Talk about being outed...

[KarenS]

Wow,

Talk about being outed... Trying to enter an I-185 interstate ramp at Fort Benning I took a wrong turn and found myself on a one-way entrance into the fort - as a civilian, fully dressed and required to show an ID and ask for directions to turn-around. The guard looked at my ID, said "thank you sir" and gave me directions to turn around to get back off-base. There is no doubt he could tell the difference between my drivers license picture and the above the knee skirt, blouse, and long hairpiece.

The guard was very polite and all business. Could have been a LOT different.

[JaneSmith]

You were talking to military security. A man dressed as a woman is likely to hardly even register considering all the bizarre stuff that can be found on-base. I'd have expected nothing less from such a guard.

Now if you had pulled up to say a corporation's guard hut, I expect things would have been rather different.

[Miriam-J]

Even if it did register as notable with the military guard, he'd be obligated to show full respect. Might give him something to discuss when he's off duty, but he wouldn't have any reason to keep track of specifics like names. No harm done, and a little thrill.

Miriam

[PretzelGirl]

He was probably thinking "Lucky. He is running around dressed and I am sitting here with only hose on."

Going on base is one thing I have avoided so far. Something about going on Federal land and their ability to always have different rules have me shying away.

[Marleena]

Lol.. Karen you probably brightened up an otherwise boring day for him!

[carolinewalker_2000]

Well there is a way of "coming out" that you never could have planned in a million years. I have to admit to a quiet smile!!

[Tara D. Rose]

OH MY GOODNESS, well really you had nowhere to turn. You were led down aq certain road and whoop, there it was, you had no choices at all but to talk to the guard. It is so good though that he just led you own your way. I'm sure you had so may goosebumps and nerves standing on edge I would have done the same as you, .....nothing...just roll with the cards delt at that time. But today you can lay in bed and think of that day and maybe smile a little bit.
L&R...........Tara

[Renee W]

Even if it did register as notable with the military guard, he'd be obligated to show full respect. Might give him something to discuss when he's off duty, but he wouldn't have any reason to keep track of specifics like names. No harm done, and a little thrill.

Miriam

Having grown up in a military family, I can tell you from experience that military sentries are indeed held to a very high level of decorum. It doesn't matter who you are, you will get sir'd or maam'd with every sentence. They have no idea who may be visiting the base, you could have been an elected official or the friend of a high ranking officer, so since they never know, they never take a chance. The last thing they want is a stupid mark on their record for being disrespectful, especially if they ever plan on going to OCS or applying for a special duty.

[Karren H]

Bet your photos and all your personal info made it through every government database before you got home!

[AndreaS]

I usually drive right by there once a month, and on a couple of occasions I have been dressed. Guess I need to pay a little more attention to the road signs in that area based on your experience.

I have considered going in some of the establishments on Victory Drive while dressed just for the fun of it, but I wouldn't want to end up on base due to just one wrong turn. I think I'll just keep on going up the road to Atlanta for my dressing adventures. Thanks for the heads up!

[Marleena]

I'm waiting to see what would happen if one of us Canadian girls tried to cross a ground crossing by car at U.S. customs fully dressed. The thought scares the heck out of me! I see a secondary inspection and cavity search in their future.lol.

And no...no way I'm going to find out on my own.

[Jennifer in CO]

Many years ago I bought a car. The car had belonged to an Embassy and had a sticker on its bumper that so identified the car. It also had Pentagon credentials. Years later I drove the car to a car show on a local base (Lowery). Weeelll, you'd a thought I was the President. Suddenly I had an escort and all kinds of attention from Brass. The guard saw the sticker, knew what it was and called it in. It was funny as heck to drive into the car show with full military escort!

Jenn

[Amy Lynn3]

AndreaS: You bring back memories of the many times I have been on Victory Drive. I was stationed at Ft Benning for a year and a half and lived just off Victory Drive. KarenS: Yes the roads in that area are not easy to find your way around. Do they still have the traffic circle going into Columbus ?

[Amanda22]

He was probably thinking "Lucky. He is running around dressed and I am sitting here with only hose on."

I haven't laughed this hard for weeks!

When I'm dressed and driving (sounds like a crime?) at night, I wonder if I'm going to end up in a police roadblock checking for inebriated drivers. It'd be a little embarrassing, but that's about it. It would be bad if it turned into a situation like in the old southern highway patrol movies where the policeman would start writing me up for broken taillights. I'd say they're just fine. Then he'd go to the back and break them with his baton and come back up front to finish writing the citation.

[girlygirly]

Bet your photos and all your personal info made it through every government database before you got home!

He might not even register a blip if it was a routinely missed turn into a busy base, hopefully that is the case.

I flew into BWI one time, then made a wrong turn into the National Security Agency(who will probably read this because their name popped up...hi guys!). It was one of the most terrifying experiences I have ever been through. You have to be admitted to the NSA base if you mistakenly stumble onto the entrance, because that is they only way they will let you leave! I had to submit ID, be screened, then have a dog go through my rental car. The dog didn't hit on my luggage, so it remained unopened, and my secret was safe. Still, not a pleasant experience at all.

[Tasha_Yar]

I got stopped two years ago at one of the sobriety checkpoints the cops set up between Christmas and new years fully dressed. The cop asked for my license, which I gave him. Glanced at it and handed it back. Told me to have a nice evening and waved me through. Sometimes being over 60 really helps. They were pulling over the kids constantly and giving them field sobriety tests. I was incredibly nervous for the longest 10 seconds I've ever experienced.

-Tasha