posted
Something always happens on every trip. My latest trip to New York was an absolute dream, but the enmity between me and airports continues.
For Dallas to NYC, it is possible this was slightly my fault. I arrived in plenty of time to board the plane, i.e. exactly 31 minutes. One minute to spare to check my luggage, and I had enough stuff that if I couldn't check I wouldn't make my flight, which would mean I wouldn't get to NYC until 1:30, which meant there's no way I'd make the Met by 2:30. But I made it in time, which was nice. Hurdle #1 successfully met.
Hurdle #2: Security.
I was wearing a teal sleeveless top and a brown jacket. It's modest when worn together, but not modest enough without the jacket, so when the security lady politely asked me "Would you like to take off your jacket?", I politely smiled and said, "No, I'd rather not." I walk through security, and she points to a corral and says, "You'll need to stand over there."
Apparently the jacket question wasn't just her being friendly - you are not allowed to wear a jacket through security. Since I had refused to take mine off, they needed to do a thorough search. I didn't know the reasoning; all I knew was that they sat me in a chair and proceeded to search someone else while I waited. I mentioned I didn't want to be late, and she turns to me and says, "If you are, it's your own fault. Do you want to take off your jacket now?"
WHAT?? "No, I don't. It's for religious reasons." And at that point I burst into tears.
I have this theory that the reason women cry more is because it is not as socially acceptable for them to express anger. I didn't want to cry. I wanted to kick her in the shins. Barring that, I wanted to express exactly what I thought of her professional technique. Both seemed like they would delay me more, though, so I swallowed down the words and the emotion came out as tears.
So I was dragged off to the little cordoned off area, was searched, amazingly was not hiding anything but simply desired some modesty, and left as fast as I could without saying a word.
I got to New York, but my bags didn't. They didn't make the flight, but they made the next one and I got them late that night. Not bad - that part could have been worse.
Coming back, everything went so smoothly I was suspicious, but the airport reached out and grabbed me at the last possible moment. I had parked at the airport so I could drive to work afterward, and when I handed the lady my parking slip, she informed me that my fee was $5,910. Apparently I had been parked at the airport for a year and four days. We laughed genially and then I waited expectantly for something else to happen, because there was no earthly way. Fortunately, everything was worked out. I think the airport felt thwarted as I drove away.
posted
(((hugs))) This is why I always wear a long-sleeved top, a skirt with no pockets, and flip-flops or slip-ons to the airport. Just makes it easier.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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posted
I fly regularly between islands here, and I always wear slippers (what you call flip-flops), capris or slacks, no belt, and no bracelets. My underwire bra still occasionally sets off the alarm, but I'm not leaving THAT off.
I've also learned not to carry my soniccare toothbrush in my carry on, although they've never had any trouble with my knitting needles. Cossacks!
Posts: 2069 | Registered: May 2001
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posted
I have similar concerns about modesty. I would have asked if I could be screened in a private area, due to religious concerns about modesty.
This summer, I went on a sea cruise. I was wearing a beret-type hat, and was told that it was necessary to remove it to be photographed prior to boarding, and at every security checkpoint. As a married Orthodox Jewish woman, I do not appear in public with my hair uncovered. Fortunately for me, I had a snood on under my hat, and they did not object to that.
And, kat, some advice for the future: if you are planning to be away for more than a week, it is probably more cost-effective to take a taxi to the airport. Leaving your car parked in airport parking for over a year? What a sucker!
Posts: 10397 | Registered: Jun 2005
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It sounds like you were wearing less than a lot of layered outfits I've seen go through the detectors with no problem - t-shirt/vest/flannel shirt or some sweater sets. I've seen many a person send their overcoat through and wear their suit jacket.
According to what I've read, the jacket rule is aimed at bulk and excessive metal fasteners that require hand-scanning. Almost all rules are under- and over-inclusive. Sounds like someone who doesn't understand what the rules are for, which scares me because she seems like the kind of person to miss someone taking advantage of a technical loophole to get something through when the rule is under-inclusive.
