to move on.  The traveler moved on and left the cat walk.

To the side of the catwalk one spectator said to a fellow spectator, "I just don't get the terrorism chic look at all."

The fellow spectator replied, "You're not supposed to get it, you're just supposed to wear it."

"I'd never wear that coat," the first spectator said.