Off to New Orleans With no Liquids or Gels!

Left for New Orleans today. Thought I’d fill you in on the details of our trip as I have time. I believe our hotel will have free internet access so I should be able to post regularly to keep you up to date.

Unhindered by the serious issues of terrorism and air safety, our little team is off to New Orleans. Steve Plucker was able to miss the long lines at the airport by leaving yesterday (Wednesday) in order to arrive, connect with the Price family, and get some preparatory details taken care of. Walt Pankratz avoided the lines altogether and left in his car (with his wife Jo) on Monday. Andrea Mondragon and I barely made it through the security line in time to make our plane. So, we’re off and on our way!

As I type this, I’m sitting on the aisle seat of a crowded and rather tense flight. The security line didn’t take us as long as it looked like it would. If you are familiar with San Diego’s “Terminal 2” security line, the new one at the north end, the line forms upstairs there. I found the end of the line on the bridge overpass to the parking lot, but I noticed the back of the line was facing away from the terminal rather than towards it. Then I looked, and I noticed hundreds of people lined up in the parking lot as far as I could see, almost all the way down do the end of the other terminal bridge. I knew right away that these people weren’t just waiting for a cab – it was the line. The line went from the bridge, down the escalator, across the parking lot near then end of Terminal 2, then back across the parking lot, up the escalator, across the bridge and finally to the security checkpoint.

Today’s security issues prevented anyone from bringing any liquid or gel on the plane. For many people, this was very inconvenient because they were forced to throw away their shampoo, sun-tan lotion, gel-deodorants, bottled water, toothpaste, etc. It occurred to me as I passed by piles and piles of surrendered cosmetic products that sales will be up today for Proctor and Gamble. For me, the largest inconvenience was not being able to bring a Starbuck’s on the plane, not even one purchased after the security line. That was a bummer. It still is a bummer at this moment, come to think of it.

I have just set my watch ahead two hours to Central Daylight Time because I think I see nothing below, which means we’re now over west Texas. People on the plane and the crew are a bit more relaxed now than they were before we took off. When we got on the plane, people were talking openly about their concerns and frustrations. I didn’t think you could use words like “bomb” out loud on an airplane as much as I’ve heard it today. Someone in front of me on her cell phone was speaking very loudly and alarmed all of us who could hear, which was the entire plane:

“Oh my, Oh, no, no, no, that’s terrible, how horrible… what? .. so one of them got through? Oh no… do you think it’s safe to fly? Is he going to fly today? That’s terrible, just terrible…”

This one sided dialogue was disturbing to listen to. When she got off the phone, she was surrounded by us passengers looking to her for information and details. She then explained to us that her husband who is traveling on business was scheduled to fly out today, but he isn’t sure now that he is going to fly because he had to have an emergency root canal. With a collective look of “That’s it?”, no one said anything and we just got out our books and iPods and prepared to ignore the people around us for the next three hours.

More later. Right now, hoping to catch our connection flight in Houston Bush Airport (Bush 41). I’m hoping we make the connection because my experience with Bush airport is that its festering with stale gourmet pretzels….

Pastor Scott