It’s good to know that the US administration is keeping close tabs on me. Two days before I headed stateside, the alert level was raised to Orange [the second-highest level, as we were repeatedly informed]. Today, as I arrived back in the UK, it returned to Yellow. Time to heave a sigh of relief for the threat of James has passed. Or something like that.
Given that the alert level was still at Orange at the time, I was a little puzzled to find that no photo ID was needed in order to board my flight from Chicago to Cincinnati. Perhaps Homeland Security need reminding that the most devastating terrorist attacks in US history occurred as a result of the hijacking of domestic flights?
Nice too to have the reassurance on the second leg that Delta airlines takes the threat level seriously. So much so, that they were at pains to stress that there is no right to free association on board planes. Their commitment to federal law goes only so far, naturally.
If Tom Ridge is watching, I’ll next be in the US in April. Keep that Orange light ready.