Skins do you get strange looks from people when you board an airplane?
Absolutely...especially after a weekend trip, when I haven't shaved for a few days. Although I currently rock a beard, so it wouldn't make a difference.
Since we're on the subject, I'll share a story about my favorite airport experience:
So on the one-year anniversary of 9/11 (if I remember correctly), I was embarking on a trip from D.C. to South Bend to visit my brother for the weekend, and check out a Notre Dame football game. I had one flight from D.C. to Cincinnati (or Chicago, I forget which), and then a really small connecting flight on some bumbsfuck airline from there to South Bend Regional Airport.
The initial flight was no sweat...everyone who went through security had to follow the same procedure (take off their shoes, etc). So I arrive in Cincy and get to my gate for the connecting flight. The plane is one of those 50-seat propeller-powered ones. There are probably some Hummer limousines that are bigger than this fucking thing. I think the airline was called Mishawaka Airlines. Anyway, so I get to the gate, and I'm the first one there. Of course, I'm the only person who's not white and/or Irish-Catholic. But yeah, so the on-board crew are also the people who check everybody in. So I'm first in line, with about 50 people behind me, when this old lady stewardess comes up to me and says, "you've been randomly selected for a search." Big surprise, right?
So she pulls me out of line, and proceeds to search through all my shit, going through my bags and whatnot, all right in front of these 50 people. And I'm the only one of the 50 who was searched.
I eventually get to board, and of course, I'm the LAST one on the plane. So that was fun.
On Sunday, I go back to South Bend Regional Airport to fly back, same deal as before with the connecting flight and shit. This time, I'm in the middle of the line, again with about 50 people or so.
So I'm standing there, minding my own business, when some stewardess/check-in crew woman comes up to me and says, "You've been randomly selected for a search."
And, of course, I was the only one on the flight who was pulled out of line to be searched. I told the lady that I must have a string of good luck going for me this weekend, because it's the 2nd time in four days that I've been randomly selected for a search...and that I should buy a lottery ticket when I get home. She didn't find my comment too amusing.
But anyway, that's my fun airport story.