Posts: 26071 | Registered: Oct 2003
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posted
At DFW, they usually ask you to take off any outer layer with pockets. I've been through it before, they even had me remove my heavy sweatshirt.
Also, I always have a change of clothes for me and one for Ems in my carry-on bag just in case.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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quote:And, kat, some advice for the future: if you are planning to be away for more than a week, it is probably more cost-effective to take a taxi to the airport. Leaving your car parked in airport parking for over a year? What a sucker!
*laugh* What is it with the sob stories that brings out the advice. I had my reasons for all of my actions.
Dag, I agree. It was clearly handled badly. Oh well - at least I didn't try and get my knife through this time. Posts: 26077 | Registered: Mar 2000
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posted
Being young, male, and never cleanshaven I always get searched. It doesn't help that I often travel alone, and am usually surly because I don't like lines, incompetence, and ridiculously high prices -- all of which the airport is overflowing with. The search doesn't bother me as much as the hold up does. It's a little irritating.
I get my revenge though, by not wearing clean socks when I travel. And when they make me take my belt off my pants fall down.
But you got to go to NYC, so you get no sympathy from me. I'm still jealous.
Posts: 5462 | Registered: Apr 2005
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posted
... and I was hoping for more juicy details
Poor kat. If that lady had spoken like that to me, I'd have politely asked for her name and id # so I could report her when I got back and had the time. Just because you wear a uniform, doesn't give you a right to be a jerk.
Next time just go for the shins.
Posts: 995 | Registered: May 2003
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Amusing, somewhat related story: A friend and I flew up to MA this summer. When we went through security, we were both pulled over for the additional search (probably because we bought our tickets at the airport). The guy who searched my friend was joking around during the process. When both of us were about finished, he asked my friend to step into a side room for the 'cavity search'. We looked at each other, not sure if the guard was joking or not. The guy held a straight face for a full five seconds before laughing. I was trying to figure out just how my friend had screwed up.
Posts: 2149 | Registered: Aug 2000
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posted
I used to hate airports. I wore a milkwaukee back brace much like the one in the picture below when I was younder. Now there is *no* way this isn't going to set off the metal detector. So I always had to get patted/wanded down. Of course this also was during my awkward preteen years so I was horribly embarrassed to have everyone looking at me. I'm just glad this was very very very long before 9-11 because I think it would be insufferable to go through security with one now. http://milwaukee.brace.nu/Kyfos/SternalMilwaukee.jpg
I think my mother decided to stop going to the airport to pick up my father who was military from the airport b/c I hated it so much.
Posts: 872 | Registered: Mar 2002
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posted
Miro, I guess I was slightly less amused by that story. Even though it was just a joke, things like that can cause reactions and misinterpretations that can quickly escalate into serious problems. And I doubt security would have found it very amusing if you tried to joke around in a similar manner.
Posts: 1256 | Registered: May 2005
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posted
I am always very curious as to how many 'human lifespans' (600,000 hours is a nice round estimate of the average American lifespan) are wasted every day at the airport, due to increased security requirements. With about 2 million passengers a day in the US alone, and conservatively estimating that new security requirements add 30 minutes of useless time in delays per passenger, we are 'wasting' 1.5 lives a day nationwide.
And truthfully, I do not believe that we have made ourselves safer from terrorism. The main result I see is that hundreds of people can generally be found in major airports, in long lines outside security waiting to pass through. It seems inevitable to me that at some point, terrorists are going to target THOSE easy victims, and easily kill more than one would kill bringing down an aircraft.
Posts: 38 | Registered: Oct 2005
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quote:Originally posted by camus: Miro, I guess I was slightly less amused by that story. Even though it was just a joke, things like that can cause reactions and misinterpretations that can quickly escalate into serious problems. And I doubt security would have found it very amusing if you tried to joke around in a similar manner.
