Expressway: Pat-down and a pat on the back
A Transportation Security Administration agent in New York Credit: AP
Reader Chris Veech lives in Commack.
A funny thing happened to me on the way to Des Moines this past summer for a reunion and the Iowa State Fair. (Yes, we saw the Butter Cow, ate pork, corn and everything else on a stick, and we missed the Republican straw poll candidates by a day, but not the hoopla.)
When I arrived at LaGuardia Airport to begin my trip, it was about 11:30 a.m. and there were no lines at the security gate. Relaxed airport employees returned my smile when I mentioned how lucky I was to be breezing right through.
As I put my bag and purse through the scanner, I blithely pulled out my "hip replacement patient ID card," given to me by my doctor after surgery about two years ago. It's supposed to explain that the titanium in my hip would set off an alarm on the walk-through scanner. It did, but I wasn't absolved by my special card.
The security agent matter-of-factly gestured to a glass-wall pen. I gathered my bag and walked to the pen. The agent, not in a pleasant mood, went in search of someone to do a pat-down. I thought, "It is what it is, but it will become what you make of it."
The agent returned, not smiling, and said she would do the deed, and instructed me to stand with my legs apart and arms in the air. She patted my body, starting at the shoulders and moving over the torso front and back, then deftly over the groin and down the legs. The agent did a good job. It wasn't personal, it wasn't a punishment. It was what it was -- a result of continuing insecurity.
As she stood, I smiled at her as I lowered my arms -- and thanked her for a very professional job. Now she seemed surprised, and the corners of her mouth crinkled into a smile. She nodded, saying nothing, and left me to continue my journey. In the mood she seemed to be in, just her smile was a victory for me.
I realize that airport security has been in the news. Three women traveling to Florida and wearing medical devices have accused Transportation Security Administration personnel in New York of forcing them to disrobe so their devices could be checked. The TSA has responded that it does not do strip-searches.
In my case, perhaps I'm fortunate that my metal device is inside my body, so only my natural contours need be investigated. As much as I'd rather not be patted down, airport agents don't have a deep love for the process either, as I inferred from my LaGuardia experience.
During my pat-down, I realized that the people who work in our airports are rarely thanked or smiled at as they do these mandated jobs. We don't take the time, because most of us are so concerned about ourselves that we don't think about those around us.
But I had, and I found that my trip was ever so much more pleasant as a result. On the return trip, though I flashed my useless card, I was again patted down, also professionally, and I repeated my thanks, which again were well received. (I'll still keep the "get out of the pat-down" card in my wallet. You never know.)
So next time you travel, remember that those workers in the crowded airports try their best, sometimes in vexing situations. Flash a smile, say thanks, and see how much better they, and you, will feel. It does become what you make of it.
