Jack and I packed to head out on an annual trip to San Francisco for the California Press Foundation’s Winter Meeting last Wednesday. We planned to fly from Ontario and take along our oldest grandchild, a new tradition when they reach age 13.
Jack finished delivering the papers just as I heard of a mass shooting in San Bernardino. As news progressed, we hurried to get to the airport, cautious of what the freeway would look like when we passed SB.
We encountered nothing unusual until we reached the airport where cop cars covered streets and tarmacs, searching for the shooting suspects who were rumored to be three white men who had abandoned their black SUV and jumped on a rental car shuttle to the airport.
We eyed every black SUV and young white male with suspicion as we rode the shuttle to the terminal and waited inside for her parents to drop off our granddaughter.
Turns out that rumor was far off and the suspects were killed in SB.
But when we landed back in Ontario Sunday and waited outside to deliver our granddaughter Mina back to her Mom, it was a different scene.
We sat for about 20 minutes watching cars parked in front of the terminal for longer than that with potential for holding explosives, etc. As travelers, we can’t carry weapons but they can.
We looked all around the front of the terminal for security guards and saw none. Not one.
What happened to the security we saw following 9/11? What happened to obeying signs outside the airport that still instruct drivers not to “park or wait” for longer than it takes to drop off or pick up passengers?
I’m feeling less secure about flying out of Ontario just because of the lack of security outside.
Becky Clark, Editor
