guest blog

my friend sierra just recently wrote a blog post that i just have to share.... it's about her thoughts on flying and she posts a link to a great article on body scanners and how you can opt for a pat down instead. i recently flew to baltimore and denied the body scan in the palm beach airport and got to go through the normal metal detector instead. apparently they said i was too young for a pat down but did choose my mom to do it on. i refused it on my way back home as well and the this time they wanted to pat me down. it was horrendous. i sat there watching my mom get one first, and as i was sitting there i noticed a really fat, creepy man that was on shift staring at the security officer feeling us up. i said something like "why is that man staring at us?"... and the woman stopped what she was doing to my mom and looked at me and said "what, who?!" with an evil eye. she was a total bitch and said "HONEY, we do this 150 times a day, he can do what he wants." and continued feeling my mom up. then it was my turn. she gave me a whole speal about how she is going to use the back of her hands when she gets to private areas. then asked me if i wanted to do it privately. i said no and i stood there, with my arms out and for approximately 2 minutes i got every area possible touched and patted, even her hands went into the band of my pants and underwear. to be honest,  surprisingly this all wins over getting radiation. so, decide what you want, but first read this article.

excerpt from sierra's blog; 

for all the travel i’ve been doing lately i have certainly spent a lot of time up in the air.  

when i was young my mother worked for a consulting group that shipped her to all parts of the country on weekends.  the most brilliant aspect of her job was that i could almost always accompany her.  as a result, i grew up feeling totally at ease with the concept of air travel.

there are over 7,000 aircraft in the air over the united states at any given time.  that’s more than two million people floating above us every day.*  pilots take off and land over and over and over, until it’s as natural a process as breathing.  i’ve been flying my whole life without the smallest hint of fear, so why is it that i’ve suddenly turned into a nervous wreck with every bump?

i go out of my way to do everything i can to make myself comfortable on a flight.  i wear leggings and carry a jacket.  i always throw on thick warm socks once i get settled in, and i keep moisturizer at the ready to counter the drying effects of recycled air.  instead of sodas i drink tomato or cranberry juice on top of plenty of water, and i always have a knitting project or something to read to pass the time.......

read on here