I read this article on Reddit about a passenger wanting to bring his father’s putter on a plane as a carry-on. As we all know, golf clubs are prohibited by the TSA as a carry-on item. You can however check them. They could be used as weapons so they present a security risk.
It reminded me that before September 11th, I would usually bring a 3-golf club set in a travel bag when I traveling to a destination with a nice golf course. These clubs would include a 3 iron, 7 iron and pitching wedge. I would also jam in a really small putter and it worked. I have many fond memories of traveling with these clubs and mixing some business with a small amount of pleasure.
I then proceeded to think about the things that I now miss from the pre-September 11th days. My list includes:
- Liquids over 3.4 ounces in my carry-on. I would like to bring some water, soft drinks and bottle of alcohol from my destinations. Who does not love Caribbean Rum?
- My Swiss Army Knife in my carry-on. When only traveling with a carry-on, it was also great to have this utility knife. You never knew when you would need one of the many elements of this Knife. My favorites were the tweezers, mini scissors, screw driver and bottle opener
- Aerosol or Liquid Deodorant – This will tell you how old I am.
- Toiletries over 3.4 ounces
- Saying Goodbye or Hello to a Loved One at the Gate
- Last Minute Arrivals at the Airport with no worries about getting through Security
My favorite story from those days was I arrived late to the airport for a flight. I had rented a car and did not have time to return it to the rental agency. I pulled up to the terminal and explained my situation to the police officer outside. He said no big deal, just pull up your car to the end. He then suggested that I call the car rental agency to pick up the car. I made my flight with a just a few minutes to spare. I picked up the airplane phone and yes they had phones on airplanes back then. I called my car rental agency and told what I did. They said it happened all the time and they would be happy to pick up the car. They charged me a nominal fee of $25 for their inconvenience. It was smooth and everything worked out well. Today, I cannot even imagine doing any of the things that I had to do to make the flight.