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I couldn’t print my boarding pass- See Agent’s what it said. When I got it at the airport, In the corner was, instead Of the TSA Pre-check in print Upon my husband’s form, A mysterious S-S-S-S, Not certainly the norm. Our first flight late, we barely did Connect to JFK. At boarding, though, we both got flagged - Bad things pile up that way. My spouse got cleared but as for me, I needed one more search And wondered what would happen If they left me in the lurch. It’s awful feeling challenged Like you’ve somehow done some wrong And you aren’t welcome in the place You know that you belong. I’m writing this while in the air But wonder, when I land, If I’ll go through this twice For reasons I don’t understand.

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Hilda Greenhough

Date: 7/19/2024 8:49:00 AM

Just show them your poems and they'll know you're an open book. And they'll love your poems too, like I do.

Eileen Manassian

Date: 7/18/2024 10:48:00 AM

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. Try traveling with a Middle Eastern passport. Third degree all the way. Now that I have a Cypriot one, things are better. We're part of Europe, you see. I can imagine your frustration and anxiety. Honestly, sometimes you think... why bother? Great write

Ilene Bauer
Date: 7/19/2024 4:11:00 AM

Hey Eileen! Yes, I imagine you’d have a tougher time. It’s so sad that there’s so much mistrust in the world…

Jan Allison

Date: 7/17/2024 4:35:00 PM

Oh Ilene I feel for you this must have been so worrying and it's unfortunate you have gone through this ordeal - I googled SSSS - SSSS stands for Secondary Security Screening Selection. It’s the Transportation Security Administration’s way of flagging airline passengers for “enhanced” screening.

Ilene Bauer
Date: 7/19/2024 4:10:00 AM

Thanks, Jan! I should have just googled it. It wasn’t an invasive search, but was still stressful…

Jan Allison
Date: 7/17/2024 4:36:00 PM

the TSA agent who scanned boarding passes asked us to step aside while he radioed his supervisor. “We got a quad,” he said. That’s TSA shorthand for SSSS. and then the invasive search took place I hope you dont experience this again Ilene, it certainly puts a dampner on travel plans:-( hugs Jan xx