On my way back from Vegas, I “went off” going thru the metal detector.
Now, I know that my wardrobe often consists of heavy metal things…but I thought I had taken them all off. First I have to take off my shoes…(and this was even before the shoe-bomb guy made the rule). as I often drop things, my toes are made of steel. Then we have the belt…(it makes me laugh when I take my belt off in a public place…often others don’t quite know how to react). Then there is my watch. I love my watch…square face..silver, red and black..it’s a Harley Davidson watch (an ex gave it to me) that hasn’t had a battery change in almost two years now (I had a bad habit of constantly checking it..even if I had nowhere to go..I’ve managed to break this habit of mine. I do have it set at my favorite time…3:33). Then there is my wrist bracelet to remove.
I had taken all these things off (I only removed my shoes leaving SFO and didn’t go off…) and still heard the alarm sound as I walked thru.
Now, I don’t know how others feel, but when I am standing there in my socks with arms stretched out I feel like a criminal. I repeat over and over in my head that I’m a good person and have no weapons on me…but then I start to think that maybe I forgot to take that pair of nail clippers out of my pocket.
I did remove the items from my pockets for the woman waving the wand around my body. I tend to store things in my pockets so I dug in and removed change I had, the rocks I carry, and as I was on my moon, a tampon (to which she was VERY embarrassed by and covered it up in the bowl of my belongings). Still the alarm would sound as she waved this magic wand over my pocket. I must now add that I am an avid gum chewer…and being the conservative person I am, I don’t stick the whole piece in my mouth at once. I break off pieces, wrap the remaining piece back up and store it in my pocket. Gum wrappers make magic wands go nuts.
My friend Mark had his hip replaced…and it is made of metal.
He did not go off in the metal detector….