I agree. It could have been bad. We could have been justifiably annoyed and aggravated. But we weren't. In cases like this, I tend to go with "no harm, no foul".
Posts: 2149 | Registered: Aug 2000
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quote:Originally posted by camus: And I doubt security would have found it very amusing if you tried to joke around in a similar manner.
This was my thought exactly, and I'd probably have reported it.
Traveling is already a stressful event for most people, and I don't think it's too much to ask that security personnel carry off their jobs professionally.
Posts: 2069 | Registered: May 2001
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posted
*So* not funny. I don't like it when authority figures use their authority to make you feel uncomfortable and then say it's "just a joke".
That would have made me *very* uncomfortable.
Reminds me of the first time I gave blood. I told the guy it was my first time. He was all joking around saying it was his first time too. He'd crack jokes about the procedure and I didn't know what to expect. I couldn't tell when he was joking and when he was serious, and I was laying there all vulnerable opening a vein to him! I went into shock and threw up all over myself. I was at the office in my nice work clothes.
posted
Speaking of knives--There was a guy in my group when we went to London who got a pocketknife through security and proceeded to carry it around London the entire time we were there. In spite of legal issues. When we went on the London Eye, it set off the metal detector and one of the professors with us had to go back and argue with the security guard for ages to get him not to arrest the guy with the pocketknife. We were all amazed that he had thought it would be a good plan to carry around a weapon of any sort in London. Especially after the bombings. People are crazy.
posted
Frisco: You're not in Boise?? Wait - aren't you coming to Dallas this weekend? I had Friday all marked off for a possible Eddie encounter, but I haven't talked to you for a while so maybe that's changed. I'm so confused.
Taal: When she taunted me with possibly missing my flight.
The key is that she asked if I wanted to remove the jacket without letting me know that saying no would be a sign of insolence.
"Would you like to remove your jacket?" *brightly* "Not really, but thanks!"
posted
I don't think she was punishing you for insolence. Every time I've flown in the last few years everyone has been required to remove jackets. That includes men's suit jackets, the cute little crop jackets that women wear over dresses, everything.
Her mistake was not telling you straight out that your choices were to remove the jacket or wait to be wanded.
Posts: 9866 | Registered: Apr 2002
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posted
I never said that being searched was a possible punishment. The being-wanded part was not the problem. It was when she sat me in a chair to be searched and made me wait until they were done with two people who came after me, and then asked if I NOW wanted to take off the jacket.
If I had known those were my choices, I would still have chosen to be wanded rather than remove my jacket. I would not, however, been nearly as angry, and I suspect that I wouldn't have had to wait until they couldn't find something else to do before getting around to me.
Posts: 26077 | Registered: Mar 2000
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posted
I'm sure this will need to be edited out for being in violation of some copyright law or another, but it's applicable enough to have here for the moment:
quote:It can hardly be a coincidence that no language on Earth has ever produced the expression "as pretty as an airport".
Airports are ugly. Some are very ugly. Some attain a degree of ugliness that can only be the result of a special effort. This ugliness arises because airports ane full of people who are tired, cross, and have just discovered that their luggage has landed in Murmansk (Murmansk airport is the only known exception to this otherwise infallible rule), and architects have on the whole tried to reflect this in their designs.
They have sought to highlight the tiredness and crossness motif with brutal shapes and nerve jangling colours, to make effortless the business of separating the traveller forever from his or her luggage or loved ones, to confuse the traveller with arrows that appear to point at the windows, distant tie racks, or the current position of Ursa Minor in the night sky, and wherever possible to expose the plumbing on the grounds that it is functional, and conceal the location of the departure gates, presumably on the grounds that they are not.
Douglas Adams, First three paragraphs of Long Dark Teatime of the Soul. Oddly enough, a passanger trying to get to their plane spontaneously combusts shortly after this exerpt. Also, I love that someone recognized that architects do have some power over a building's design.
Posts: 1368 | Registered: Sep 2002
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Blayne Bradley
unregistered
posted
bomb the airport if they continue to give you flak, then they'll actually have a real reason to worry about.
