Traveling In The Age Of Terror

security, search pose, metal detector, TSA

Going through security.

So we had been corralled together like a herd of potential terrorists, which would explain the second boarding pass. I took my seat on the aisle, buckled up and pulled out my iPod.

By Citizen Correspondent Aftaab Gulam

Date Posted: 09/10/07

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Traveling is something I take for granted. I'm in my late thirties, I've lived on three continents and traveled to over 200 cities, towns and villages in more than 20 countries spanning the globe. Since 9/11, it has become increasingly difficult to maintain a carefree attitude to my "gallivanting," as an aunt puts it. The reason is that 19 young men from Saudi Arabia planned and executed an attack on the United States using commercial airlines as their weapons. I'm not a Saudi national, nor am I a practicing Muslim - but I do have a Muslim name which means that I frequently get mistaken for being Persian, Pakistani or from some country in the Middle East that forms part of the "Axis of Evil."

I've rarely had any problems getting through customs, security and immigration in all my travels. Some say it is my innocent face and calm demeanor that doesn't raise any alarms in the official gatekeepers of the various countries to which I've traveled. I've also learned that it just doesn't pay to be cheeky or arrogant in these situations - I've seen plenty of cocky travelers led to one of those windowless rooms for further questioning in the past, and I don't plan on being one of them.

After 9/11, I wasn't so sure that I'd be able to pass on just my charm alone and fully expected to be singled out for further searches and questioning as to the motives behind my frequent visits to the U.S.

Shortly after that tragic day, I had an opportunity to visit my old hometown - Montri©al. I had managed to circumvent the outrageous last minute holiday pricing by the national Canadian airline by taking a flight from Seattle, a couple of hours south of Vancouver across the Canadian/US border to Washington D.C.

From there, I'd catch a connection to Montri©al for less than half the cost (which ironically turned out to be an Air Canada 50 seater jet upon which I was the sole passenger). I was advised to be at Sea-Tac Airport three hours in advance, which meant spending the night in an airport hotel and dropping my car off at a Park 'n Fly lot.

I arrived at the airport that morning a little over three hours before my flight was scheduled to depart. It was the last day of that tragic year and I was planning to be in Montri©al to celebrate New Year's Eve with some friends.