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About the Author My name is Scott T. Mueller. I was born and raised in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area, where I lived most of my life. I grew up riding dirt bikes, and my family and I did a great deal of canoeing and camping with our friends and relatives. I was on the swim team from the age of five, and also loved to explore, ski, bicycle ride, ice skate, water ski, and roller skate. These were all a major part of my life as a teenager. I backpacked Glacier National Park in Montana with my brother and two of his friends for a week when I was 15 years old. I also did three one week trips to the Boundary Waters National Canoe Area. I love all things water and nature and aspire to spend as much of my time these days enjoying both. I am a single father of three wonderful children, two daughters and a son. I cherish the memories of taking my children to the apple orchards, pumpkin farms, sledding, snowmobiling, hiking and the many camping trips to Door County, Wisconsin for Fall Festival in Sister Bay. We battled food-robbing raccoons at night, but we had a wonderful time together. My children are all older now and are coming into their own as young adults. Ah, I miss the good old days, but I am equally fond of seeing my children begin to live their lives and continue to grow as they mature. I began working in commercial aviation in 1990 and have worked in the airline industry for two decades, holding many positions over the years. One of the most difficult yet most rewarding positions I held was the system manager of baggage services for five years. When I started in this position, dubbed by many as the "worst job in the company," I knew this position would not be easy. Mishandling customers’ luggage equates to people, and people are those who suffer when a bag is lost, damaged, delayed, or pilfered. Sometimes the consequences are quite damaging, and sometimes permanent and irreversible. As the manager of baggage services, I was passionate about my customers’ losses. I drove to their homes to deliver delayed luggage or help someone fill out the claim form. I took care of my customers’ problems on weekends, holidays, and while on vacation; I even gave out my home telephone number to many of my customers if the situation warranted. To live by the Golden Rule, one must apply the principles and meaning of the Golden Rule and this is what made me successful in a very difficult position. My goal now is to educate domestic and international passengers to become proactive in protecting their valuable possessions when they travel. Everyone benefits if the customer does: you, the airlines, and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). An informed decision about your possessions can take the anxiety and pain out of your travel experience.
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