Stardate: Christmas

(I’m flying home to see my folks for Christmas. All the presents but one are packed into my duffel. Since my mother’s is so small, I have it in my carry-on. It’s all wrapped up as well. I go through the security line and lay all my stuff out in the bins. However, when my backpack comes out, the TSA employees grab it and put it through again, looking at the X-ray screen with bewildered looks on their faces. Finally, one of them brings it over to me.)

TSA Employee: *very confused* “Miss, what exactly is this?”

(Holds up my mother’s gift.)

Me: *trying hard not to laugh* “It’s a Star Trek salt-n-pepper shaker set. It’s the little communication device from The Next Generation. You pull each half apart, and it’s held by magnets.”

(Both TSA employees are just staring at me in complete confusion, and the one closest to me isn’t handing me my bag, so I finally do the only thing I can think of.)

Me: *pretending to push a communication badge on chest* “Enterprise, this is the away team. Three to beam aboard.”

TSA Employee: *still confused* “Huh?”

Me:  “Beam me up, Scotty!”

TSA Employee: “Oh! “

(They finally give me back my backpack and I catch my plane home. When my Trekkie mother opened her present on Christmas Day, I told the story and she got a good laugh.)