Travel Security Sagas
Even the best-laid plans can be thwarted in this era of heightened airport security. Here are a few examples.
"On a return trip from the West Coast in August, I showed up for a 6 a.m. flight at 3:30 a.m. and I was the 10th person in line. The airline didn't even open the ticket counter until 4 a.m. and then with only one agent for a full flight to the East Coast. It took me 90 minutes to get checked in, through security and get to the gate. We boarded the plane on time then sat at the gate for another two hours until the rest of the people got through security. As a result, I missed my connection."
- John E. Peters, Navy
"In San Francisco, they looked in my carry on and looked at my sandals in their machine, which I thought was kind of dumb. Where would you hide anything in a sandal?"
- Barbra Bronsberg, NASA
"In April, I traveled to Brunswick, Ga., and in the process flew on six different flights. I was selected for a complete search on all six despite having my law enforcement badge and ID with me. On one flight everyone was searched, on the others I was randomly selected. I am a white male, 55 years old, and I had two carry-ons because I had short layovers and didn't want to check my luggage. They went through everything. I believe my failure to check my luggage may have been one reason I was selected. I was glad to see that once they selected me they proceeded with the search after finding my credentials. It would be easy for someone to use false credentials to avoid a search."
- Don Riding, INS
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