Which mode do you travel?

[Jabbela]

First I want to share a story.
I was on a business trip recently, and therefore I was in male mode most of the time.
But I couldn't resist to add skirt, bra and a night gown to my luggage, at least to wear them in my hotel room. I really had a nice time this way.
Well I stayed in one of the countrie in the near-east, where they do very detailed security checks. So also my luggage was checked and of course they found my female items. As this might be suspicious (they ask before if everything in your luggage is yours), the security women (a very beautiful one) asked me: "sorry, but I have to ask you this - who wears these clothes?" Somehow she was a little bit curious to ask this question, it seemed to me that she wanted to apologize for it. It looked like she does not regulary gets into such a situation.
It was also the first time for me in this situation, but I knew what is coming up to me. It was just natural to answer: "I do, from time to time". And this natural and true answer just gave me a good feeling.

Similar experiences? Please share.

[Estefania]

Nothing recent, but in the past several years I did quite a bit of traveling related to my cding.

Some times my trips were 100% enfemme, some times they were not. I flew several times, some enfemme, some not. Like in your case, I had to have my luggage inspected. However, nobody asked me about my femme stuff. But if they had, I would have replied with the truth... Whose things are these? Mine.

From most of the people I know who have flown enfemme, things have gone smoothly. However, that's not always the case. (Just ask Sarah West... she was forced out from an airplane and made change into drabbies or else.)

Anyway, unless you have a good reason why to fly enfemme... really, I would discourage people from trying it. It is just as tedious as flying en drab. But with the potential of having to spend long hours stuck in a very reduced space with people who may not be really friendly if they realize you are a CD. (Didn't happen to me, thank God)

As for your clothes/makeup, remember it is perfectly legal to own all of that... So just bite the bullet and answer like it is.

Gaby

[DonnaT]

Just ask Sarah West... she was forced out from an airplane and made change into drabbies or else

Wow, I hadn't heard about that! Which airline?

Of course, these days, traveling by air enfemme may be a bit tricky without proper papers identifying one's self as being TS.

[Estefania]

Donna,

Actually, that happened on the pre-9-11 days. (Sept 2000) She had flown internationally many times, including the same airline (United) She happened to run into the wrong crew. (She had letters from her therapist, etc, so that wasn't the problem)

Here is a link to the information about it...

http://trans.sister.org/Sarah/United.html

Gaby

[Celia]

Since I don't travel very much - maybe a plane trip once per year - and prefer to keep the cavity searches to a minimum, I make what I wear as plain-vanilla as possible. So, yes, among other things, I travel in boy mode.

I should emphasize that, though the airlines and their lapdogs in government seem to think this sort of violation to privacy behooves them, I curtail my business accordingly. I wonder how well-served they'll feel when they're out of work?

-Celia

[RikkiOfLA]

Since I am virtually full time, I do tend to travel en femme. I've had no trouble with it, either before or after 9/11. I do look like my driver's license picture (it's a picture of me en femme, but with my male name). I don't have a passport currently.