Feeling less like Home

I sent the letter below to the SFO airport after our less than pleasant welcoming home. I hope this does not happen to anyone else.

Saturday, January 13, 2007

Sir(s)/Madame(s):

On December 24th, 2006 my pregnant wife of 4 months, my 16 month old son, and I cheerfully arrived to the San Francisco airport after a lengthy and exhausting 34 hour epic journey. We had crossed the International Date Line traveling from Jakarta, Indonesia to Singapore, then another airplane to Hong Kong, and then boarded yet another airplane before disembarking at San Francisco Airport (SFO). Although we were exhausted, we were excited to be back in the United States and also because we only had one more short flight to endure before we were reunited with our family and friends to celebrate the festive holiday season in Phoenix, AZ. Things had gone better than expected and our son was in a deep sleep upon our arrival.

We are United States citizens but currently reside in Indonesia. My wife works for an International non-government organization (NGO) as a nutrition/heath advisor and I am a World Studies teacher at a respected international school. We have lived and traveled a reasonable amount internationally and we feel lucky to have been exposed to a variety of countries, peoples, cultures, and customs. I hope you excuse the lengthy introduction but I wanted to do so to provide perspective.

After I placed all the carry on baggage onto the conveyor belt we moved into the security metal detector line while entering the domestic terminal. I decided to go first. My wife, who was pushing our sleeping son in the stroller, was next in line. I walked through the metal detector first without incident. “Please remove the baby from the stroller and place the stroller on the conveyor belt!” bellowed the male security person to my wife. My wife, exhausted, called me to help her break down the heavy stroller while she lifted our son from the stroller. As I tried to return through the metal detector to assist my pregnant wife and son I was stopped by the male security guard. “You cannot go back through the metal detector.” “Sir,” I said, “you can see my wife needs help and you have already seen me go through the detector. I am just going to help her with the stroller and I will walk back through.” “I cannot allow you to go back through the detector,” he said. “I don’t understand,” I said, “I already went through and I will come back again. I need to help my wife.” “Sir,” he said, “I said you can’t go back through.” “Well, if you won’t let me through could you please assist my pregnant wife?” I questioned. “I cannot leave my position, you should have thought of that before you went through and left your pregnant wife behind.” My heart sank and my blood boiled as I stared at my pregnant wife as she struggled to break down the stroller, my bleary eyed son resting on her shoulder. It was painful to watch as she struggled to lift the stroller up to the x-ray machine, not once, but twice. On the second try in a half hearted attempt one of the security guards made an effort to help her. Was this a bad dream? Where was I? Was I a criminal? Had I done something wrong?

I understand the need for security but I also understand the need for compassion. Suddenly, I felt like I no longer knew this country or its people. I felt like I had entered a country more foreign than the foreign country in which I reside. I felt embarrassed, ashamed, and angry. I had come home, but this did not feel like home. I suddenly thought of the thousands of foreigners who arrive here daily for the first time and are subjected to this type of treatment. What would they think of the United States and its people, its culture, and its customs? My only hope is that they have more positive experiences once they leave the SFO airport.

My hope and point in writing this letter is to ask that in your efforts to incorporate rigorous and sound security policies that you do not sacrifice the values of respect, dignity, and compassion toward all men, women, and children. After all, it is said that first impressions are the most important impressions made and airports are for many the first impression people will shape about the country, the state, and city.

Respectfully,

Paul Zane Dickey

I may be contacted at zanedickey@yahoo.com

Emailed to San Francisco Airport Security/Federal Inspection Services

San Francisco International Airport
PO Box 8097
San Francisco, CA 94128-9916 Telephone: (650) 821-8211

On Tuesday January 16, 2007 4:17 PM Jakarta, Indonesia local time.

CC: San Francisco Chronicle, Arizona Republic, LATIMES newspapers on Tuesday January 16, 2007 4:17 PM Jakarta, Indonesia local time.

CC: San Francisco Chronicle, Arizona Republic, LATIMES, East Valley Tribune newspapers