Friday, December 3, 2010. . .
A traveling day. Grateful for super-friendly TSA people, for bypassing the naked photo-taking scanner, for no pat down, for spinach-mushroom quiche in the Denver Airport, for Daughter and Son-in-Law hugs. =)
Okay, what's the tip on bypassing the naked scanner AND the pat down? I have no desire to cause mayhem on a plane, but those intrusive things are keeping me grounded for the time being. Would love to know how to make it easier to fly. (Which would also make attending writing conferences easier, too!)
ReplyDeleteI hear you, Mary Kay! This is troubling. Drive for hours and then fly out of smaller airports? I've had two experiences.
ReplyDeleteThe scanner was fairly new at the SD Airport when I was directed to go to it (there were other open lines going through the "regular" metal detectors). I did not like the idea of doing this; I had researched enough to know this was not a good thing any which way; but I wanted to see my family in the Midwest. So I followed orders by this gruff woman. Then a man showed me how to raise my arms and said I had to stand like that for about 10 seconds. It would take too long to describe how awful this experience was.
A couple days later, relatives leaving same airport had BOTH the body scan and the pat down. We don't know why. This really upset me.
Before the next trip, I obsessed about this for over a week. I'm not generally anxious and so it took me a while to figure that I should pray about my worrying. This may sound silly but I asked God to keep my from the scanner and pat down. I do believe He intervenes altho not always the way I ask for.
First off I had a peace about things. Next, the security people went out of their way to be nice to us. I mean this was so obvious it was weird; we've been thru enough times to know they do not smile let alone make small talk; I have been chastised about where to stand. Totally different this time. This was after all that hubbub over the O'side man and his now-famous "junk" quote, so we think there must have been some public relations training going on.
Anyway I did not have to endure either intrusive thing, thanks be to God. Right behind me, tho, my husband had to do the scanner. He doesn't get upset like I do. I have no plans to fly for a long time now!