I love travel; it’s exciting and energizing!  I love new destinations and new faces and learning about different cultures and lifestyles.  I grew up traveling; my father was a pilot for TWA for 33 years.  His stories were amazing from the passengers on the flights to his destinations.  Dad flew international; Europe, Africa, India, Asia and his job offered his children a rare glimpse of how the rest of the world lives. 

As a family, holidays were sometimes delayed until Dad could get home, but we also had the luxury of flying with Dad during holidays.  I remember one New Year holiday, when Dad was scheduled to fly to Madrid and my parents decided we would spend it together.  We drove from Philadelphia to Kennedy Airport, but when we arrived, Dad found out his flight had been canceled.  So my parents gave us each a timetable of flights and said, “pick a place!”  My 3 brothers and I decided on Rome. 

Europe’s security was very different from US security.  I remember being in Heathrow airport with my dad and being pulled from the line so security could pat my dad down.  My father made a remark to security that he had an apple in his pant pocket, and the security guy said, in his British accent, “And an orange in the other!”  My dad laughed and said, “ You’re on the job, friend!”

I remember flying to Tele Viv, Israel for a visit with friends. In Israel in the 70’s, it was customary to strip search each passenger both coming and going from the airport.   Not far from the security area, there was a wall that was riddled with bullet marks that moved from higher to lower levels, a reminder that terrorists had lined up a group of passengers, waiting to board a flight, and shot them all, children and adults.  While I was waiting to be searched, I remember walking along the wall and running my finger into the concrete to feel the indentations.  I was 12 and some of the holes were higher than myself and some were lower.  A very vivid memory for me.  

Our friends, who said they hated traveling b/c of security hassles in other countries, would hear a casual response from my Dad, “It’s only a matter of time before American planes see a hijacking.”  He was an alarmist, but he had enough experience internationally, to know how lax Americans were about airplane travel.

My brother Paul followed in my father’s footsteps and became a commercial pilot too.  He is a captain for American Airlines, flying out of LA and Orange County.  For pilots, flying is their passion. With almost every pilot I know it starts at a young age and the passion just never dies away. My brother will tell you he loves his job, my father felt the same way!  However, Paul has said the passion for the job has gotten harder for him, since 9/11.  He too goes through the lines of security and has had pat downs and having to empty his huge flight bag with manuals and inspection gear for his job.

I have had the inconvenience of being pulled from the line and patted down many times. The TSA system is certainly flawed and we have to be diligent to change the system.  But remember, after 9/11 everyone was screaming for more security and in a rush to answer the need, we have our current problems. While annoying, it's not personal, it's a system that doesn't know what to look for next, and the people who work for TSA cannot trust a smile from anyone.  I agree with Dr. Cogan, how you respond helps your children to prepare and deal for a lifetime of TSA type situations, and travel should not be missed, because of fear!