Airport Security Heathen

[Torquil]

Yesterday I had to wake up at the crack of dawn to attend some class at the International Airport for my work. The classroom was located inside the main airport terminal so I had to walk through a checkpoint, take off my shoes, empty my pockets, etc. I also removed the Mjollnir from around my neck and put it in the box since its made of metal. A security officer passed my belongings to another security man at the end of the line telling him what I had. He said "and he's got an, uh... Anchor?" His rather burly partner said "DUDE! No thats not an anchor! Thats a Thor's Hammer." Then he looked at me and asked "Are you folk?" I responded in the affirmative and moved on. I wish I could have talked with him more but it was a big line so I didn't hold things up.

So after nine months of being an Odinist, I met an "in the flesh" heathen for the first time working at the Airport. Kind of funny.

[Sigurd]

Awww...never met an Airport Security Heathen, but once met an Airport Security metalhead. Wasn't able to talk to him for long either, but was good to see there that people are always where you expect them the least. :cool:

But, funny story you had there. Looks like we're reaching out everywhere. :D

I never took my Mjollnir off though at Airport security. Maybe our European metal detectors are inferior? :confused:

[aud_friggsdottir]

That is really cool!

We meet people occasionally in weird places...like Home Depot or at a gas station...lol...now we have business cards, so it isn't like we have to write on scraps of paper. Anyways, the O.com site should make business cards...LOL...ya never know when you will need them :)

FFF
Kathy

[Vanatru]

Pretty cool.

I keep mine on my dogtag chain........so when I fly commerical I take 'em off; though my heathen token isn't a Thor's hammer.

I've seen our Folk all over the place, in jobs I'd never have thought. The last one I met was a landscaper, who actually replaced my yard.....he in turn had last met one who was a state trooper..........who had met one that was a stay at home mom..........and on it goes.

[Outdoorsman]

Yesterday I had to wake up at the crack of dawn to attend some class at the International Airport for my work. The classroom was located inside the main airport terminal so I had to walk through a checkpoint, take off my shoes, empty my pockets, etc. I also removed the Mjollnir from around my neck and put it in the box since its made of metal. A security officer passed my belongings to another security man at the end of the line telling him what I had. He said "and he's got an, uh... Anchor?" His rather burly partner said "DUDE! No thats not an anchor! Thats a Thor's Hammer." Then he looked at me and asked "Are you folk?" I responded in the affirmative and moved on. I wish I could have talked with him more but it was a big line so I didn't hold things up.

So after nine months of being an Odinist, I met an "in the flesh" heathen for the first time working at the Airport. Kind of funny.

Awesome!! :D Maybe you'll bump into him again if you have to go to the airport again.

[Katia]

That is VERY cool! And you never know, he might pop onto this site one day and recognize your post!

I met a fellow heathen once at Subway, he was making my sandwich and saw my hammer as well.. He gave me a tip on where to buy some killer mead, LOL..You never know where you'll run into fellow folk!

[Wolf_of_Victory]

A guy at an airport tried to get me to take off my mjollnir, which I never do. To make sure it was made of metal even though I'm pretty sure he knew it was. It's solid too so I donlt know, maybe he thought I was smuggling something in it. Any road I refused to take it off and just said religious reasons and he let me go.

[Doktormartini]

Wow man, that's pretty awesome! I myselft don't think Mjolnir looks like an anchor...but that's just me.

[freyjaschild]

When I was a flight attendant, I used to wear my hammer with my uniform. It was only a small one, and my scarf covered it most of the time, but when it slipped to the side and someone saw the hammer they almost aways commented on it and wanted to know what it was...most of the time, since I was working, I couldn't spend a whole lot of time getting into it, but at least I know they learned something new...

[pinlighter]

That's great, freyaschild

[Sigurd]

I myselft don't think Mjolnir looks like an anchor

Lol, I've had a number of fundi Xians glare at me because they thought it was an inverted cross. When I negated they were smiling again but at the time I had explained to them why I wear my Mjollnir, they were glaring again... :D

[Loki's Advocate]

Hmm. I don't wear a Mjollnir around my neck, but an algiz. And only an algiz, nowadays, as some of you who remember back to the old forums will be pleased to hear. :)

I've only ever been queried in an unfriendly way about it (once by an American sailor who wondered what a National Alliance member was doing in Australia- ha, ha, ha!), or asked if it is a 'hippy' symbol.

