SeananSince I have not told this story on Mastodon, and have never told it threaded:
I was flying to the Pacific Northwest to visit friends. Alice was two. So still small (about 16 lbs.).
No issues at the airport, no red flags at security, nothing but net. I get on the plane.
Halfway to my destination, I finish my book and get up to get a new one from my suitcase.
The suitcase meows at me.
Alice pops her head out.
Uh.
Crap.
Alice pops her head out.
Uh.
Crap.
I flag down a flight attendant. "I have a cat."
"I have a dog. Please sit down."
"Meow," says Alice.
"Uh," says the flight attendant.
"I have a dog. Please sit down."
"Meow," says Alice.
"Uh," says the flight attendant.
Alice had REMOVED MOST OF THE CLOTHING from my bag, crawled under what was left, curled up, and gone to sleep.
I had to hold her for the rest of the flight. She thought this was the best idea ever.
I had to buy new clothes AND a cat carrier AND a pet ticket to get her home. And I will never have faith in the TSA again. (Not that I had a lot of faith to begin with, but there's "this is security theater" and then there's "YOU MISSED THE LIVE CAT.")
Sam Waggoner@seananmcguire I fly often and somehow missed a pack of razor blades, like real razor blades, in my backpack. I realized when I must have put them in and figure I’d been through airport security at least 20-30 times with that bag.
KatUvaggio@diebesbeute @seananmcguire On 9/11 I was at a conflict resolution seminar. It got postponed because our building evacuated. (Not in NYC, just a federal building.) When the seminar resumed several weeks later (person giving the seminar couldn't get a flight), I got in early and chatted with her. She's unpacking her teaching materials as we chat. With her hands in her bag she freezes, goes pale. "OMG, I use these for crafting, I forgot they were in there." Pulls out a package of six boxcutters.