Going on a vacation is definitely not what is used to be. I remember, before the days of heightened airport security, when my friends and family could walk me all the way to the gate before I boarded my flight. Of course things have drastically changed. Now, neither you nor your family (or your bottled water for that matter) can move past the security checkpoint without the proper identification, x-rays, dental checks, eye scans - okay, I'm exaggerating - but you get the idea. The pressure of travel is just as hazardous as any chemicals you might bring on board with you.
Not that I'm complaining, mind you. I'm happy that some precautions have been taken to ensure the safety of the innocent flight-sitters on board who wanted to do nothing more than visit their Aunt Tilda in Wisconsin. I can't stress enough gratitude for the feeling of safety I receive during each flight. But at the same time, if you're not ready for the number of security measures that are set in place to ensure the safe flight, you can easily become overwhelmed.
This happened to me the last time I flew to Atlanta.
It had been around a year since I'd flown anywhere when I took this trip, and I was more than excited for the opportunity to get out of town. However, when I rolled my one bag that needed to be checked and my two small carry-ons to the check-in counter, I remembered that I had lotion, toothpaste and a bottle of water in my carry-on bag. "Oh Geez!" I thought, as I cautiously moved my bags out of the way of others around me to transfer the "liquids and gels" into the bag I was to check.
It was then that I began to panic. "Am I forgetting anything?" "What if they x-ray my bag and find something else?" "What if they want to do a thorough search and I miss my flight?" There were so many "what-ifs" running through my mind that I could barely remember where my ID was as I approached the kiosk to pull my ticket. Luckily, the check-in process went rather smoothly and next was my journey to the security checkpoint.
There I began my panicking process again with all of my "what-ifs." Again, through a little bit of luck, I managed to get through the process with no problems, but the whole ordeal made the idea of travel seem very unappealing. I promised myself the next time I were to travel anywhere I would be prepared.
And that is exactly what I did. The following week, I had a surprise trip to Washington D.C. and as I prepared for travel, I made sure to know where my ID was, which bags to back my liquids and gels in, and even printed my boarding pass at home. It made my life so much easier. I know it can seem like a bit of work to do the extra planning at home. But if you want to avoid the pressure-filled hustle and bustle that travel can bring with airport security, then it is my suggestion that you do the preparations from home to avoid any confusion during crunch time.
Jeffrey Meier of Jam727 Enterprises at http://www.Jam727.com offers information articles on Airline Security at http://www.jam727.com/securityinfo/security_articles.htm