Posted by noa on December 28, 2002, at 18:50:52
In reply to Re: Grampa Greg! » noa, posted by Greg on December 27, 2002, at 8:11:06
Hey, Greg. I'm feeling better since travelling. had a rollicking good time last night when the neieces came over here for dinner at my folks' house. Today was quieter, but ok. I read a lot and took a nice walk. And thankfully got the good news that a close relative was not at his school, his usual location, where there was an attack on fellow students.. close call, and I am just so happy to know he had taken a weekend visit to his parents' home. It took a few hours after hearing about the attack, to clarify that he was not at school. When I finally was able to reach his mother, her voice was really shaking and she said he was basically in shock. Then we have been fielding phone calls this evening from caring friends and relatives inquiring into his safety and well-being. We are so thankful and relieved that he was not there.
About flying--this was my first flight since 9/11, too, so although my father told me to get there really early, I didn't know what to expect. Contrary to my assumptions, curbside check in of baggage WAS available and it was great--took a couple of minutes only.
Going through security was way more intensified than before. The lines are slower. They have lineguides set up in a snake pattern, and when you get to the opening, there is a screening guiding you to the most available check point. The staff was helpful and PLENTIFUL--there were a LOT more TSA personell there than I expected. Next, I was asked to take off my shoes. It was a "suggestion". Basically, they size up which types of shoes are likely to have metal in them and to save having to go back after setting the alarm off, they "suggest" you take off your shoes. So I did, but it is awkward as you are doing this in a line of people, standing up (benches would have been helpful). I wish they had posted a sign early in the line up saying that we should be prepared to remove our shoes and send them through the x ray on the conveyer belt. Also, you have to put your coat on the conveyer belt, which I had never done before. Next was getting the stuff off the belt and getting the shoes on and laced, still standing (and holding carry-ons, etc.). Afterward, I saw that they have a couple of chairs to sit on to put your shoes back on once you get through the check point.
Next, at the gate, the TSA people, one male, one female, were going through the hand luggage of a few people, and doing what I thought were rather careful body scans. The space is sort of set aside by a kind of carrell where the luggage is looked through, but there was no privacy for the metal detector scans. I was not pulled aside. Apparently it is based on a computer generated random selection, and a certain print pattern is printed onto the tickets or boarding passes of those selected.
I was a little bothered by the last process--the privacy issue bothered me, but also made me wonder about the efficacy of such close searching of totally random people. I know they can't go to profiled selections for legal reasons, but how do we know if checking random people is helpful, other than deterrence, but I think even deterrence is probably weak.. In any event, I assume that there is no data on which to base such a decision and it will be a while to collect such data.
The final check is at the actual gate, when you give in your boarding pass, you have to show your ID again (if I had know I had to show ID 3 times (baggage check in, security check in, and gate), I would have put my licence on a lanyard like my work badge, so it would be more handy!
Overall, I'd say I thought the security was a big improvement, and not too much of a hassle for me as a traveler. It just would have been better to know what to expect, which now I do.
poster:noa
thread:833
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/2000/20020724/msgs/871.html