For the record, sending a minor on Amtrack is nothing like sending a minor on an airplane. Unaccompanied minors in airports are treated almost like rock stars. There's the personal escourt to the gate after one crosses security. There's a little bit of fuss by the flight attendants on the plane, which is followed by another escourt off the plane at the end of the flight. It's not quite the same on Amtrack.
I wasn't sure at what point I'd need to say good-bye to Erin, but it was my goal to see her to her seat, unless I could hand her over to a uniformed attendant who would guarantee an escourt all the way to her seat. At each juncture, I let everyone know that I was with Erin, I did not have a ticket, and was it ok if I continued on with her? The agent who issued the ticket said yes. The line organizer responsible for an orderly que down to the trains said yes. I didn't notice the NO GUESTS BEYOND THIS POINT sign as the ticket was checked again and we entered the tunnel where the trains are held, but the agent there waived me thru when I said I didn't have a ticket, but could I please escourt my daughter a bit further. I walked with Erin all the way to the door of the train.
The woman making the final check to be sure we were, in fact, headed to Michigan and not Milwaukee waived me thru, and allowed me to get on the train with Erin. I made sure she was settled in her seat before making my way back to get off the train. And that's when it started.
The conductor said to me, "Ma'am, would you please take your seat, we're about to take off," and I replied, "Oh, I don't have a ticket, I was just seeing my daughter to her seat."
WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON'T HAVE A TICKET?! YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED ON MY TRAIN WITHOUT A TICKET! ARE YOU TELLING ME THAT MY TRAIN HAS TO LEAVE LATE BECAUSE YOU HAD TO SEE YOUR DAUGHTER TO HER SEAT?!
Um, yeah. Just call me an overprotective mom. That's what I thought. What I actually said was, "I'm so sorry, I'm leaving right now."
As I began walking back toward the lobby area, I saw three of Chicago's Finest walking toward me. I thought Wow, who's causing such trouble on the train that it takes three cops to handle? Then I noticed one cop hung back while the other two approached me. "Ma'am, what are you doing here? You are in a secure area; you are not allowed this close to the trains without a ticket. This is a restricted area, didn't you see the signs? You do understand that this is a security issue, right? You are violating Homeland Security laws by being in this area."
While these policemen spoke in a much quieter voice than the conductor had, their message was very clear: I was a perceived threat. I had no idea that making sure Erin was safe on her train would cause such a stir! I also had not realized that President Obama was touching down at O'Hare within the hour (celebrating his 50th birthday with some hometown fund raising), and the city was on heightened alert. I couldn't have picked a worse time to breach security. I apologized profusely to the cops, and explained to them that I was just seeing my unaccompanied minor onto the train, and that at each point I had asked for - and been granted - permission to move forward. Thankfully, they let me off with a stern warning to NEVER enter that area again without a ticket (I won't!), and that was the end of it. Although I half expected them to send someone to follow me to my car to make sure I left.
Erin called when she reached the Rappaport's house, and her leg of the journey was far less eventful than mine, and she arrived safe and sound. Baird's picking her up at Union Station on Saturday, and I'm sure he'll wait in the designated area for our Unaccompanied Minor's return.
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