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[thistlechaser]

So much to do. My in box is full of emails, I'll be replying to comments and trying to catch up on my friends list over the next couple days. It's so good to have net access again!

There was a "famous" person on my flight home. Joanne Weir was in the check-in line right in front of me (and didn't even fly first class). I wouldn't have realized it was her at all, but she was recording her voice mail and quietly said into it 'Hi this is Joanne Weir, I can't take your call...' and I was close enough to hear her. Even from behind, I was sure it was her (she had the same unique hair), and when I edged around the front to see her face, I was sure. I didn't say anything to her though, partially because I hate her cooking show/how she acts/her voice and always switched the channel when she was on.

I was so happy to get home and see my cat. Unfortunately she seems to have forgotten who I am. Instead of running to me when I came home (as she does after work), she sat at a distance and eyed me in a 'Who the hell are you?' sort of way. When I approached her, she backed off, still eyeing me like she was scared. Silly kitty, I was only gone a week!

Both times through the TSA line at the airport I got pulled out of line for a pat-down. The first time was okay -- interesting since I never had one before and she mostly just went through the motions. Coming home was a different story and she actually felt my crotch (with the back of her hand), and fully between my thighs, across my butt, etc. That was odd and rather disturbing.

More tomorrow!

Comments

[bacchuslives.livejournal.com]

In some places you have to pay for a pat down like that :)

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Ha! I did have that thought at the time. "I bet she's enjoying this..." (Likely she probably really wanted to be anywhere else, doing any other job...)

[bacchuslives.livejournal.com]

I've only been patted down once. It was in Venice (Italy) and the TSA officer was female and beautiful...imagine my luck :)

The pat down didn't bother me, but she emptied my carryon onto a table and left without a word. She didn't tell me that I was done, so I waited for 10 minutes before I packed up and moved on. Fortunately I wasn't in a hurry :D

[hamsterwoman]

The pat-downs do seem to vary in thoroughness from airport to airport and agent to agent. Since I usually opt out of the backscatter, I've been getting to sample quite a lot of these when traveling for work :P But invariably the most annoying part is not the patdown itself but waiting for a female agent to mosey over to do the patdown.

Welcome back, and I hope your cat forgives you soon for going on vacation without her ;)

[loup_noir]

I've had a male agent in Berlin give me a pat down of the special nature.

Every time I go through England, I get the special treatment, even though then swear it's random.

[hamsterwoman]

Honestly, I'd rather have a guy pat me down than wait for 20 minutes for a female agent (but I almost think they intentionally make the opt-out procedure as hassleful as possible so fewer people will do it).

If England in this case = Heathrow, I think they're just terrible in general, nd their metal detectors are set to go off just by default. I remember one flight where every single person was setting off the metal detector, including L, who was wearing yoga pants without pockets or fasteners and canvas shoes and her hair loose and had no metal on her at all (although I've heard some kind of rumor that having too little metal on can also set off the detector?) But this was every single person. And it was a connecting flight, so we'd gone through security at a different airport just a couple of hours earlier without setting anything off.

...I might have a grudge against Heathrow :P

[loup_noir]

Heathrow is the worst airport I know. Hands down. However, it isn't just Heathrow that gives me that special treatment. We've gone into a couple of smaller ones (senior moment. Can't remember which ones, but they were north and not in Scotland.) were also too attentive. My guy never gets this.

[hamsterwoman]

Heathrow is the worst airport I know.

Saaame. It's really hard to beat for price/timing of layovers, though, so we keep flying through there whenever we can't wrangle non-stop flights.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Backscatter is that x-ray booth? I went through that both times, and they pulled me out of line for extra checking (the pat-down and some kind of hand swabbing). In SFO, it took a while for the woman to get around to doing me, but in Logan she was right there ready and waiting. I really liked Logan's TSA people, when the line got "long" (still less than 20 minutes), one man came out and yelled all the rules/guidelines so people would be ready, and asked if anyone had questions, all that.

My cat has finally remembered who I am! It was really odd yesterday though.

[hamsterwoman]

Yep, the x-ray thing. We've been pulled aside for the hand-swabbing, too -- although only B, I think.

When things get busy, they sometimes do the shouting of guidelines and checking up on things at SFO, too. That line moves pretty fast, actually, although it does depend on the terminal, I find.

I'm glad your cat has come around! :)

[ashmedai.livejournal.com]

Welcome back! Aw, our old Mimi used to treat Chris that way when he came back from vacation. Wouldn't even look at him for a few days. I think it's their way of saying they missed us. :)

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Haha, that might be! I could be reading it wrong -- maybe she remembered who I was and was just sulking.

[mayanas.livejournal.com]

I hope you had a great trip!

Kitties can be in such a huff when you have left them for a while. Usually Saga is all cold-shouldering me for a few days before he allows me back into his good graces. Heh!

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

She's better today, back to her clingy self! Hard to work when she wants to be held in my arms all the time, but better that than how it was yesterday. :)

[ani-mama.livejournal.com]

Oh your kitty knows who you are, she was just sulking! I hope she is back to her usual cuddly self now.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

That's probably it. She didn't sleep with me that night, but in the morning she was back to her clingy self!

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

TSA Feel ups! That's why I'd rather drive 13 hours to Florida! (though they did scan us at the gates to Universal)

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

I'd take a 13 hour drive over a flight that takes half that time anytime! You get space, can stop when you like, better food...