I think it is safe to say that we all long for the days of airline travel pre-911. That was before you had to submit to just short of a strip search in order to get on a plane. Back then non-flyers where actually allowed to travel over to the terminal and relax with family up to boarding time. That was a blessing for children flying alone or just people trying to hold onto those last moments with a loved one. Sadly now when flying domestic it is a challenge just to get a bottle of water on a plane.
I had a coworker that had to travel to Washington DC for work. That was not a problem for him as the trip allowed him a chance to obtain a new bottle of his favorite cologne, which was only sold at a store he visited regularly when in DC. He obtained a large bottle and was on his way home when TSA stopped him as the cologne exceeded the limitations on carry-on liquids. This was a $150 dollar of cologne that my buddy was not willing to throw away. So, seeing as he had no choice to obey, he managed to come up with a sneaky compromise. He went into the men’s room and proceeded to douse himself in the contents of the bottle. He covered his clothes and his hair (dreads) in the cologne and then chucked the bottle. TSA did not have a rule about getting on the flight soaking wet (not sure if they have one now or not) so he was able to get on. When he got home he proceeded to try and squeeze every drop of cologne that he could out of his clothes and hair. He said he spent about an hour wringing out his shirt, pants and undergarments into an almost empty bottle of the cologne he still had. Was the product worth the trouble? I can say from being around him that he always had a great smell to him. I’m happy that I was not the guy sitting next to him on the flight. No matter how good the cologne, there is such a thing as overkill.
The point of my story is that TSA currently makes traveling a pain. So anyway to lesson that is something to be praised. For those men and women still on active duty and military civilian personnel, there is hope. TSA will allow those individuals to register with them via there Department of Defense identification for prescreening. More info about this program can be found here.
This benefit applies to official travel as well as personal trips and children 12 and under are able to use the benefit as well. One thing to keep in mind is that if the airport you are flying out of does not support expedited screening, you will not be able to benefit. I know a lot of major international hubs are making use of this procedure and it can be a relief when dealing with transfers from an international flight. TSA’s precheck option is a nice sign that they are aware of the hassle they put everyone through and are trying to make things a little better.
