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January 05, 2005
I Am an Idiot
Mike & I are fairly seasoned travelers, so we usually manage to get through airport security without problems. He carries the laptop and any electronics; I carry our meds and sundry items that we don't trust to our checked bags. So I was kinda surprised last week when we were leaving out of XNA & I got pulled out of the security line for a search.
(Some uninteresting but explanatory background: I usually just carry a small backpack. But since we both had head colds, there was more medicine than usual....not enough to use a carry-on suitcase but too much for my backpack. So I'd divided everything up between my everyday purse & backpack.)
The TSA lady asked me if there were any sharp objects in my carry-ons. I said no, there shouldn't be anything. Are you sure? she asked. Not as far as I know I said. She then proceeded to give my two carry-ons a very thorough search, frowning the whole time. I'm standing there wondering what the hell triggered all this? She then took my purse over to the scanner & ran it through a second time. I have no idea what was going on..........until she pulled my mini-Leatherman utility tool out of my purse.
Yeah, I kinda forgot that was in there.
So I'm standing there, embarrassed as hell, as she takes it over to her supervisor. The supervisor came over & started to lecture me about how I wasn't allowed to take it on the plane. I interrupted him (politely) and explained that I understood that but since I normally didn't take that purse when I traveled, I had forgotten that it was in there. And I apologized. Profusely. He then very nicely allowed me to take it back down to the ticket desk & ask them to put it in my checked bag. I was pleasantly surprised when we unpacked later to find that they actually put it in there. (Thank you, US Airways!)
Being a supportive husband, Mike stood out there past security laughing his ass off & pointing through the entire thing since I had nagged him all morning about not forgetting to put his pocket knife in our checked bag.
I can't say that I blame him.
Posted by Rita at January 5, 2005 11:45 AM
Comments
I have to admit that I read the story and the part about Mike pointing and laughing made me laugh out loud. I can definitely picture it.
Posted by: Bob at January 5, 2005 01:05 PM
And he was standing by that little coffee shop, doing it right in front of God and everybody too. I'm not saying I didn't deserve it, mind you. It was an incredibly dumb thing I did.
But hey! Better the Leatherman than the S&W, right?
Posted by: rita at January 5, 2005 01:13 PM
Absolutely. That's always my big fear, that I'll pack up for the airport and forget that my little .32 is in the jacket pocket. That'd be fun...
Posted by: Bob at January 5, 2005 01:20 PM
If it ever happens, give us a call. You know we're always there if you need bail money.
Of course, there'd be the obligatory laughing and pointing from both of us.....
; )
Posted by: rita at January 5, 2005 01:51 PM
I once forgot I'd left a 4 inch long fruit paring knife in a carryon bag last year. You live and you learn, I suppose.
Posted by: Tony at January 5, 2005 09:11 PM