Traveling The U.S. By Plane

[Raiha]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]So I'm taking a journey across America via Southwest airlines and I realized according to the schedules that I'll be spending more time waiting for my next plane than I will actually sitting in one. Assuming of course that it doesn't sit on the runway for six hours waiting for something to happen or fall off, or catch on fire.

In essence, I'll be wasting away in Phoenix, Arizona for oh...two hours? And then three days hence on my return flight, roughly four hours in Nashville, Tennessee. And all this fun times just to visit some of my good friends in Huntingdon, PA. If anyone lives in any of the following areas, or near enough, do send me a message. But all of this has me thinking. Will I get to be patted down by some annoying and jaded airline security agent? Will my body piercings set off various metal detectors?

And of course there's the question of if they'll paw through the suspiciously lurid looking DVDs in my luggage. And wonder if my laptop is really in fact the detonation device for a bomb in my suitcase or purse. But seriously, I suppose this is the price w pay to make sure there isn't a mid flight explosion over the heartland of America. Not that I really care, provided I make it alive in one piece. Do you think they're taking the threat of terrorism too seriously these days? Or are they not doing enough?

I read an article about backscatter X-ray machines that give a full, to the bare skin, image of a person and what they have on their bodies. Is that too invasive? The wikipedia page has more on the subject. Some think it's a total invasion of your privacy, but having your bag ripped apart and your liquids held up to the light doesn't appear to be much better. Thoughts? [/FONT][/COLOR]

[Ikillion]

[COLOR=#6d527f][SIZE="1"][FONT="Trebuchet MS"]Are people really that bothered by an X-ray machine that can do that? I mean sure, if I had a bomb implanted in my chest or something of the like I'd be angry that they could see it. Its not like they are looking at anything someone hasn't seen at one time or another. Making a fuss about it is just pathetic.

The one and only useful thing that I think I've ever got out of flying in my numerous years of flying is that sleep is golden. There is no better way to turn a six hour trip into one that seemed to happen in a second.

Also depending on the people you're setting next to being drunk is interesting, but thats a story for another day.
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[[Sound_Nin]]

[COLOR=Navy][FONT=Book Antiqua]Just think. You're traveling across the country, and in two years I'll be travelling to another. I wonder if that means they'll tighten the security or they won't care as much. After all, I [I]am[/I] the number one terrorist threat to America. It's so obvious.

And I think any metal that doesn't attract a magnet won't see off metal detectors... but this could be wrong. Believe me, I've tried to hang magnets from my lip and tongue and ears countless times to no avail. You'd think I'd figure it out the first time around...
Don't quote me on this. I mean, coins don't attract magnets and yet you have to take them out of your pocket when going through a metal detector... thing.
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[AzureWolf]

Haha, if you have been on a plane before, things have not changed THAT much. They will ask you if you have anything that might be a problem or might set off the alarms. If your piercings are metal, then they will be detected and it would be best to remove them before going to the airport.

They will let you use your computer during the flight, they have no problem with them. Although there have been no reported difficulties, they ask you to not use cellphones or computers for the first half hour during takeoff and the last half hour during landing (or was it an hour each?).

They do not care about DVDs at all, and they do not set off the detectors (to my knowledge). Liquids they do care about, so do keep those to a minimum, or none at all. i think you can have liquids in your luggage but none as a carry-on item.

I think as long as you are not Middle Eastern, the experience is the same, just with a few more restrictions on what you can bring. You could have a shirt that says "I'm an Islamic extremist and I'm only on this flight to hijack it" and they won't suspect you in the least - provided you are something other than Middle Eastern.

[outlawstar69]

[quote name='AzureWolf']You could have a shirt that says "I'm an Islamic extremist and I'm only on this flight to hijack it" and they won't suspect you in the least - provided you are something other than Middle Eastern.[/QUOTE]

Oh snap - there goes my first choice in aviation apparel.

[Raiha]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]Nah, I've travelled within the past six months, but I wasn't sure if they'd decided to add even MORE restrictions. Besides the obvious 'for your protection' ones.

That and I think the backscatter is offensive because it gives a VERY accurate reading of how people look without clothes, even if it's all one color. Like white. My professor is afraid that perverts will want to use it to get a good look at her daughter when she goes through security. Which is strange because there are perverts everywhere! Dont' think that they can't just undress her with the power of imagination.

About cell phones though; I refuse to believe something I bought at Radio Shack is capable of bringing down some of the best developed pieces of technology in use today.[/FONT][/COLOR]

[SaiyanPrincessX]

[quote name='Raiha'][COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]In essence, I'll be wasting away in Phoenix, Arizona for oh...two hours?[/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE]

[SIZE="1"]Sky Harbor FTW! I miss it. -,-;

Anywoo. I don't think body piercings will set off the alarm. Mine didn't, unless they're made of something else. :p Put everything in baggies, lol. I used millions of them on my last trip.

