Traveling Plain

I don't know how long ago it's been since you flew, but when you don't fly often, and I don't, it is easy to quickly see how things have changed.

Security may be even more scary these days. I always feel vulnerable and guilty at the same time when I go through security. It reminds me of being a grade school student and the teacher asking if that was a note in my hand and didn't I want to stand up and read it to the class?

I try to eliminate anything I could be wearing or carrying that might cause the TSA agents to take a closer look at me. I wear no jewelry, wind pants with no belt and place everything I can in one of the bags going through the scanner.  You are not even allowed to have a tissue or piece of paper in your pocket when you enter these new scanners so now I know I have to unload my pockets prior to the search.

You still have to take your shoes off when being scanned, and even with those, which I placed in a plastic bin, the agent had to move them around in the bin to his satisfaction.

I do settle down a ltitle after I am through that ordeal, but when walking onto the plane (small, very small!) and seeing how cramped everything is, my first response is to run back through the tunnel to the waiting room.

I could drive to my destination, couldn't I?