You know the drill. Set all carry on items on the belt, take off your shoes, walk through the scanner. I was held up at an airport security checkpoint last time I flew. I had a hard time seeing what they were looking at, but, eventually, realized that my spare cell phone battery was the culprit. Apparently, when it went through the scanner the flat, oddly-shaped item did not show through and it looked like a possible bomb. After about 45 minutes, the security personnel, with little or no personality, allowed me to board.
I am told that is not an unusual story, in concept, among airlines today. Since 911, I don’t blame them. You are told to come to security 2 hours before boarding time to make certain you make the flight. 2 hours! Seems long, but I guess that’s not too bad when you really think about it. I just keep thinking of all the things they have to check for and the things that look like what they have to check for.
You think about it, how much of something does it take to critically injure an airplane? I mean, if you really tried hard for the minimum, what does it take to drop a plane or to make it so scary no one wants to fly?
The article below is about the weirdest things TSA has found on people who fly. Some of them are really strange. It scares me to think of what probably used to be in the carry-on bags of people I flew with in years before this security. If they are still trying to bring the below things on board, what did they actually bring on back then?
I have pretty well decided that, when I go to visit my son in Portland, OR, I am going to take the train. It’s longer, but time is not very relevant to me. The security will not be so intense that I can’t take my meds with me in my carry-on. I can’t take a chance that my meds could be separated from me while I travel. That is one big concern. I will check what is looked for and all, but it sounds good to me; besides, the view should be excellent.
*****Before I go, I must take a moment and let you all know that the magazine editor for Atomic Avarice, the people who published my first story and I stated had not paid me, has contacted me. It seems that the editor’s laptop and the site were hit by hackers and the magazine is, most likely, going to have to close. The editor has not checked the site or all for months due to worries of allowing the hackers further access, so my letters there were not received, same for emails. I found the physical address in the contract and did an old fashioned letter and stamp. I received an apology this morning and am told I will be paid (even a little extra for my troubles) very soon. I am so glad it all worked out, but I wish the magazine was still going to do future issues.
Anyway, I feel better setting the record right here.
_____________________________________________________
Namaste,
Scott
Kindredspirit23's Blog 