Emir, one of the men working at security, introduces himself. Polite, friendly, grinning and testing his English. Austrian airport security seems a long way from home. He asks about my trip as I shove my computer back in my bag, my toiletries back in my carry-on. He says I can take my time. He says watching people remove and replace their belts all day can get very depressing, but he says it with a laugh. So we laugh.

Emir dashes after a woman to return her abandoned watch from an idle plastic tub. When he hands it over, she gasps, “Well, this is the second time I’ve left it today!”

He returns with a swagger lifted from Clint Eastwood and Hugo Boss. “It was a very nice watch. If you like watches. I do not see why she would try two times to give it away. Maybe later she will…