For what it's worth, during the years I actually had these conversations, I doubt I ever made as much as a Customs clerk. I'd bring in maybe $20k in consulting and product income over the course of a year, which was enough to travel on but likely not enough to pay for, say, the apartment that the clerk lived in.

There's no requirement for privilege, or even "living wage" to lead such a lifestyle. As such, I appreciate that you thought I was somehow successful, but by most objective standards, I was just a homeless guy.

I need to remind you that you're using the fact that your financial situation isn't successful as a justification to being a jerk to another human being.

If a border officer was rude to you, then be a jerk to him, not some random stranger who just happened to be in same situation to him.

You're mistaken. I was correcting somebody who wrongly assumed I was using my high social status as a reason to be mean to somebody. And now I'm correcting somebody who wrongly assumed I was being mean because my social status was in fact low.

But in actual fact, I was doing that thing you describe in your second paragraph. As it states in my original comment.

Somewhat off-topic in this thread, but I'd like to ask: were you happy when you traveled? How did you deal with social alienation? And where were the best places you went? Are you still doing this?

I don't think TSA workers qualify as middle class. It's not a skilled job, and it doesn't pay particularly well.

Thankfully, Immigration/Customs is not run by the TSA. Immigration/Customs appears to be orders of magnitude more competent and professional.

It might have been a 20th-Century middle-class job, had it existed then.