I finally made it home - my first plane trip since Tuesday
As a seasoned traveller, I kept my chin held high as I boarded my plane home today. After my first flight was cancelled, I got a plane home this afternoon. I was kewl, nothing was going to bother me. I got on the plane and as we were taxi-ing on the runway, I realized that I wasn't breathing. I think it was about 20-30 seconds that I was in a sheer panic. But I just started to breath and everything was fine.
For those seconds (seemed much longer) I thought "What the hell am I doing - why am I in this job?" But then I thought about it longer - I love what I do and no asshole is going to prevent me from doing what I love. If I allowed that to happen, then the terrorist would win.
Landing in Pittsburgh was weird. PIT's airport is divided into two sections - airside and landside. No one but ticketed passengers are allowed in airside now. I was walking down the concourse to take the tram to landside and the aisles were open with few people.
Waiting for my ride (thankfully my sister needed my car last week so it was not parked at the airport where it may have been towed), I noticed several people hugging each other - and then hugging them again before they let go. It was quiet - even though there were many people being picked up. Will air travel ever be the same again?
The thing that bothered me the most is when I passed by the security check point (you can see it going down to baggage claim) There were about 4 people being scrutinized by security - luggage open and everything. Funny, but they were all black. Why? Is it because there were no Arabs around? I am ashamed.
We need to take control and be in charge, but not at the risk of biogry. I am disgusted by the Indian Sikh being murdered. I am fearful that this will not be the last tragic event.
There was a USAToday/CNN poll in the paper today. The thing that terrified me the most is that, of those polled, 58% of the people support "Special Security checks for Arabs, including US citizens, before boarding airplanes". 49% support "Special ID for Arabs, including US Citizens"
Haven't we learned anything from WWII? Do we really want the internment camps back?
