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thoughts about my recent trip...
I recently returned from my trip to SAN (Comic-Con) from OKC. I drove 3k miles to avoid the TSA. Last year I flew and went through one of the "puffer" machines.
My boyfriend flew from YYZ to SAN to join me. His flight to SAN was uneventful, but on his flight back to YYZ, he was scanned AND groped. :( He's got lots of metal bits from being put back together from an accident 20 years ago, so he sets off metal detectors and ends up being groped anyway. Isn't one of the benefits of the scanners supposed to be easier screening for people with metal bits? EPIC SCANNER FAIL!! A couple months ago, a co-worker of mine was scanned AND groped at DEN when coming back from visiting her son and grandchildren. She was visibly distraught and angry when she told us of her experience. She said that her TSA groper looked like a prison guard. :| Thanks to the FlyerTalk sticky post, I was able to advise another co-worker flying to MDW on how to avoid the scanners there. Things I learned on my drive: Windfarms! Yay for alternative energy! Starbucks is awesome - I love the free wifi! I was able to plan the next leg of my drive while relaxing and sipping/nibbling on something yummy. (zucchini/walnut muffin is win) Amarillo, TX is a lot smaller than I thought it would be. I was shocked when I stopped for lunch and fuel to realize that what I thought was the middle of the city was actually the western edge. The rest areas in New Mexico are really nice. The Welcome Centers have free coffee and friendly people! It rains in New Mexico and Arizona. For some reason I thought desert meant no rain, but there were showers on both passes through these states. The contrast in temperature between Flagstaff, AZ and Phoenix, AZ is crazy! Saguaro cactus are neat looking. There is an agriculture checkpoint in Blythe, CA. I've never been through one of those before. I guess they only care what you bring to CA, because there was no checkpoint upon leaving. Taking the state highway path from Indio, CA to Temecula, CA is not for the faint of heart. What looks like a fairly direct route on the map, is actually a 'Family Circus: Billy' route of twists and turns up and down the mountains. Littering fine amounts seem to be inverse to the amount of litter. There was much less litter in states where the fine was $100/$300/$500 vs CA where the fine was $1000 with lots of trash on the roadsides. The road-trip is alive and well in America. There were passenger vehicles and RVs from all over the US, Canada and Mexico. My September trip to St. Louis will be cake at only 1k miles round trip. -- Thanks for listening. :) |
Why did you expect Amarillo, TX to be a big city?
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Originally Posted by sar0000
(Post 16871500)
It rains in New Mexico and Arizona. For some reason I thought desert meant no rain, but there were showers on both passes through these states.
Originally Posted by sar0000
(Post 16871500)
Thanks for listening. :)
BTW, there is a 'Trip Report' forum (if you didn't know). I look forward to a trip report from your St. Louis trip! |
I'm very proud of you for sticking to your convictions and taking a long road trip to avoid the TSA's unconscionable abuse. You rock, sar0000! I hope you enjoyed Comic-Con.
I find myself frequently traveling by train or car and then meeting my husband, who is still willing to fly, on the other end of the journey. I'm sad that he will permit those low-lifes to treat *him* like a criminal. It's hard for me to overstate [and yes I'm biased :) ] what an amazingly important and rare skill he wields to heal the sick who would die without his assistance, and yet these TSA losers who are one fatburger away from a heart attack and have the morals of the gutter would have the insolence to suspect my darling husband of plotting mass murder. The idea of someone disrespecting his gifts and talents that way nauseates me. It's so upsetting that I have to stop thinking about it now. But, no, what I wanted to say was, thank you, sar0000, for doing your part to stop the TSA. |
Originally Posted by DillMan
(Post 16871520)
Why did you expect Amarillo, TX to be a big city?
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Originally Posted by chollie
(Post 16871561)
Thanks for a great trip report! You covered some of the ground I hope to cover next year.
BTW, there is a 'Trip Report' forum (if you didn't know). I look forward to a trip report from your St. Louis trip! I didn't know about the trip report forum (there are so many). Thank you for the info. <<mods>> Please feel free to move this post there if needed. |
Originally Posted by sar0000
(Post 16871747)
Haha, I'm not really sure. Maybe I fell for the marketing ploy that everything is bigger in Texas? Maybe it's like when you meet TV/movie people. They are usually smaller in person.
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Originally Posted by mybodyismyown
(Post 16871710)
I'm very proud of you for sticking to your convictions and taking a long road trip to avoid the TSA's unconscionable abuse. You rock, sar0000! I hope you enjoyed Comic-Con.
