Me: *gets in line for security with parents and hands over high school ID, birth certificate and boarding pass*

Guy: *looks at ID etc.* How old are you?

Me: (I have to remember how old I am…) 2...2...

Guy: Um…do you have a driver’s license or anything? Passport?

Me: No…but that’s my birth certificate.

Guy: It needs to be some kind of picture ID, like a driver’s license or passport.

Me: Um. (Translation: I DON’T HAVE THEM AHHH GO AWAY)

Mom: We’ve gotten on planes before with this---

Guy: It’s different here.

Me + family: Oh. (Translation: WHAT)

Guy: Go over here. *directs us to the part of security where they make you do more stuff*

Me: *suffers, mutters* (Translation: I’M GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE MY CLOTHES OFF SOMEBODY HELP MEEEE)

I did not have to take my clothes off, haha. I’m such a big baby. I hear students traveling alone always get searched and stuff, and this is only the first time it’s ever happened to me. And the lady who patted me down could tell I didn’t know my head from my ass, at least in this situation. If she’d asked me if I have a bomb, I’d say, “Oh, yes, I bought this in New York, it’s got red beans and chestnuts in it and it’s very expensive but fresh.“

Certainly gave me a healthy twinge of that, “OMIGOD THEY DON’T LIKE ME ANYMORE” feeling. Er, you know, the certain feeling of entitlement/disgruntledness pretty innocent Americans feel and possibly express when asked to just go through some goddamn security. I think it’s like not being able to make people pay for something they used to get for free. I got on planes for years and years without all this hoo-hah and NOW they’re fussing? I LIVE here, you know!!!!! etc. No, I really felt that way! I just didn’t SAY anything. And I’m sure searching all those frail old people and pretty young girls who know where to eat yakitori will save us.

Other wonders of the modern world: I typed this entry and updated it all sitting here at the airport waiting for our plane. I'M A COOL HACKER NOW.

From: [identity profile] selphish.livejournal.com


I had no idea you weren't American. What are you? :O

How was the patdown? Was it every bit as humiliating as I would anticipate it to be?

From: [identity profile] the-olive.livejournal.com


http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/first/first_830.html

To get a passport, you need:
1) Your birth certificate,
2) Some things you've signed, like a library card or bank card,
3) Your Mom,
4) Your Mom's ID,
5) Your social security number.

It's a reeeeally good idea to get one now, before you decide to do international travel but have to wait 6 weeks.

Also, I think there was a case a long time ago of a terrorist attempting to bundle his pregnant, Irish girlfriend (or someone like that) onto a plane with a bomb, so, uh, profiling doesn't work, the end.

From: [identity profile] kithal.livejournal.com


In my recent jetsetting trip everysingle airport that I went through alone had me searched, just short of strip searched. Being a young, male, lone traveller, I wasn't too surprised. The return trip, with MP next to me the whole way, they never even blinked at me...

I think the best one was when one of the checkers looked at my passport, and obviously had a quandry of "if he's travelled this much, he'd be safe right? But then again, if he's travelled this much, maybe it's just to make him LOOK safe, and really he's been practicing or something".
.

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