Hi everyone,
Before I begin, an apology. I’ve not been here for a while, in part due to changes in our lives (moving back to Florida from Virginia, dealing with retirement and other issues) and I just wanted to say that I’ve missed you all and keeping up with posts – there’s a lot to catch up with! During this time I’ve done the 2-day trip between DC and Ft. Pierce FL three times as “me” with a few interesting stories. I hope to post these, but suffice it to say that I probably now know each rest stop / ladies’ room on the I-95 route…
Two days ago I flew pretty (is there a 3F club? Frequent Femme Flyers?) from the Melbourne (MLB) airport to DCA (Washington National). I’ve done this before without hassle, but this time was a little different. I still underestimate the amount of time it takes me to “get myself together”, so we had a rushed drive to the airport (my wife dropped me off). Checking in was no problem, the Delta folks were great; one of the attendants may have remembered me from the last time I did this. Before going through TSA, I needed a stop at the ladies’ room to freshen up and fix any mistakes I’d made in hastily dressing. I’m very comfortable using the ladies’ loo, but this time I had a new experience. As I was fixing my wig, a lady emerged from a stall wearing only a bra and slacks . This was the first time I’d seen a woman in partial undress in the ladies’ room. I looked up and she said “Sorry, I can’t tell if my top is frontwards or backwards.” I guess I gave her a questioning look and she explained “The tags irritate me and so I remove them.” I mumbled something like “Yes, I sometimes have the same problem when they don’t put tags on tops”. At that point several other women came in and she went through the same explanation. I would have offered to help, but I anxious to get through security and get to my flight. The experience actually felt quite natural.
OK, so to the point of this post: a bit of a hassle with TSA and flying pretty. Normally going through MLB security is quick, and I had no problems the last time I flew dressed. This time there was a line both for the ID check and for screening. When I presented my passport the TSA agent looked through it several times, and asked me if I had another photo ID. I told her no, and she said “You have to have a photo ID that looks like you.” To which I replied “Ma’am, I’m a crossdresser and if you like I’d be happy to remove my wig.” (I’m sure most of the folks in line behind me were hearing this.) “I’ll have to call my supervisor.” So supervisor comes and I get the same story – “You need an ID that looks like you” -- but they let me through. Flustered a bit, I got in the wrong line, but everyone kindly helped me find the right one. I went through the scanner with no problem or pat-down, but it seemed to take forever for carryons to be scanned. Then I realized that there were two agents at each scanner, and one was doing a lot of explaining to the other. It occurred to me that this might have been a mass training session, and perhaps that was the reason for the hassle.
The rest of the flights, with the change in Atlanta, were uneventful. As usual I am more chatty when dressed, and enjoy smiling at women and getting that “female-to-female” smile back. That really seems to break the ice with other women (not to mention any compliments on what they are wearing!). I’m generally addressed as “ma’am”, so I didn’t get into any crossdressing discussions. At one point I was sitting in the ATL waiting area and the lady across from me asked “Why don’t you sit next to me and put your feet up on the footstool? It is so much more comfortable after sitting on a plane.” Thank you ma’am – you sure were right!
So, two questions for those of you who have flown pretty recently, or who may be up on the latest TSA regulations. #1 -- Were these gate agents correct in saying that your photo ID must match your appearance? If so – what do they do about clean-shaven guys who have ID’s with full beard and long hair, or women who have a completely different hairstyle in a totally different color, or women who have had their heads shaved because of cancer treatments? #2: In the event that the answer to #1 is “yes”, what does this mean for those of us who love to fly pretty? Maybe what I should do is get a Florida ID with my male name and femme photo – have any of you Floridians done this?
Thanks for any replies and did I say that it is great to be back with you all??
Hugs,
Claire