Well we got back unscathed. No scars, no welts, no nuttin. Just slightly stressed. And noticeably poorer.
Last week before we started our journey, we expected the worst from the TSA. Admittedly I was pumped up on adrenaline and ready to duke it out with any TSA Goon who dare touch me or mine. But today, a week later, I'm chuckling.
We entered the terminal; the veins in my head were throbbing. I was at DEFCOM 1. Milling about was the TSA, State Police, and BPD sizing-up folks.
Found the airline, took a place in the line with a couple hundred other travelers. Checked in and moved on to the terminal, all the while straining to see the dastardly scanners. And keeping a sharp eye on the Stormtroopers.
We took a place in line. Hey what the heck was going on? The line is moving faster than expected. Ah ha! Now I see the scanners. Why ain't folks going through the dastardly scanners. What gives? I don't believe my eyes. They're shut down. Son-of-a-gun! The TSA out-flanked us with a smart public relations ploy. Pretty sneaky huh? That's what government does best eh?
About 45 minutes into our wait I was addressed by a TSA'er. Oh shit, I thought. This is it. Pull out the cellphone and start recording. Mrs.Will I love you, I blurted out. Sir, would you follow me please. What for? Um... my family, I said. You’re being expedited, he said. Code for cavity search maybe? Folks, follow me please. We're expediting you, he repeated. He smiled. I'm stunned, but happy to be moving; he led us to the front of the line. It seemed innocent enough. I was at DEFCOM 2 now.
We were greeted by a smiling TSA-ette with The Wand. How are you today? Where you traveling to, she asked. I looked at her skeptically. I mumbled something. She politely instructed me to raise my arms. Bing I was done. I checked to see if my wallet was still in my pocket. It was. The next Will family member. Bing, done. The next. Bing, done. In 5 minutes we were on our way to the boarding area.
As I passed a couple of TSA-Goons, I asked about the special treatment of Muslims (we saw none), they ignored my question and politely told me to move along. My wife asked another. Same response.
So we were on our way and unscathed by radiation and finger probing. The flight was uneventful. The usual nonsense with the overheads, folks tussling, exchanging dirty looks. When will they ever learn? If anything with air travel that has to be regulated, it’s the circus with the overheads. For the record, I’m all for a constitutional amendment on that.
On the way home we had the impression the public, being weary and tired, would have submitted to anything the TSA demanded - folks just wanted to go home. Again no scanners. Politeness all around. I was especially nice too.
During our travels, we struck up conversations with folks about the scanners. Most just shrugged their shoulders - too busy playing with their cellphones. Those who verbalized an answer were anti-scanner and agreed that enhanced screening procedures should be used only on "suspicious characters”. Our code for Muslims and foreigners.
On the return flight, I sat next to an old Jewish guy – a retired lawyer - on his way home to Miami Beach. Talkative and smart, he likened the controversy to Nazi tactics. Personally I wouldn't have said that publicly, but he wanted to make a point. I was all ears.
He told the story of Hitler’s assumption to power in the 30’s. Through manipulation, the Nazis with a minority of the seats in the Reichstag passed The Enabling Act – effectively suspended the German Constitution, took over the government, brutally suppressed criticism, setup the concentration camp system. Well, you know the rest of the story.
Well, I say this with some trepidation, but isn’t this what’s happening here in the USA? The US Constitution, i.e., the 4th Amendment has been suspended. What’s next?
The old guy told me another interesting fact. Suspension of parts of the 4th Amendment was not done via the Patriot Act as I thought, rather it originated with a 1973 Federal Court ruling, U.S. versus Marquez, regarding some drug trafficker's arrest.
My fellow traveler made notes for me, telling me to get smart about the law. Mark my words, he said, it's gonna get worse. Oy vey!
Bottom line. We won’t be traveling via plane anymore. It’s expensive, uncomfortable, and will become unacceptably more intrusive. I’ll bet cattle get better treatment on their way to the slaughterhouse. In fact they do.
Democracy is disappearing before our eyes.