Passing Muster at the airport
I've decided to call my gov't representatives about the need to pass a bill for "Flyers Rights". Today I flew from Houston to VA to visit my daughter for a week. To get there by commercial airplane, required me to remove my shoes, have my purse xrayed, and generally appear innocent and non-theatening in my jeans, t-shirt and stylish hair-in-a-bun look at 6am in the morning to several highly trained airport security guards in official blue uniforms.
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Whoever helped the gov't create the screening rules for airport security must have previously worked in the medical field. At the first security check-point, a blue-gloved TSA agent took my boarding pass and drivers' license, then waved me on to the next stop. The second TSA scanned my right shoulder while hand-gesturing me to proceed to the right. When I stood still waiting for verbal instructions (not wanting to step out of line) she gave me a look of impatience and repeated her gesture. That's when I decided she wanted me to move on down the roped off line to the next stop.
I proceeded to the next security stop where I could tell by the people in front of me that it was time to disrobe and put my belongings into a grey flat bin. I also put my rolling luggage cart into a second grey bin. I followed the lead of the passenger in front of me, and pushed my grey bins along a long shiny metal table toward the xray machine.
As I approached the xray machine, the TSA agent nearby told me to take my rolling luggage out of the grey bin as no oversized items fit in them. She also advised me not to take my watch off, then she hesitated. I quickly put it back on, after which she looked satisfied that she had thoroughly done her job. I pushed my belongings onto the conveyor belt for the xray machine. Meanwhile I turned & walked through the three-sided big grey door frame with no door. On the other side stood another TSA agent with a walkie-talkie. She listened for beeps; after hearing none, she let me walk through to collect my belongings as they came out from the xray machine.
Two TSA agents reviewed the xray of my purse. These agents were taking their job very seriously. They scanned my purse for over a minute, talking to each other in hushed tones. Meanwhile I nervously waited for my purse to be ejected on the conveyor belt. All at once, the two agents let out a big laugh and let my purse pass through. I don't know what they saw in my purse that struck them so funny; maybe it was my checkbook balance or the bottle of Beano capsules I threw in there at the last minute. Whatever it was, I'm sure glad they have a good sense of humor for such a rigorous job.
I was reissued my shoes & carryon belongings, so I guess I passed muster for traveling in an airplane today. While I understand the need for heightened security to prevent terrorist airplane takeovers, but there ought to be a better way.
I'm starting to think I may actually have more personal rights as a patient in a hospital or dr's office than as a customer when traveling by plane!
.
Whoever helped the gov't create the screening rules for airport security must have previously worked in the medical field. At the first security check-point, a blue-gloved TSA agent took my boarding pass and drivers' license, then waved me on to the next stop. The second TSA scanned my right shoulder while hand-gesturing me to proceed to the right. When I stood still waiting for verbal instructions (not wanting to step out of line) she gave me a look of impatience and repeated her gesture. That's when I decided she wanted me to move on down the roped off line to the next stop.
I proceeded to the next security stop where I could tell by the people in front of me that it was time to disrobe and put my belongings into a grey flat bin. I also put my rolling luggage cart into a second grey bin. I followed the lead of the passenger in front of me, and pushed my grey bins along a long shiny metal table toward the xray machine.
As I approached the xray machine, the TSA agent nearby told me to take my rolling luggage out of the grey bin as no oversized items fit in them. She also advised me not to take my watch off, then she hesitated. I quickly put it back on, after which she looked satisfied that she had thoroughly done her job. I pushed my belongings onto the conveyor belt for the xray machine. Meanwhile I turned & walked through the three-sided big grey door frame with no door. On the other side stood another TSA agent with a walkie-talkie. She listened for beeps; after hearing none, she let me walk through to collect my belongings as they came out from the xray machine.
Two TSA agents reviewed the xray of my purse. These agents were taking their job very seriously. They scanned my purse for over a minute, talking to each other in hushed tones. Meanwhile I nervously waited for my purse to be ejected on the conveyor belt. All at once, the two agents let out a big laugh and let my purse pass through. I don't know what they saw in my purse that struck them so funny; maybe it was my checkbook balance or the bottle of Beano capsules I threw in there at the last minute. Whatever it was, I'm sure glad they have a good sense of humor for such a rigorous job.
I was reissued my shoes & carryon belongings, so I guess I passed muster for traveling in an airplane today. While I understand the need for heightened security to prevent terrorist airplane takeovers, but there ought to be a better way.
I'm starting to think I may actually have more personal rights as a patient in a hospital or dr's office than as a customer when traveling by plane!
posted by Cookies on the bottom shelf at
1:38 PM
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