Coast to coast travel trauma

First, let me say even though I was on the West Coast for three short days my body is still on West Coast time - hence the reason I am wide awake on a Sunday at 11:54 EDT!

Today was such a crazy travel day. I made a trip to UCLA for Phi Mu - I know, I am crazy. Anyway, it all started with a message yesterday that my flight out of LA was cancelled. After several calls to Northwest I was able to be re-routed out of Santa Ana through the ATL to GR on Delta. This required a change in my housing arrangements Saturday night and a late night drop off of my car at LAX Saturday night since I would not be flying out of there. By midnight last night (this AM?) my car was returned and I was getting ready to go to sleep in my temporary housing. The person I was staying with had a roommate that came home wasted and was throwing up so that was a definite throw back to my professional sorority girl days! So, I didn't sleep so well. I gave myself an hour and a half for the aiport since it was described to me as "sleepy" in compairison to LAX.

Sleepy my ass! Every family visiting Disneyland this weekend flew out of Orange County this morning and it took forever to get to the check in line.

When it was finally my turn at the self-check in kiosk I was told I did not have a reservation. My ride had dropped me off - I needed to get on a plane! Thankfully, I was able to score a seat. It was a middle seat and I was less than thrilled but was simply happy to be on my way home. This whole process took about a half an hour. As I proceeded to the mile long secruity line I noticed "SSSS" on my boarding pass.

Uh-oh.

Any regular traveler knows that is no good. Yes, my friends, since I was flying one way (it did not matter that my flight was CANCELLED and I had NO OTHER OPTIONS) I suddenly became a suspicious person and was selected for special screening. Well, they didn't say that but any time I have flown one way post 9/11 it has been an ordeal. Today was no exception.

After standing in line for about 20 minutes (did I say I gave myself and hour and a half for the whole process?) I got to the point where they checked my boarding pass and ID and sure enough, I get moved to the "special screening" line where I have to put all my personal contents in red bins (as opposed to the normal gray ones). I stood there for about 20 minutes waiting on a "female assist" - at this point, I am getting pissed. I know my flight is about to board. Finally, I get escorted to the speical screening area like my name is Jen Bin Laden and get felt up, pat down and have all my personal items scrutinized and finally, it is determined I am not a threat and I am permitted to head to my gate. I travel a lot so this shouldn't phase me but I was extremely annoyed today. On the four hour flight to Atlanta I was pretty much comatose. I mean, when you are in the middle you can't move, you have no arm rest since the other two people usually take them, you just have to sort of sit there so that is what I did. However, I am happy to report I am finally home and happy to sleep in my bed before taking off for a three day work trip this week!