I feel safe

I recently ventured to Portland, OR for a conference and some serious fun. I went via Will Roger's and an airport in Salt Lake City. I took the same route back only I started in Portland.

I breezed through security in Oklahoma City with my backpack. No problem with the x-ray machine or the metal detector. Zero problems.

On the way home, I ran into a bit of a speed bump. That bump was a pocket knife in my backpack. That is right, for those out there keeping track, a knife! Mr. Neruda and I had taken the pack camping quite a while ago and I apparently left the knife my grand-pa gave me when I was a little girl.

I got pulled aside in the line and my pack was searched. All of my associates passed through the security line before me with no trouble. They then all stood in a semi-circle just outside of the line watching me being searched. When they understood that I actually had something on me they left me standing there with my nice guard, saying they were sorry but felt unsafe going through an airport with me. It was awesome.

One upside to the whole experience was that Portland had a mail machine for such objects so that I didn't have to lose my grand-pa's knife. Unlike Oklahoma City, who made me through a cool U2 Zippo away that I had left in my purse on a trip I took years ago.

The odd part of this story is that I made it through Will Roger's Airport with a knife in my backpack. I am sure if my contraband had been tweezers or a fork I would have been nabbed immediately. But a silly weapon that I could do actual damage with, no problem. The whole event was a little exciting but mostly just frightening.