Special Selection - SSSS

So, yesterday I took our Hawaiian back to the airport. (He has returned to the islands for a week or so.) I walked with him up to the counter, to check-in and such, and a nice, big lady set about getting our Hawaiian into the computer system. She asked if I would also be flying.

"I wish." I smiled at her.

She offered to give me a gate pass, so that I could go and hang out with my Hawaiian until he boarded the plane. Who knew? I accepted and thanked her. After checking my i.d. she handed me a ticket-like stub with "gate pass" written across it. Hawaiian and I proceeded to security.

At the first security man, (you know how there are always four to six folks who want to check out your ticket stub along the way?) I was pulled out of line.

"Maam, you have been specially selected for a heightened security check this morning."

WOO HOO! shouted my cranky inner voice.
"What does that mean?" croaked my sleep deprived outside voice.

"You see this "SSSS," here in the corner of your stub? Special, random selection. Please make your way up the side to the special screening area up ahead. There, you will need to remove your shoes, as well as blah and blah and blah from your person. You will be patted down, and your bags will be hand searched."

But I'm not even flying....

I marched dutifully into the groping arena, and placed my sock shrouded feet into the guilty yellow outlines on the carpet. A nice, somber lady patted up and down the outline of my person. I was cleared, as was my bag, though my shoes had to be triple scanned. I got myself together, and found my Hawaiian. He had had to open up his laptop in the other line, so we'd both gotten through at almost the same moment.

We wound our way up the walkway to the gate, and grabbed seats behind a girls water polo team. They were trying to name every country that started with an S. They did pretty well. Hawaiian and I sat quietly, chatting once in a while, but mostly being quiet together. Over the intercom, they called his row for boarding, and we squeezed each other hard. Another squeeze, and we parted ways. I watched him hand his ticket to the attendant at the gate and disappear. I walked toward the exit.

"Maam! Maam! If you go out through there, be advised you'll have to come through security again!" A concerned security attendant cautioned.

"Thanks," I said, "but I'm not flying today."

Nothing like special selection on a Monday morning. SSSS.

Comments

[Rachael]

This is lovely writing, my dear.

[Kira]

Ditto Rachael.
I always used to get picked for special screening and bag searches, but not so much anymore. Maybe it's because I don't dye my hair green anymore. . .

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