Airline Travel & Airports

I am on a business trip, which necessitated flying out of LAX yesterday. While I very much enjoy the opportunity to travel, getting through security and the TSA is becoming even more cumbersome. What a surprise. But I just decided to roll with it, and had some laughs with the ladies who had to pat me down etc.

Haven't been through LAX since June, and boy, they have really ramped up the screening process. The usual take off your shoes, take laptop out of case, take off your jacket, and by all means, do not carry any chapstick. I did not set off any alarms. But before you are free to go, you now have to wait in "stalls", with doors on them. You stand there, until the person in line in front of you has been "released."

And at that exact moment, someone notified the TSA that everyone coming through was on a charter... which then caused them to require pat downs, and hand wanding of the whole group. No problem, go for it. The wand thing is so sensitive, it picks up a hook in your undergarmets. The young lady was very professional. She said if the wand beeped, she would have to touch me, and if that was in a sensitive area, she would do so with the back of her and, rather than the front. I said fine.

Eventually all the patting and touching ended, and I wa reunited with my belongings.

Once through security, my mind started focusing on how everyone was busy going somewhere, moving, hauling their bags, waiting in line. I too, was one of the lucky ones, to be going somewhere, and leaving LA. How great is it, to get onto a plane, and instantly be removed from the daily boring existance.

To be five miles high. To see other planes out your window. If by chance you see a plane heading the opposite direction as yourself, it's almost mindboggling, you pass each other so quickly. To see the many varieties of clouds. I always hate it when they announce that the movie is going to start, and would you please pull your shade down. Well NO, I won't... because looking out that window is an experience I never get enough of. You can see a movie anytime.

To get on a plane is a chance to get outside of yourself. I love it.