Flying the Safe and Friendly Skies

Daughter # 1 is now safely ensconced back in Alaska (it was a great week having her back here) so now I can tell the tale.

And there is nothing herein that even a half assed RoP POS wouldn't easily discover on his own.

New Year's Eve I did not partake in any reveling (not that I normally do much Dec 31 anyway -- when it comes to drinking New Year's Eve and Saint Patrick's Day are strictly Amateur Night) because I knew I had to make a dead of night hour long drive to drop the aforementioned offspring off at Nearest Big International Airport for her journey back to Palin Country.

The trip down was uneventful. We arrived at ticketing area the new requisite and recommended three hours ahead of her flight. Just before 3:00 a.m.

Only to find the place nearly dark as a crypt with no one around.

So she calls the airline who is less than helpful. They tell her no one will be at the counter until 4:30 at the earliest.

"Well, aren't you telling people to be there 3 hours before their flight?"

"Yes, we are."

"Well, what good is that if no one is here to check in?"

"I don't know, miss."

"Then why are you doing it?"

"I don't know miss?"

"So what am I supposed to do in an empty dark building for the next hour and a half?"

"I guess you'll just have to wait, miss." and helpful representative hangs up.

She wants to wait inside and send me on my way. Not a good idea thinks I. So I have a look around the area, ticketing, baggage screening, restrooms etc. Yeah, even in the ladies room since there is no men's room. There is no one there. Only couple cameras in the ceiling. No cops. No security. No rentacops. Not even a janitor. And I am walking around, inside (but not beyond regular "security") armed.

(personally, that's how it should be. in fact let passengers themselves be armed as well but that's another discussion entire)

She still wants to wait but another car pulls up and disgorges several young fellows in hoodies and very drunk (yeah, one puked right in front of my vehicle. twice. lovely.) who start milling about, waiting for ticketing as well.

Suddenly she decides she'd rather my pistol and I wait with her in the car instead. Happily there is no reason to even think about reaching for it while we wait.

So I hang about for an hour and people start showing up, fellow travelers and TSA personel so that by 4:00 ish there are 18-20 folks there and she sends me on my way.

Ticketing still hasn't opened.

Heard from her several times since then including right after she had first passed through security.

Seems it is heightened a bit but not too much. The drunk fellows passed through with a light wanding.

My daughter, however, was wearing a shirt with a small design on it that is made of metal. That set off the detectors, as did her engagement ring and bellybutton ring.

SHE was pulled from the line and given a much more thorough patdown and wanding.

If you saw my daughter you would understand how absurd this is and why profiling is a good idea and going out of the way to not profile not so much.

And once she had already boarded the plane she was wanded again and her carryon searched again although I am not sure if it was just her or several others as well.

She told me it was the first leg of the flight that made her most nervous. From nearest Big International Airport to


Detroit.


And the airline she was flying on? The one that had no security inside ticketing whatsoever? Where anyone could walk in, secret themselves until a small crowd had gathered and holler "Surprise!"? Where I was able to walk around with a firearm unchallenged a week after some dumbass had just redefined the term hotpants?



Northwest.