Anthony Bourdain travels a lot. The celebrity chef and TV personality has hosted four different travels shows since 2002: “A Cook’s Tour,” “No Reservations,” “The Layover” and “Parts Unknown.” We can all agree that he knows a thing or two about airports. He has also had a lot of exposure to TSA security checks.
And what’s the one thing Bourdain can’t stand when he goes to the airport? People who hold up the security line. He hates it when passengers are unprepared when they get to the X-ray machine and have to make all sorts of adjustments to get the all-clear to pass through.
As most travelers know, there are frequent signs in the line leading up to the machine that list items not allowed in carry-on bags. Yet, there’s always someone who tries to smuggle in contraband. Bourdain told Travel + Leisure: “They said no liquids and gels, mother——. You know? Come on!”
Bourdain is also annoyed by fellow travelers who “have bangles and jewelry and have dressed up even though they’re going to have to go through a metal detector.”
Bourdain’s frustration extends to boarding. He is irritated by “people who insist on bringing maximum stuff onto the plane and jamming it into the overhead, which takes 10 minutes.”
Despite the pitfalls of traveling with the general public, Bourdain tries to keep his cool and compared himself to a criminal who has been arrested multiple times. He noted, “They say that when people who have served a lot of jail time are arrested, they generally don’t resist. They go limp. I’m like that, too. I don’t get angry, I don’t tap my feet, I don’t huff and puff or glare at people.”
Earlier this year, Bourdain told the New York Times that he tries to avoid airplane food, but he’ll dine at the airport food establishments. He revealed: “I’m tragically familiar with the offerings at just about every airport in the world. Probably Changi Airport in Singapore has the best food; it has a hawker center for the employees that are open to the public. Tokyo has a sushi bar right near the gates serving flights to the States that’s extraordinarily good for an airport sushi place.”
The new season of Bourdain’s “Parts Unknown” kicks off Oct. 1 on CNN. He’ll be visiting Singapore, the French Alps, Nigeria, Pittsburgh, Sri Lanka, Puerto Rico, Seattle, and Italy.
