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8B - The Michigan Daily - Weekend, etc. Magazine - Thursday, October 25, 2001

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The Michigan Daily - Weekend, etc. Magazine



FROM MEMORIES

TO METAL DETECTORS:

Flying After September iith
PHOTOSTORY BY BRETT MOUNTAIN

WHEN THE MICHIGAN DAILY ASKED ME TO GO TO OMAHA, NEBRASKA TO
PHOTOGRAPH HOCKEY A FEW WEEKS AGO, MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS, "ARE WE GOING TO BE
FLYING?" AFTER THE WRITERS CONFIRMED THIS I HAD TO DECIDE WHETHER I WAS READY
TO GET ON A PLANE AGAIN. SINCE THE TRAGEDY OF SEPT. II, AMERICANS HAVE BEEN
FEARFUL OF GETTING BACK ONTO PLANES. I FELT THIS FEAR, BUT INSTEAD OF GIVING INTO
IT I DECIDED TO CONFRONT IT AND SEE IF THERE WAS REALLY ANYTHING TO BE AFRAID OF.
HOWEVER, IT WAS A LITTLE HARDER CONVINCING MY MOM OF THIS SINCE SHE, LIKE MANY
MOTHERS, IS A CHRONIC WORRIER "MOM, I'LL BE FINE," I PLEADED WITH HER AS SHE MADE IT
CLEAR THAT I WAS TO CALL HER THE SECOND THE PLANE LANDED. I ASSURED HER THAT I
WOULD CALL AND A FEW DAYS LATER I TOOK OFF.
THE HEIGHTENED SECURITY WAS QUITE EVIDENT AND I COULD SENSE A GENERAL
FEELING OF APPREHENSION AMONG MY FELLOW TRAVELERS. THE PRESENCE OF UNIFORMED
MILITARY POLICE WAS THE FIRST REALITY CHECK. WE CAN NO LONGER TRAVEL INNOCENTLY
WITHOUT MEMORIES OF SEPT. II FLASHING THROUGH OUR HEADS. THE RANDOM
BAG SEARCHES AND HAND-HELD METAL DETECTOR SWIPES GAVE ME A BITTERSWEET FEELING.
I WANTED TO LET THE FACT THAT THEY WERE SEARCHING PEOPLE EASE MY TENSION, BUT AT
THE SAME TIME IT SEEMED SAD THAT WE HAVE TO LIVE IN THIS FEAR. I THINK I HAD MY ID
CHECKED FOUR OR FIVE TIMES BEFORE I GOT ON THE PLANE, BUT EVENTUALLY I MADE IT
ON.
THE FLIGHT PRECEDED WITHOUT A PROBLEM AND EVERYTHING IN THE AIR SEEMED
NORMAL. WE LANDED AND EVERYONE SEEMED TO BREATHE A BIG SIGH OF RELIEF IN UNISON.
I GOT OFF THE PLANE AND THOUGHT, "THAT WASN'T TOO BAD ... BUT NOW I'M IN OMAHA -- OH
JOY!" THEN I CALLED MY MOM.