For crying out loud, I live in a cultural wasteland, I swear...

[wesley]

For the time being I work with the general public. Many times I am asked about my Valknot, or the Runes that surround it. Most times it's just a fleeting thought or small talk. Then there are the other times.
Here are a few that I remember right off the bat. There was a guy one time that came right out and asked me if I was a member of the Rune-Gild, I said no then the store got filled with customers and he ended up leaving. Then another time this guy asked about my medallion and the runes so we talked for a bit. I told him that I was an Odinist. He said that was interesting and left. Then he came back into the shop hours later to discuss a little more about the Runes. So I jotted down a couple webpages off the top of my head and gave them to him. Told him that if it futher interested him that he could start by looking there. Then a lady just the other day came is and just kept staring at my Valknot, and said to me it just draws your attention to it. I just had to smile at that one, and say that it does.
Generally though, I ignore the glares. There is nothing to be gained by someone who has already made up their mind and refuses to see or hear anything different from their own narrow-mindedness. I do not have the time or energy to waste on them.

FFF
Wes

[beowulf]

Lol, I've had a number of fundi Xians glare at me because they thought it was an inverted cross.

That's too bad. I thought that breed was only endemic to my parts, the "Bible Belt" and all. :rolleyes:

As for chance meetings with Heathens, I've had a couple such instances of Hammer recognition though they weren't Tru themselves. One such happening came about one day when I was looking out the window at work when I should have been working and saw a man and woman just staring at the back bumper of my car. I thought my car had been hit so I went outside to see what they were doing and they asked if it was my car. I told them yeah, and they asked about my "Odin Lives" and other Heathen bumper stickers, if I was Asatru, and I pulled out my Hammer, told em yup. The guy then showed me his own Mjolnir and said he wasn't Asatru, but did make Viking themed crafts, etc. in his business and knew Asatruar, this in my tiny little town. He told me he and his wife I guess were looking at my stickers and telling each other it was a "good omen" for em to come upon. Another time an engineer working for the radio station company I work for came in and asked if I was Asatru after seeing the car. Affirmative, I sez, and he informs me he's a "druid" reconstructionist but knows Asa-Folk. Yet Another time my sister told me a woman she works with in another part of the state wears a Hammer and is always talking about her "religion" as my christian sis put it. Sis wasn't hostile to it, she just doesn't know much about it. Turns out her co-worker is a member of a Ring of Troth-type kindred in that town, her universalism and my hard-Folkish stance wouldn't get along too good....... :rolleyes:

[Nikolai]

The only other i have ever met was at the GM and in Einheriars Hearth lol. Wish i could just bump into another by coinsidence!

[Hellqvist]

Right on. I've yet to meet a friendly person at any airport, workers and travelers included. It seems that people really just want to keep to themselves and get the day over with. Can't say I blame them.

[Galloglaich]

3 or 4 years ago at Lowe's one of the workers there got really excited to see someone else wearing a hammer. From my time in the SCA and other groups I had gotten pretty used to finding lots of people of non-Christian persuasion, but I think I must have been the first person other than himself that this folk had ever seen. It was really cool. We had a few minute discussion, then he had to get back to work. I haven't seen him since. I wonder what happened to him.

[Don vonMilikowski]

3 or 4 years ago at Lowe's one of the workers there got really excited to see someone else wearing a hammer. From my time in the SCA and other groups I had gotten pretty used to finding lots of people of non-Christian persuasion, but I think I must have been the first person other than himself that this folk had ever seen. It was really cool. We had a few minute discussion, then he had to get back to work. I haven't seen him since. I wonder what happened to him.


You got him fired for talking to him while he worked.......

Most jobs like that are "part-time" especially for tradesmen. I used to hang out looking for side work, and I have the best method possible. Ask someone what they are doing (How are you going to hurt yourself this weekend?), start taking things out of thier basket and draw diagrams on a better way, still legal and works better than the text book way. They usually want you to come over and finish some other things they messed up......

My favorite thing I have heard about my tattoos - "Look honey, Celtic Runes"..... Gotta love Wiccans (or just scumbags like me who hang out in tattoo parlors) - Use the search function if you want some more of my funny Wiccan stories.

[Briar Banks]

I tend to meet quite a few heathens in the military. Mostly identifiable by their tattoos. I'm covered in Wotanist oriented tattoos as well and that tends to grab their attention.