Window Seat

“RECOMBOBULATION” is not really a word, but that apparently doesn’t matter to officials at Milwaukee’s Mitchell International Airport in Wisconsin, USA.

And it’s actually the perfect description of what’s required after you pass through a security checkpoint in America, where you are often required to remove shoes, belts and other paraphernalia during the screening process.

Naturally all that dishevelment needs to be addressed, and providing a dedicated place for recombobulation is probably something all airports should do - and in Milwaukee there are benches and chairs where you can sit and recompose yourself.

TD spotted the unusual signage (pictured) when passing through Milwaukee last week, with the notices apparently erected due to a whim by former Airport Director Barry Bateman prior to his retirement in 2020.

He made up the word and suggested the signage “in order to add some comic relief to what can be a tense aspect of air travel,” according to On Milwaukee, which quoted an MKE spokesperson as saying “he understood that travelling can be stressful and the signs are intended to put a smile on people’s faces”.

The Transportation Security Administration hasn’t formally endorsed the initiative, but has been supportive of the signs due to strong positive feedback on social media.