I find myself frequently traveling by train or car and then meeting my husband, who is still willing to fly, on the other end of the journey. I'm sad that he will permit those low-lifes to treat *him* like a criminal. It's hard for me to overstate [and yes I'm biased :) ] what an amazingly important and rare skill he wields to heal the sick who would die without his assistance, and yet these TSA losers who are one fatburger away from a heart attack and have the morals of the gutter would have the insolence to suspect my darling husband of plotting mass murder. The idea of someone disrespecting his gifts and talents that way nauseates me. It's so upsetting that I have to stop thinking about it now. But, no, what I wanted to say was, thank you, sar0000, for doing your part to stop the TSA. Comic-Con was a blast, but since we've been there 2 years in a row, we may try a different convention next year. I've been concerned about airport security since going through the "puffer" last summer. After consulting google, I found Flyertalk and started lurking. I've since made my opinion of the TSA known and people are now asking me what I think of the latest incident in the news. One couple I know drove to a conference in New Orleans rather than deal with the hassle of flying last spring and then they drove to Santa Fe for their vacation a month ago. My co-worker who was scanned and groped has decided to drive to Kentucky to visit one of her sisters in a few weeks. As I mentioned in the OP, I'm driving to St. Louis next month and I'm planning on driving to a conference in Las Vegas next spring for work. -- For 2 weeks I was able to forget about all the nonsense. When I got back, I checked out TS/S and was instantly depressed and enraged. I didn't even have to read the threads, just the titles to know that I had made the right decision by driving. |
Originally Posted by sar0000
(Post 16875313)
One couple I know drove to a conference in New Orleans rather than deal with the hassle of flying last spring and then they drove to Santa Fe for their vacation a month ago.
My co-worker who was scanned and groped has decided to drive to Kentucky to visit one of her sisters in a few weeks. As I mentioned in the OP, I'm driving to St. Louis next month and I'm planning on driving to a conference in Las Vegas next spring for work. -- For 2 weeks I was able to forget about all the nonsense. When I got back, I checked out TS/S and was instantly depressed and enraged. I didn't even have to read the threads, just the titles to know that I had made the right decision by driving. We will go on road trips again, only now it will be for two reasons: 1) to escape the grope and all the rest at the airport (I'm a member of the 'grope for life' club) and 2) because going by road can really be great! You see so much that you would otherwise miss (like the saguaros - I like them too.) I've talked to other folks who feel the same way. They had doubts but drove instead of flying because of the hassle and gropes - and then found, much to their surprise, that they enjoyed travelling by road way more than they ever expected. |
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Originally Posted by sar0000
(Post 16871500)
I recently returned from my trip to SAN (Comic-Con) from OKC. I drove 3k miles to avoid the TSA. Last year I flew and went through one of the "puffer" machines.
My boyfriend flew from YYZ to SAN to join me. His flight to SAN was uneventful, but on his flight back to YYZ, he was scanned AND groped. :( He's got lots of metal bits from being put back together from an accident 20 years ago, so he sets off metal detectors and ends up being groped anyway. Isn't one of the benefits of the scanners supposed to be easier screening for people with metal bits? EPIC SCANNER FAIL!! A couple months ago, a co-worker of mine was scanned AND groped at DEN when coming back from visiting her son and grandchildren. She was visibly distraught and angry when she told us of her experience. She said that her TSA groper looked like a prison guard. :| did you find yourself breathing harder? Flagstaff is a mile high city Thanks to the FlyerTalk sticky post, I was able to advise another co-worker flying to MDW on how to avoid the scanners there. Things I learned on my drive: Windfarms! Yay for alternative energy! Starbucks is awesome - I love the free wifi! I was able to plan the next leg of my drive while relaxing and sipping/nibbling on something yummy. (zucchini/walnut muffin is win) Amarillo, TX is a lot smaller than I thought it would be. I was shocked when I stopped for lunch and fuel to realize that what I thought was the middle of the city was actually the western edge. The rest areas in New Mexico are really nice. The Welcome Centers have free coffee and friendly people! It rains in New Mexico and Arizona. For some reason I thought desert meant no rain, but there were showers on both passes through these states. The contrast in temperature between Flagstaff, AZ and Phoenix, AZ is crazy! Saguaro cactus are neat looking. There is an agriculture checkpoint in Blythe, CA. I've never been through one of those before. I guess they only care what you bring to CA, because there was no checkpoint upon leaving. Taking the state highway path from Indio, CA to Temecula, CA is not for the faint of heart. What looks like a fairly direct route on the map, is actually a 'Family Circus: Billy' route of twists and turns up and down the mountains. Littering fine amounts seem to be inverse to the amount of litter. There was much less litter in states where the fine was $100/$300/$500 vs CA where the fine was $1000 with lots of trash on the roadsides. The road-trip is alive and well in America. There were passenger vehicles and RVs from all over the US, Canada and Mexico. My September trip to St. Louis will be cake at only 1k miles round trip. -- Thanks for listening. :) |
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