I was recently preparing to take a flight on Thanksgiving day.
A friend of mine was sitting around my apartment and asked me when I planned on getting to the airport.
Probably fifty minutes before the flight, I said.
I never arrive more than an hour before any flight. I’ve never had a problem. I don’t care what the TSA says. I don’t care if there are police parked at the entrance to LAX, standing around and chatting about the best way to club a homeless guy to death, slightly obstructing traffic, waving every single car through, boldly demonstrating their futile and wasteful ever growing presence.
I don’t care.
However, when my friend hears Thanksgiving he perks up.
You’re flying on Thanksgiving? Oh man. You should probably arrive at least two hours early. It’s going to be nuts. You don’t want to get stuck in that security line and not make your flight.
I have never flown on Thanksgiving day. I hadn’t really thought about it, but in the back of my mind I imagined the airport being completely dead. Most people don’t fly on Thanksgiving day. I know from experience that the roads are completely empty, so why would the airport be so slammed? Doesn’t make sense.
I remember thinking this: I bet this guy doesn’t have any evidence to back up what he is saying. I bet he’s just talking a bunch of shit just to hear himself speak.
And yet, being a human who is impressionable to believing false information, especially when it is delivered in a manner which makes me fear something – i.e. missing my flight – I found myself at LAX a full two hours early for my flight.
Not to my surprise, the airport was completely empty. I’ve never seen anything like it. I was through security in less than five minutes and found myself sitting at the airport bar next to a guy who claimed to have died and become an angel.
Why did I believe my friend, and go against my initial, and correct belief? Why did I rush to the store to buy Consort Hair Spray for Men when I was eleven?
Why has the Tea Party convinced many poor Americans to support legislation that directly negatively effects their own economic interests?
Why do a large percentage of Americans still believe that the Affordable Care Act will employ death panels who will decide when someone will die?
Why do a large percentage of Americans think that Obama is a Muslim?
Why, why why?
Because people will believe any bullshit you tell them, if the result of it not being true is catastrophic.
The Koch Brothers and many of the steel-roots PAC’s who dictate what many people think in this country are well aware of this.
You know if we raise the minimum wage that your car is going to need a new transmission right?
Why?
Suit yourself.
Wait, no, just give me a pay cut!
I thought about all of this as I sat in the airport like the stupid human that I am.
It was a nice reminder.