And sleeping never worked for me on flights. I stayed awake both going to and from Japan, 12 hours with five crappy movies playing back to back, in a small little seat. xD[/SIZE]

[Andrew]

[QUOTE='[Sound_Nin];805399'][COLOR=Navy][FONT=Book Antiqua]...I mean, coins don't attract magnets and yet you have to take them out of your pocket when going through a metal detector... thing...
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[size=1]This might have something to do with the fact that metal detectors, you know... detect metal and not magnets. ¬_¬

Anyways, on to D'Ann's point. I'm not really sure I'd be happy with some airport staff looking at my naked body, nor those around me. I'm already more paranoid than I need to be without having to worry about people being able to see through my clothes.

I'm one who has a lot of difficulty sleeping in places other than my bed (And I have a hard enough time there anyways ¬_¬) so flying for me is one long boredom trip. Especially since the lack of a decent weight allowance these days prevents you from decent reading material.[/size]

[Lady Asphyxia]

[FONT=Arial][SIZE=2]Oooh, hey, I think I went through one of those scatter things flying from Amsterdam to England! Granted, I didn't know what it was, but I'm pretty sure it was the same thing. It really wasn't a big deal. You go, you stand on the feet, two seconds later you're on your way.

As for the security...it's not too bad. Yes, it can be tedious to have to pull liquids out but really -- does one [I]need[/I] to have your liquids with them? Just put them in checked luggage. Even the longest flights aren't long enough to be unable to survive without your mascara -- and they do provide toothbrushes [and paste] on the long flights.The security has gotten more efficient and less scary than they used to be.

Although, I grant you, the waiting in airports is not fun. I swear i spent half of my around-the-world trip in airports. There's just not much to do. Oh, for an airport theme park.
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[timotheus]

[quote name='Lady Asphyxia'][FONT=Arial][SIZE=2]
Although, I grant you, the waiting in airports is not fun. I swear i spent half of my around-the-world trip in airports. There's just not much to do. Oh, for an airport theme park.
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Or perhaps.. Airport Karaoke!

[Raiha]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]So even though I now have a killer flu strain, I'm still going to drag my pitiful carcass on that plane this Thursday morning. And fly! Fly! Actually while I'm waiting in Arizona I plan to charge my laptop and iPod and other stuff too. Yeah. Technorama![/FONT][/COLOR]

[Justin]

I'll actually be in Tennessee sometime this weekend visiting a friend. It's beautiful country, but I wouldn't want to live there.

-Justin

[Raiha]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]And the trip was a success! Everyone had fun except for one jerk but he can go drown himself in the snow outside.

But anyway, aside from accidentally forgetting my knife in my purse and setting off a million alarms and getting patted down...everything went relatively smoothly. They ran my bags several times though, but everything was great.

[URL="http://students.juniata.edu/wainwne04/colin2.jpg"][U]Picture[/U][/URL][/FONT][/COLOR]

[The13thMan]

[COLOR=DarkOrange][FONT=Century Gothic]Oh lame, you didn't tell me you were going to be in Nashville! I live like 30 minutes from Nashville and have been to the airport there numerous times. Well...that's not entirely true, i'm in Knoxville now so it's more like i live 3 hours and 30 minutes from Nashville.

Aw well.

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[Yookie1]

Security can be stupid. I mean how many airports can you really get through with a 4 inch pocketknife and a lighter without them being noticed? Ummmmmmmm.... quite a few obviously but god(or whatever) forbid you get fddd at Las wages or you deal with the bomb sniffing walkthrough(supr slo crwl) because of technical difficulties. XXXX's r bad (when flying) not porn u dirty girls. So dont do continental or us air. Biggest f'aroooing east to west. Can anyone say oops we destroyed your stuff but for all the bs we missed the contraband in your bra? This of course is hypothetical and nonsense written under the guise of lack of sleep and excess of SKYE & blueberry pomegranite.

[Starwind]

Think of it this way, at least you didn't have to join me in my adventurous flight to the middle east which started on March the first. I woke up at 4:30 am MT, packed roughy 120 lbs worth of gear into the back of a truck, drove to a bunker to get my weapon back, then drove to the El Paso airport to make my 9:30 flight to Dallas.

From Dallas, We got off the plane exited the terminal, collected my baggage, went to the other side of the airport to the military terminal, re-checked all my baggage, went through security again, waited 4 hours for the plane to get there and to board onto the damn thing. Then we were wisked away on a 13 hour plane ride to Germany.

From there we had a three hour lay over to which we were not allowed to leave the terminal, we were then loaded back onto the same plane and flown another 5 hours to Kuwait where, upon arrival I had to unload all my own gear from the plane load it onto a bus, then ride said bus for 2 hours til we arrived at the camp we were assigned to. I leave you to do the math yourself. Try to figure out what time it was here by the time I got to Kuwait. And I mean actually here, not what time it was state side.