I can't stand to fly
I'm not that naïve
Men weren't meant to ride
With clouds between their knees
I'm not that naïve
Men weren't meant to ride
With clouds between their knees
I'm beginning to think that I shouldn't fly anymore. Or, at least, the TSA thinks I shouldn't fly anymore.
I took my first flight when I was 17. After my HS graduation, my family took a trip out to Washington DC to visit an aunt/uncle there. When my family left, I stayed an extra week and the A/U took me around to see the sights. Then they flew me home. Very exciting for my young mostly Posey County-bound self!
Then, in my mid-20's, I flew several times to/from Tuscon to visit with, and be in the wedding of, my college roommate, Janna. There were at least three, possibly four, flights, and I do not recall there being any problems.
Of course, all of that was pre-9/11.
For a while thereafter, I was landbound. I think the next flight I took was when I flew to/from Charleston to visit my friend, Donna. Again, I don't recall any problems. The only thing that stands out in my mind was when my carry-on went through the x-ray machine and the two people were staring at the housewarming gnome I was taking Donna. I explained what it was and the TSA guy sort of shook his head, but again, no problems.
In 2005, I flew to Alaska, to meet my parents. We then saw the sights, including a five-day drive of the Al/Can highway, and ended up in Edmonton, Alberta, ... Canada from where I flew home. My first brush with customs. Again, no issues.
I didn't fly again until the infamous trip to London/Edinburgh, in 2011. Reading back through the blog posts covering this trip, I see nothing out of the ordinary about either leg of that trip (Indy/Toronto/London and then back). Of course, I had other things on my mind and I was drugged out of my mind on the trip back, so God alone knows what they could have done to me at Heathrow. Presumably my Mother and sister would have told me if anything out of the ordinary happened. Although neither of them can tell me whether or not I received a blood transfusion while in the hospital there, so maybe not.
Still undeterred by security, I next flew to Ireland/Scotland in July 2014. My main memory of those TSA interactions was my brother-in-law, with his "special" security got to zip through the lines while Holly (sibling) and I had to wait in line with the great unwashed masses. Again, my blog shows nothing special, so I'm assuming that whatever happened to it place a black mark on my file with TSA happened after those flights.
Then something changed.
In August 2014, I flew with a mission team to Honduras and was scanned as follows:
I took my first flight when I was 17. After my HS graduation, my family took a trip out to Washington DC to visit an aunt/uncle there. When my family left, I stayed an extra week and the A/U took me around to see the sights. Then they flew me home. Very exciting for my young mostly Posey County-bound self!
Then, in my mid-20's, I flew several times to/from Tuscon to visit with, and be in the wedding of, my college roommate, Janna. There were at least three, possibly four, flights, and I do not recall there being any problems.
Of course, all of that was pre-9/11.
For a while thereafter, I was landbound. I think the next flight I took was when I flew to/from Charleston to visit my friend, Donna. Again, I don't recall any problems. The only thing that stands out in my mind was when my carry-on went through the x-ray machine and the two people were staring at the housewarming gnome I was taking Donna. I explained what it was and the TSA guy sort of shook his head, but again, no problems.
In 2005, I flew to Alaska, to meet my parents. We then saw the sights, including a five-day drive of the Al/Can highway, and ended up in Edmonton, Alberta, ... Canada from where I flew home. My first brush with customs. Again, no issues.
I didn't fly again until the infamous trip to London/Edinburgh, in 2011. Reading back through the blog posts covering this trip, I see nothing out of the ordinary about either leg of that trip (Indy/Toronto/London and then back). Of course, I had other things on my mind and I was drugged out of my mind on the trip back, so God alone knows what they could have done to me at Heathrow. Presumably my Mother and sister would have told me if anything out of the ordinary happened. Although neither of them can tell me whether or not I received a blood transfusion while in the hospital there, so maybe not.
Still undeterred by security, I next flew to Ireland/Scotland in July 2014. My main memory of those TSA interactions was my brother-in-law, with his "special" security got to zip through the lines while Holly (sibling) and I had to wait in line with the great unwashed masses. Again, my blog shows nothing special, so I'm assuming that whatever happened to it place a black mark on my file with TSA happened after those flights.
Then something changed.
In August 2014, I flew with a mission team to Honduras and was scanned as follows:
- Evansville to Atlanta - swabbed for explosive residue
- Atlanta to Honduras - full-body scan*
- Honduras to Atlanta - fingerprinted*, checked luggage searched
- Atlanta to Evansville - patted down
(*Only one in group of 40 on mission trip)
In fact, after one of the incidents, one of the pastors on the trip with me came over to ask if he needed to pray for me. I told him that maybe he should.
Then, the situation escalates, or may I was just flying more frequently.
In fact, after one of the incidents, one of the pastors on the trip with me came over to ask if he needed to pray for me. I told him that maybe he should.
Then, the situation escalates, or may I was just flying more frequently.
- Evansville to Tampa - swabbed for explosive residue
- Tampa to Evansville - ? (didn't mention in blog following trip)
- Evansville to Orlando - swabbed for explosive residue
- Orlando to Chicago - full body pat down (engaged to TSA agent)
- Chicago to Evansville - full body pat down (engaged to another TSA agent)
- Evansville to Charlotte - nothing, (and boy was I surprised as heck about it, too!)
- Charlotte to Evansville - patted down, carry-on searched, checked luggage searched
Now sometime after the Charlotte trip, I jokingly suggested to my friend Erin whose hubs is a reporter that she might want to check with him to see if he'd be interested in doing an investigative story on why I, a relatively honest, all-American person am ALWAYS being "randomly" chosen by TSA for additional screening. We came to the conclusion that maybe there's another Rosemary Barger (there are 12 on Facebook alone, although that does include three unfortunately named "Rosie" Bargers, so it might be 9, depending on what, if anything, Rosie is short for!) out there being all ... terroristy!
Which brings us to my recent trip to Las Vegas. I'm sure you've read the blog all about it by now. But so yeah, I arrived in Vegas, got to my hotel room and what to my (not really) surprise did I see? Yep, the love note from the TSA advising me that my luggage had been chosen for closer inspection.
So, now pay close attention here. In May 2017, I received one of these on my flight home from Charlotte. Then a mere five months later, on the very next flight I take, again.
Let me point out, here, that whenever I ask, good-naturedly of course, a TSA person "why me?", the response is ALWAYS a shrug and the words, "It's random, Ma'am."
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary defines "Random" as thus:
I told Holly (the woman I traveled to Vegas with, not the sibling) that if I received one on my flight home from Vegas, then I would take that to mean that there was definitely some mark on my TSA file. After all, that would mean that after the last 13 opportunities, TSA would have "randomly" chosen me 11 times... I'll do the math.. that is 84.6% of the time!!
I could accept 25-33% of the time as random; but not 84.6%!
I've decided that I may have to curtail my future travel. I do have a trip in May to Miami for my 50th birthday cruise (more details later), but after that, assuming I'm not on the no-fly list by then, I'm thinking car travel has its benefits.
And I may have to write the other eight Rosemary Bargers on Facebook and inquire as to what they were doing between early July and late August 2014.
My only question is, if they put me on the no-fly, how will I know? Will I show up at the airport, luggage and ticket in hand, and get turned away? That could really put a damper on my cruise plans.
Are your tickets transferable? Ha! I hope you enjoy your 2023 trip without incident. Connie (Team Member)
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