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Air travelers will need to bring patience By BILL KETTLER Patience will be the most important thing to pack when you plan your next trip on an airplane. Travelers can expect longer waits in ticket lines and boarding areas as airports implement tighter security in the aftermath of terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, Medford airport director Bern Case said Tuesday. Some need help on that walk The Medford airport needs a few volunteers to help aged and handicapped air travelers get started on their journeys. New security regulations require all vehicles to park at least 300 feet from the terminal. The airport has wheelchairs for people who cannot walk across the parking lot, but needs volunteers to push them. People who want to help should be willing to spend two hours at the airport and have the physical strength to push a wheelchair. Airport Director Bern Case said some people have already signed on, but the airport would like to recruit enough volunteers to cover all the hours when planes use the airport. Case said people who need wheelchair assistance should tell the parking attendant when they enter the parking lot. The attendant will contact someone to help. People who want to help should contact Laura Wendt at 776-7222. "You can't come in 20 minutes before your flight any more and blast out of here," he said. Case suggested travelers arrive 90 minutes to two hours prior to their flight's departure to allow enough time to clear security. He noted that some local travelers have made their way through security in less than 90 minutes during the first few days since air traffic resumed, but some flights had few passengers. Clearing security may take more time as more travelers return. The changes in air travel begin at the airport parking lot. New federal safety regulations require all vehicles to park at least 300 feet away from airport terminals to limit damage from bombs that could be planted in cars. The new parking rule means a substantially longer walk for Medford travelers, especially those who were accustomed to driving right up to the terminal door. Case declined to describe in detail the added security measures at the airport, but he noted that additional security personnel are working. He said travelers need to come to the airport "with their stuff in order" to move smoothly through the ticket counter and security screening. Passengers will be required to show government-issued picture identification at check-in counters, and show identification again before they board the airplane. "They want to make sure you're the passenger your ticket says you are," Case said. "There will be no tolerance for anything that could be used as weapons," Case said, including pocketknives. "If you've got a treasured pocketknife from your grandfather, leave it at home." Case said passengers may spend more time in the boarding area between the metal detectors and the airplane. He encouraged travelers to use rest rooms before passing through the metal detectors because the Medford airport does not have bathroom facilities in those "sterile" waiting areas. "If you go out (to use the rest room), you're going to have to go through the whole process again." Travelers who schedule connecting flights to reach their final destination should allow more time between flights to build a cushion for security-related boarding delays. "I wouldn't try to do a 45-minute connection at a major hub," Case said. "I'd look for about two hours (between flights) and take an extra dose of patience with me in case I miss that one." Case said travelers can help the process move faster by carrying less luggage and not packing anything that might look suspicious. Airlines are generally limiting passengers to one piece of carry-on baggage, and some may interpret a woman's handbag as that piece. "I'd advise people this next little while to be flexible," he said. "The rules are changing real fast. If you have any doubts, call your airline." Reach reporter Bill Kettler at 776-4492, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.