Okay, so there’s a glitch in my timing of things because of the travel. I learned a lot the other day at the Apple store—I am really trying to use the iPad for keeping the daily blog, knowing that I do travel a lot anyway. This is not exactly a commercial for Apple, because so far using the iPad on its own is still a challenge. I think I was expecting it would be like the perfect synch between my laptop and my iPhone. Maybe it will be, but not yet. I am just at the place where I can say, it is lighter than my laptop. Oh yeah, and I got another plus: at airport security yesterday, I didn’t even have to take it out of the bag!
That was the only good thing at the airport. Ever heard Robin Williams joke about the “random” checks at airport security?’ He reads all these, clearly, Muslim names, and one Susan Jones? It’s like that for me: a constant random. If I do not get extra security, I don’t know how to act.
Let me try to give you a picture of this. Normally, I dress with two scarves. One actually on my head and another draped like a shawl. I also never wear pants unless with a long top or jacket. No matter what my reasoning. When I go through security I have to start undressing. Sometimes it is too much for my comfort zone. If my “top” is open they want me to take if off but maybe underneath I feel it is too revealing for my personal comfort. So I have to dress intentionally for airport security.
Yesterday, I was asked about the head scarf. No, I replied I cannot (will not) take it off. But I did take care not to tip the alarm by removing excess jewelry, avoiding buckled belts and such. It’s just the scarf. No bells went off, but still I am made to stand at the side to wait for a female security person to pat down my hair. I do feel like they are checking for guns in my dreadlocks. Yesterday, that was not enough. I had to go through a full body pat down. I mean what do my ankles have to do with wearing a scarf?
For some reason there was a time lapse before my pat down. I had to stand on the side. This is a bit like getting stopped by the police on the side of the road with traffic, or being on punishment at high school. You don’t want to draw more attention to yourself from the rubbernecks. For me, I just watch the security intake process. for example, the next man through was not so self conscious or prepared. The alarm went off, twice. the guard sees him pull up his shirt and tells him to take off the belt. He steps back then, but can’t beat the alarm and the guard tells him, take off the watch. Third times the charm, but still, I think to myself, if you were a woman of color with a scarf you’d still be standing here with me, buddy. I didn’t even trip the alarm.
If you’ve never been body searched, think about this: in public with arms straight out from your side they do literally touch you everywhere, and when they pat down my head, I really do feel like I’m in high school. Let me remind you, this does not happen in international airports the world over. I and every feeble-on-their-feet person gets to keep our shoes on. I get to keep all my clothes on, including both scarves, even though one is not even covering anything I wish to observe discretion about. Like poverty, in America, some people have to suffer an attack on their dignity and this is legitimated by the nature of the institutions of power.
Well, that’s the harsh part of my airport experience. Here’s the funny part. I told you I removed excess jewelry right? Should I say first that I wear excess jewelry? I am smitten by silver (not gold, I’m too yellow for it, but) silver makes me feel pretty. so I wear, on average, 8-10 rings at a time. Yesterday, I had wide silver bangle, two pairs of earrings—never matching, a nose ring, and a necklace. (in case you read the entry about tabarruj then you will remember I also favor an anklet, with a bell on, but not yesterday). I strip my jewelry too and at this point in my hefty life of travel, I know which pieces need to be removed.
A few months ago I admired a piece of jewelry my eldest daughter was wearing and she offered it to me. It was unique enough that I did indeed accept it instead of the polite forgo. I include a photo of this piece so you can see why it has been a problem for me entering the courthouse and other secure government buildings, let alone trying to get it through airport security. I was not wearing it when I was screened. But I had not had the time to pack my batik jewelry box into my main suit case. So it was nestled in between the iPad, my travel pillow, my Qur’an and a few papers.
So even once the body pat was over, I was not done with my additional security screening. That piece of jewelry had to come out. The entire carry on bag contents had to be examined. They even took one of those sniffer pads and ran it through the bottom of the bag, in case I had drugs, gun powder or additional “troublesome” traveler stuff. Then he reinserted all the contents, save the offending ring and sent them back for an additional scan. By the time I got to the gate, there was less time for completing my blog and the rest, well, some of you know! I missed a day from my blog.
I think I’m on track now. I hope I’m on track and hopefully tomorrow I can tell you about the daughter who gave me that ring, who is captured by the song from Prince: the most beautiful girl in the world. But not just on the outside, on the inside. Actually more because her name comes from the word used to call the most beautiful names of Allah—that is the real topic.
