Of all the pieces of travel advice that I’ve learnt over the years this is perhaps the most important one. Don’t lip off to security, most of them are just doing their job.
This spring I found myself in the departure queue at the San Jose airport in Costa Rica waiting to board a flight back to Canada via the states. Glancing around I noticed that I was to share the flight with a group of American college students. You’d think that being enrolled in a school of higher learning that some of them would have caught on by now. I’m writing about “Common Sense”. It’s cannot be taught at school and for some it must learnt the hard way. Now I’ve noticed over the years that students and the “establishment” quite often don’t mix. This is one such story. These kids, old enough to know better, were fed up having to wait in line – What is taking so long? Dump my water before boarding? Not, I’m not going to empty my backpack again. And so on and so on.
A wizened traveler, I listened and grinned. This was going to be good. Latin countries I’ve discovered usually run on a more relaxed pace and showing respect is only courteous. Well two classmates, a guy and a girl, decided that enough was enough and that they’d show those security guys a thing or two. We’re Americans and we don’t tolerate this kind crap was their attitude. Well it didn’t take long. To give the Costa Rican security team credit, they listened to the gibberish spewing forth for about a minute, smiled and ignored them. The kids seeing no results raised their voices (big mistake). Out came the portable radios. Before anyone could blink these two kids were surrounded and stiff armed to the side of the queue and promptly strip searched right there against the wall in front of us all and none too gently at that. Off came the shirts, belts, jeans, socks, backpacks were emptied and water bottles dumped. Faces beet red, the two were left there to stand in their boxers, panties and bra while their passports were slowly scrutinized. The girl by the way was wearing a cute pink bra. In shock the rest of their classmates reformed ranks straight as an arrow and there was dead silence from them until final boarding. It was a pleasant boarding experience for me, no noisome kids mouthing off, just respect now oozing profusely from all of them.
Lesson learned, the hard way!
Signed, Canadian Traveler
Tagged as:
security
The webpage, Airport Luggage Carousels – A Worldwide Report, is from the appropriately named website, Dull Men’s Club. For most people, the only thrill received from carousels is from the sense of relief that they get when their luggage is spotted. Not so for the site’s owner, Grover Click, who loves finding his bags because he thinks it’s an exciting event in and of itself. Furthermore, Mr. Click says that his greatest travel thrills are obtained by watching the movement of carousels.
Most of the webpage deals with the direction that carousels run in various airports (talk about earth shaking subjects!). The percentage of carousels that go clockwise vs. counterclockwise are even tabulated (so far most run counterclockwise).
Beyond the curiosity factor, one has to wonder if there are those who find this information to be useful. Can you imagine if there are people who avoid certain airports because they didn’t like the direction in which their carousels moved?
If you’d like to help Mr. Click keep keep his data current, let him know which way carousels turn in airports that you visit: info@dullmen.com.
Tagged as:
airport,
baggage,
carousel
With the closing of yet another year, it’s that time to look back at the flying hell events that took place in 2008.
Increased costs for services increased passenger frustrations. Packed overhead bins, due in part to charges for checked luggage, added to the despair. The TSA came under fire, including from a woman upset about having to remove her nipple rings. Body image scanners added to passenger insults. Delays and cancellations led to unruliness and rioting in Argentina, China, and the U.S.
Stories about pilots and attendants were featured in the news (including one about a pilot and attendant caught romping nude together in the woods), but they were exceeded by stories about uncouth, odd and violent passengers. As to be expected, celebs got into trouble; notables included Naomi Campbell and Jerry Lewis. Animals added to the mayhem, including mice, rats, cats, cheetahs, dogs, snakes, ticks, skunks and even catfish.
The Flights From Hell website itself made the news.
The chaotic flying climate resulted in a number of story submissions to Flights From Hell, the weirdest one dealing with a dog that was breast fed by a passenger!
Tagged as:
animals,
cat,
delay & cancellation,
dog,
flight attendant,
pilot,
scanner,
security,
violence
Last April (2008) I flew from Calgary, AB, CA to Orlando, FL. I had purposely booked an aisle seat on the right side of the plane (A “C” seat) because of a recent elbow injury to my left elbow that I wanted to protect from passing drink carts. I should also mention that although I love flying, I can get very claustrophobic and don’t like sitting anywhere but the aisle.
I get to my seat and found a family seated there and the father – seated in my assigned seat – tells me that I booked my seat before they could and that there were no seats left together for their family (like it’s my fault I picked my seat and screwed up their plans) so I could just sit in his seat. Thankfully it was an aisle seat, but it was on the other side of the plane and I sent five hours paranoid that something was going to hit my elbow and I’d spend my vacation in as much pain as I’d spent the last few days before my vacation.
Signed, AH
Tagged as:
seats
