The Joy of Travel
Travel. Ah, fun. Right? Mostly, anyway. I usually don’t have any issues with security checkpoints since I pack quite light and know the routine by now.
Unfortunately, today I was unable to pack light. I also had to jam anything that wouldn’t fit into my 55l-Trekking Backpack (or that is too fragile to check) into my carry-ons. That includes a DSLR camera with two lenses, laptop, iPad, headphones, iPod, charging cables, a change of clothes, “liquids”, a porcelain coffee mug, a 1l-Nalgene bottle, a pair of Five Fingers, travel documents, a few books, Christmas presents (pssst!)…
Now imagine you walk through the creepy body scanner (after having taken off your hiking boots, belt and hoodie to reveal your sweaty, already worn-out inner shells), get the all clear, only to have them take BOTH of your carry-on items away for “further investigation”.
Both bags are packed with Tetris-style accuracy.
I did manage somehow to get everything back into the bags, but it wasn’t easy, I’m telling you. Which is why after having carried a 42lbs-backpack (hooray, I can still buy 8lbs of stuff!), a 25lbs-backpack AND a quite heavy canvas tote for almost an hour to get to the bus, then riding the bus for an hour, schlepping everything to the check-in, and finally dragging myself over to security, I was certainly not amused to tear everything apart again. But there is no arguing with airport security. They do not care, and why should they? It’s their job. Yes, airport security in the US tends to be a tiny little bit paranoid, but (s)he who wants to travel has to put up with it.
Let’s just hope it doesn’t progress any further… or soon I see body cavity searches in our future. Yikes.
Now I’ll wait for boarding, get to the hostel we’re staying at for one night before picking up the Camper Van and wait for Tobi to make his way to Los Angeles, too.
