Glad you're back, @glenalbrethsen! And glad the wife person feels well enough to travel. She needs a break after that ordeal.
I haven't flown since 10 days after 9/11. That was a harrowing experience since I was still traumatized from the event itself. While we were waitign for departure, security escorted eleven men very obviously of Middle Eastern extraction into the lounge and seated them separately. The guards remained until boarding time and then escorted them to the loading gate. The entire time, the men looked as nervous as I felt and it was hard to believe there was not some danger in their group presence. They were wearing suits but my mind kept seeing terrorists loaded wit long guns, grenades and a 50 cal squad setup.
Now, I know they were just as nervous as I was, this being the first day scheduled flights to Hawaii were back up. By the time the half hour wait was over, I was convinced that we were being led away to the kidnapping and hijacking.
None of that happened, of course, and the special guests were up front in first class and I was back in the cattle car. I waited the entire six hours for the plane to explode.
No experience with the airport screenings, though. I watch the S.O. go through and they always pass her through. Still, I would rather drive or walk than fly. No more for me!
Hey @willymac.
Thank you. She was getting a bit stir crazy here, I think. She's supposed to be under supervision there, but I'm not sure how much it will be compared to me. :) So, hopefully, she doesn't do anything that might cause her an issue with full recovery.
I know exactly how that feels about wondering what was going to happen with a plane. My experience wasn't immediately after 9/11, but it was probably ten or so years ago now. I don't even know what nationality or faith the guy was, but he just had this look about him that convinced me we were in trouble.
Well, it was a late flight, I was tired, the security was particularly annoying and so I was on edge the whole time, and the oddness of the fellow didn't help. His close proximity and my peripheral vision saw him looking around while he was trying to do something with his laptop or other equipment. Anyway, no need to recall it all.
re: pass her through
That's usually what happens to my wife, but not this time. I suppose in some MacGyver episode a hair clip could do major damage to a commercial airliner. My wife is not MacGyver.
Hopefully the stay in Hawaii after the flight was enjoyable. Hate to have the mood of your flight take over the whole trip. :)
The Hawaii stay was like being on a deserted island! I have a photo of the S.O. walking on Waikiki Beach totally alone. She was the only person on the beach along hotel row in Honolulu! That was spooky. We were the only tourists on the giant, landscaped park between the hotel and the beach. We had ten respectfully out-of-sight armed Military Police keeping oversight for terrorists! There was not a moment around the hotels that felt normal.
I was already a basket case after the flight and being met with that level of security did not help at all. Looking back on it, we had the most exclusive stay in a great hotel anyone has probably had since they were built.
People were just not taking pleasure trip after 9/11. I was attending a wedding and had no choice since I had known the young man since he was five. He was then a 31 year old Navy Lt. and was as close to family as I had.
The "vacant" photo is at https://steemit.com/bwphotocontest/@willymac/after
I can see how everything could have seemed very uncertain and uneasy at the time. That kind of exclusivity probably doesn't happen twice in a lifetime, though, not without an absurd amount of money or something going wrong again.
The feeling of being special in that environment was very nice and being outdoors in the beautiful garden was wonderful, but it was tainted by getting glimpses of heavily armed soldiers in battle gear standing throughout the landscaping. That was a vivid reminder that the world had changed. But then, that was memorable in itself. I'll certainly never again have a first class hotel to myself!