In the United States, today is the busiest air travel day of the entire year. So I figured it was a good time to talk about what’s going on with TSA, the new x-ray machines, and the “enhanced” pat-downs.
I am not a TSA fan. I travel a ton and their rules vary from airport to airport. Last year, I was in the Detroit airport and forgot I had a full-sized tube of toothpaste in my suitcase, which got through, but they wanted to take the Bare Escentuals “Buxon” lipgloss that was in my purse.
This past January, I was going through security at O’Hare and they made me take my tights off and go back through. Now, men, you won’t understand how invasive that is, but women, you’ll get it. They made me take my tights off, in public, and go back through.
And now I’ve learned (because I forgot one morning) that you don’t really have to take your toiletries out of your suitcase, but you can cause a lot of trouble when you’re asked to “open” your iPad and, when you try explaining it doesn’t “open,” you cause a huge delay.
In some airports I can get through with my ski boots and others they consider them an additional carry-on. I once had to put them on and put my Uggs in my purse, just so I could get on the flipping plane without checking my ski boots (no, there isn’t a photo of that, as much as Mr. D really wanted to take one).
I do the whole, “I’m executive platinum and this is ridiculous. My lipgloss gets through the largest airports in the world, but I can’t get it through this rinky dink airport?” Yeah. That doesn’t work, yet I still throw a hissy fit like that at least once a month. They don’t care “who I am.”
The rules aren’t the same and, as a frequent traveler, it makes me nuts. I don’t mind following the rules if they’re consistent.
All that being said, the new x-ray machines are not a big deal.
Let me repeat. The new x-ray machines are not a big deal.
They actually make your time in the security line a lot shorter and guess what? They can’t see your face so they don’t know whose bodies they are seeing! I don’t care what your neighbor or your friend tells you…it’s not true.
The photo you see above is what you look like going through the new machines. They can’t see your cellulite or your beer gut! They can just see whether or not you have a gun sewn into your hip.
Don’t be afraid the new machines are going to “show your junk” (we’ll leave that to Brett Favre) or that going through them is not safe. Either is just not true. But, if you prefer the “enhanced” pat-down, by all means, don’t let me stop you!
Travel safely and Happy Thanksgiving!