At Orange County's John Wayne Airport, crowds, security and tempers under control

Crowds were modest, lines short and tempers under control Wednesday morning at John Wayne Airport in Orange County.

Arriving passengers, waiting to pick up their luggage, said they encountered no more hassle than usual in their trip to California -- and less, in some cases.

Victor Allen, 38, a Seattle computer programmer visiting his family in California for Thanksgiving, said that when he passed through security at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Wednesday morning, he noticed that full-body scanners were on hand but not in use.

Allen said he was prepared for a scan and would have probably opted for one instead of a pat-down, but he and other travelers went through the familiar metal detectors instead.

"My impression was they put all their nicest, friendliest staff members on today," Allen said. "Everyone seemed to be the friendliest people available. I got the impression they were really trying not to get any bad press today."

If anything, he said, his passage through security seemed smoother than it normally does.

Ridgeway Wilson, 21, a senior at the University of Pennsylvania, flew into John Wayne from the international airport in Philadelphia to visit family for the holidays.

Even in Philadelphia, security personnel that Wilson said he usually regards as "blunt bordering on rude" were friendly Wednesday morning.

"They're all nice, like, 'Please stand in this line,'" she said. "Even in Philly."

Wilson said the scanners were in effect at the Philadelphia airport but that they didn't particularly trouble her.

-- Christopher Goffard at John Wayne Airport

Photo: Passengers wait to pass through the security check point at John Wayne Airport. Credit: Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times