The last time I flew here were a few things I noticed. First, if you weigh more than 150 pounds, expect to be shoe horned in a seat that I believe was designed for an Argentine horse jockey. Plus, there’s now a cash fee for your suitcase, which is ridiculous to start with. Then we come to the gate where you must have a current driver’s license. That’s fine. Pat and I were in San Diego, Cali., and we took the Amtrak train up to Los Angeles.
A lady who had been long distance biking wanted to go back to LA on Amtrack, but her driver’s license was three days expired. They would not let her on the train. I did not consider her a person of dangerous proportions, but I realized they had rules for all our safety. Pat and I discussed it going up the coast that day, so I wondered how this guy even got on the plane to Detroit Christmas Day without a passport, luggage or a round trip ticket.
Four of us went to Vegas for the Finals Rodeo a few years ago, and coming home the airline could not find one of the ladies’ with us return ticket on the computer. She immediately came under the radar screen and they unloaded her suitcase three times, screening it and holding her. We worried she might miss the plane, but she didn’t. Real security problem, a gray-headed grandmother, but they were doing their job.
Then Pat and I had been at a meeting in Reno. We returned the car early and we decided to wait for our plane and my suitcase was going through a tunnel and the alarm went off. Everyone put on flak jackets and we were ushered behind a shield.
“That’s my suitcase.”
“What kind of explosives are in it?” the in-charge guy asked me, as the bells and whistles continued
“Nothing I can think of,” I said.
He went through all the mandatory questions, my answers were all no. They unloaded everything using a sniffing device and settled on my tennis shoes in a zip bag and looked to see if anything was concealed in them. The sole bomber I guess.
They had traces of TNT on them. I shook my head. There was no way. I’d worn them around for several days. At last I learned the main man was the only person that could let me go on.
The top security man came down and asked if I had been up to Lake Tahoe. I said I had.
Had I been on the snow?
I said I walked across the snow at Heavenly resort to see the skiers better and the lift. He nodded. “They use TNT on the snow up there to loosen snow slides,” he said. He was very polite and signed off.
How much more could you do than that to check on possible dangers? I really considered, and still do consider that our security is good.
But let me tell you, go early to the airport next time you fly. It will be a lot more particular the next time you plan to fly. A few things you can do besides leave your pocket knife at home to start with – Don’t wear lace-up boots. Slippers are much better. You save problems. It reminds me of herding sheep through a narrow lane with people hurrying you through. Change, eyeglasses, buckles, watches, jewelry all need to be removed. Your computer must be separate from the case. If you have a sleep apnea machine you must have it out now too.
Someone said, “Dress down for the security check. Keep hold of the boarding pass and carefully replace your ID or drivers license so you have it to get back.”
I’m sorry but these people we are at war with have won this part of the war.
Western novelist Dusty Richards and his wife Pat live on Beaver Lake in northwest Arkansas. For more information about his books you can email Dusty by visiting www.ozarksfn.com and clicking on ‘Contact Us’ or call 1-866-532-1960.
