Imagine my shock when I picked up my luggage in LA and found the lock unlocked. You can guess where my thoughts went immediately. I asked the only person around, an airline representative, about it, but she only suggested that it could have been TSA, except that Australia doesn’t have a TSA. I took a quick look; nothing appeared to be missing, and more importantly, nothing appeared to have been added.
Surrounded by signs about the criminal impact of smuggling, and about to go through Customs, I decided to ask the customs officer. He only advised me on how to make a claim to the airline, should I wish to. I actually voiced my concern about tampering but he only advised me to make sure nothing was missing before checking it in for my connecting flight.
Well, if no one else was going to be concerned, then I wouldn’t either… if that was possible. I did another check, more thorough this time, but images of illegal substances hidden in the shopping bags in my luggage I hadn’t bothered to open still flashed through my mind. I got through Customs without incident, though, so Iguess if I’m carrying anything I shouldn’t be, it’ll either be gone by the timeI get my luggage back and we’ll all be none the wiser, or it’ll come with me to a suburban house to NJ. Both Customs and Security in the US intimidated me. I didn’tlike all my fingerprints (all 8 fingers and 2 thumbs!) and retina being captured by Customs, and unfortunately I hadn’t been thinking quick enough to get out of the x-ray. And even then the x-ray didn’t seem to be enough for them…They picked up something on me which meant I earned both the message “the female has a zip on her sweater, does that make a difference,” delivered inmonotone through the walkie-talkies, and a pat-down from another officer. In transit, I spent my first (and only) four dollars on a bottle of apple juice to take meds with, and ended up unexpectedly with a handful of change – some silver, some copper tiny coins. I had a quarter, though! How exciting. I’m in America! :D
As I fly over Georgia on the way to New Jersey (still not having set foot on US soil outside of an airport), I think, I’m in another country. But what is another country anyway? We fly all this way to be in adifferent country, but countries are all socially constructed. Nations, borders and the like are all socially constructed. So is culture, and history…Okay, I think it’s time for me to sleep.
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Have you a had a similar or very different experience? I'd love to know!