Twenty-first century traveling pet peeves

One of my husband’s pet peeves is that the TSA process at airports has nowhere to sit to remove your shoes when you’re putting all your stuff in bins to be scanned.  He had a knee replaced recently, so this gyration is problematic.

He started noticing this flaw with TSA’s practice years ago when his mom traveled. She was elderly with bad hips and poor balance and had to stoop over to remove her shoes. Oh, and horrible cardiac issues … so stooping over could have resulted in a fall, possibly due to passing out.

All because one idiot hid explosive devices in his shoes during a flight after TSA was put in place. Remember that? In 2001, the “shoe bomber” attempted to detonate explosives concealed in his shoes on a trans-Atlantic flight. As with many bad apples who act out, the rest of us, mostly good apples, suffer for their poor decisions. For years afterwards in this case.

My husband and I recently flew to Louisiana to visit family for a week. So, this was a gripe my husband voiced to the TSA agents he had contact with during the check-in process.  Once you’re through the scanning, there are places to sit, thankfully. But at the start, just the queued line. No chairs or benches. We understand the need for shoes getting scanned, I guess, though, since its inception, I wonder how many people have fallen or tweaked their back or knees trying to comply.

My own pet peeve is the cost of food items in the concourse. They have you trapped, so you’re at the mercy of vendors. Water is the big one for me. I don’t like tepid drinking fountain water. Plus, germs. So, I buy bottled water if we’re having a longish layover. I thought convenience stores had mad pricing, but airports kick it up a notch, and then some. It’s just short of criminal, since you can’t bring your own water with you, per TSA. Then just food prices in general. Snacks, meals, candy. Yikes. Though you can bring that in a carry-on -- if you’ve got room. Because of the next pet peeve, no more free checked bag.  

Our answer, whenever possible, if you have the time? Travel by car. Mostly, one wants to blast down the interstate and make good time. If you can, take a few side trips and explore this land of ours; visit its hidden jewels -- the world’s largest ball of twine in Cawker City, Kansas, for one, or the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota.

One should also visit the homes of previous U.S. presidents. New Orleans’ WWII museum and Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia’s living history village shouldn’t be missed either. Check the tires, top off fluids, put on new windshield washer blades, grab a map and go. Make it an adventure.