SSSS!!

It is little bit better now as far as next assignment is concerned. It is definitely disappointing to be sitting idle without knowing anything about what the future going to be. It is as much frustrating when you hardly have any say in this whole thing. It is made clear to me last week that I would be travelling to Dallas and the assignment is just for 5 days. It is installation and configuring few things for a consumer company based out of Plano, TX. There was so much uncertainity about my travel as the fare was too high and the travel agency worked it out to save close to 400 USD by finding a connecting roue. Hats Off to them!

I would have preferred a direct flight but did not really bother too much about this though I am aware of the potential problems. First thing that I heard from a co-passenger when I was standing in the queue to collect the boarding pass was that all the flights that are leading to Chicago are delayed by two hours. That scared me as my first flight is to Chicago. Fortunately, United Airlines issued me a new ticket and this is direct flight to Dallas but it is a different carrier. I never thought about this special security checks and the delays because of that. I collected the boarding pass almost 45 Minutes before the departure of the flight. I pulled over my trolley bag on to the elevator and that fell flat and rolled down the steps all the way down and fortunately it did not injure any on the elevator. I apologised sincerly to all the three women and headed towards the security check. An officer asked me to pronounce my last name and we got into some lighter conversation as I said that I always curse my grand parents to have such a big family name/last name.

Flight departs at 2:15 PM and there I was with the transporation security officers at 1:45 PM. All was fine till I heard that I have SSSS on my pass and what that means is to go through a special security check. All that I have been hearing from lot of Indian friends is going to be faced by me. Two officers removed whole of my luggage and scanned the whole stuff in it. Regular security checks at the airports are widely criticised and this check is too much to handle. I know what I packed in my bag but I was scared through out. You have two officers whispering each other as if they found something and I was not sure if there is anything that they added recently to the list of things you shouldn't carry in air travel. I lost patience, got irritated with all this but what can some immigrant who for some reason a brown skinned and anyone who is brown is believed to be here to terrorise this very land of opportunities. I always understood the need to do a security check but to this level is way too much on any day for anyone. I rushed to the gate only to find that the flight is already departed. Who is to be blamed? I should have thought about it and probably skipped the Chai Latte at STAR BUCKS. But, that is the way it is. I blame my own self for this and I pay the price by siting idle in this airport for 4 bad hours hoping every minute that something good on the way. Luckily, Steelers Vs Broncos for AFC championship is ON. R'Berger dominated throughout and Broncos never looked good.

I would be back in Cincinnati on next Sunday and prepare myself for trip to India. My friends helped me great deal in cleaning the house and it reminds me about the rent that I have to pay for the 4 days that I extended as the house is not completely cleaned. Let me call up and do that first to save myself frompaying any fines. I should have planned everything better. This has been one heck of an experience!