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Security check! |
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I had no intention to enter the US. |
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Phillip Hong
28 July, 2008 |
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"You need to complete this form," the flight
attendant told me and fellow passengers on a plane from Tokyo, Japan. She
was distributing and holding arrival cards for the inevitable descent
and entrance into the United States. |
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I had no intention to enter the country.
I was just coming back from a week-long vacation that was long needed
and I wanted to go home. But I had to complete an arrival card anyways. |
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That's the cost of flying these days. Many
passengers who plan on going to faraway countries are sometimes restricted
by requiring a connection through the US. Thanks to airline alliances
and the hub and spoke system, the economy of flying in recent times
meant the most interesting trips through American security. |
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I have no beef or any kind of protein
towards the theory; if it means I can fly with whomever I want under a
reasonable fare, sign me up. But sometimes the checkpoints of airports
in the United States can be stunningly tactless. |
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I recall my first trip to Tokyo, coming
home with a delicate present made of glass for a close friend of mine. As
I approached the security checpoint at Chicago O'Hare, my bag was
gregariously emptied, its contents making a big thump. The
oversensitive red-haired officer squealed that I couldn't touch my
backpack whilst I was trying to help. |
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But sometimes, one will find a bit of heart
inbetween the metal detectors and security equipment. |
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This time around, I was guarding against
any future damaged souvenirs. I am probably worried enough about what I
carry after the security check, to the extreme point of making sure I
didn't splurge in the airport shops on anything delicate or breakable. |
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As the backpack went through the machine,
a security officer yelled "bag check". I cringed at the fear of another
uncomfortable experience. |
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The second officer passed on the bag to me,
unemptied. "Am I alright?" I asked. |
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"You're good. You have a nice day, sir." |
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Maybe this "third country" idea isn't
as bad. |
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