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posted
I know you wouldn't have chosen to take off the jacket. I doubt that they would have gotten to you any faster, though. Just in my experience -- which includes several "wandings." (The critical mass of hairpins to set off the metal detector is somewhere between 10 and 20, in case anyone needs to know.)
Posts: 9866 | Registered: Apr 2002
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quote:Frisco: You're not in Boise?? Wait - aren't you coming to Dallas this weekend? I had Friday all marked off for a possible Eddie encounter, but I haven't talked to you for a while so maybe that's changed. I'm so confused.
Yeah, a spur-of-the-moment move to NYC forced me to postpone my Dallas trip. I made a thread...what, did you take a day off of Hatrack or something? Posts: 5264 | Registered: Jul 2002
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posted
Hey, maui. . . does the soniccare toothbrush just make it so they search your bag, or are you actually not allowed to bring it for some readon? Just curious. . .
Posts: 7954 | Registered: Mar 2004
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posted
They always search my bag. They let it through, but I just don't like them rummaging through my things trying to figure out what it is that they can't recognize in their xray machine. So I carry a regular toothbrush when I travel now.
Posts: 2069 | Registered: May 2001
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quote:Originally posted by Blayne Bradley: bomb the airport if they continue to give you flak, then they'll actually have a real reason to worry about.
quote:Originally posted by Fyfe: Speaking of knives--There was a guy in my group when we went to London who got a pocketknife through security and proceeded to carry it around London the entire time we were there. In spite of legal issues. When we went on the London Eye, it set off the metal detector and one of the professors with us had to go back and argue with the security guard for ages to get him not to arrest the guy with the pocketknife. We were all amazed that he had thought it would be a good plan to carry around a weapon of any sort in London. Especially after the bombings. People are crazy.
Jen
You're not allowed to carry a pocketknife in England? Seriously? (And what's the London Eye?)
Posts: 2149 | Registered: Aug 2000
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I've had my luggaged searched many many times. Once in front of me (that guy is touching my underwear!!!) and several times after check in. They leave notes that says "Sorry if we had to break your lock". I'm glad I forgot to lock it! But wondered what they thought of my odd contents (Indian flute...).
One time I was stopped at every moment. Luggage searched. At checkpoint I had to be patted down. Then at the terminal they searched me again. And at that point the guy finally sees my fingernail clippers with the DANGEROUS 1 inch file! The guy actually broke it off of my clippers. What was it with them?
What gets me is that people who take any from of martial arts are far more dangerous than a pocket knife. Why do they still get to fly?? Posts: 1209 | Registered: Dec 2003
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posted
Miro: The London Eye - great big ferris wheel on the Thames, only it has these giant bubble-pods instead of cars.
No idea about the pocketknife thing - when I was in London, one of my professors informed us that British criminals use knives instead of guns because the latter are pretty much completely outlawed, but other than that I know nothing.
Posts: 952 | Registered: Jun 2005
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I'd heard about the fuss a while back over kitchen knives potentially being restricted, but I didn't realize just how complicated all this was. Of course, for all I know there are similar complexities in the US.
Posts: 952 | Registered: Jun 2005
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posted
They should just make everybody strip before entering an airport terminal, and allow them to dress after they leave. Yep, all nude flights, except for the cabin crew. Speeds up processing, and cuts down on unnecessary air travel.
Posts: 8501 | Registered: Jul 2001
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posted
Okay, so they make exceptions for folding pocketknives with blades of 3" or less, dirks and other parts of national costumes, work-related knives, and knives carried for religious reasons (like, I guess, if you're on your way to your coven meeting?) So if your knife is 3" or less and folds, you can have it with you.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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posted
Shieks (er, seikhs? sheikhs?) carry a blade or sword on their person as part of their religious practice. It might have become more symbolic recently, as I'm sure they need to fly as much as the next person.
Posts: 4089 | Registered: Apr 2003
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