Tuesday, August 15, 2006

TERRORIST THREATS AND PLAIN (PLANE) STUPIDITY!

So as usual I was abroad when a major terrorist scare took place. Having flown from Barcelona to London the week of 9/11 these things don't really faze me I have to say - I always figure the best time to fly is just after one of these scares.

Anyway my first thought was - hey I'll get my flight to NY in October cheap! My second thought was - shit they'll spend 3 hours checking me in in Frankfurt which'll be a pain with all 3 kids in tow. How wrong I was. I was not well equipped to fly with no hand luggage - I had a camera, a camcorder, a laptop and 2 ipods with me...so I packed for worst case scenario - the small things got wrapped up in clothes in my rucksack, the laptop was put in the case and I hoped my insurance would pay if someone stole them all! The camera is faulty at the moment so I was less than worried about it! I got to the check in and asked what had changed since Tuesday when I had flown to Germany. Nothing! was the reply. So I can take onboard my computer, my camera etc? Yes came the reply - and some juice and crisps for my kids? - again yes was the reply. Oh well. I caused chaos as I repacked my case and rucksack then checked them on and got on the flight home. This flight has a 45 min stopover in Prestwick before turning round and flying back to Frankfurt.

At the airport in Prestwick things were very different. Policemen were patrolling outnumbering passengers and carrying large machine guns. More stood in a ring round the perimeter fence and at the end of the runway. People were being handed clear poly bags for their passport and wallet and being told to check everything else into the hold. Large notices hung everywhere warning all food and drinks had to be consumed before entering the aircraft as they'd be confiscated. This was the same plane I had been on 10 minutes earlier with 5 electrical appliances, two bottles of coke and 3 bags of crisps!

Come on! These terrorists go to all lengths - they learn to fly 757s and crash them into buildings for goodness sake so what is the point in all the security in the UK - surely these guys will quickly work out they have to blow the plane up on their homeward journey and not the outbound flight! That way they even get to have a nice holiday before blowing themselves up! This is just laughably silly.

5 comments:

The Scudder said...

I agree, it's laughably silly in the extreme but ,.,.,. we've got that bloody Yank staying ,.,.,. and the thought that she might not get home is ,,, well ,, shall we just say, suicidal parents are not what you want at your time of life ,,, I hope ?

Phyl said...

Yeah - she might not be allowed onboard with her pacemaker thingy - maybe you can book her into the hold ;-)?

Thomas Widmann said...

Aren't there any ships across the Atlantic any more? I know the cheap airlines have killed off many of the North Sea ferries, so it might be the same there. :-( To return to your posting, you're absolutely right. They're just annoying people without really improving security – all they've achieved this time is to teach lots of people how to make effective bombs easily and cheaply from ingredients that one can buy in ordinary shops. And if I was a terrorist, I wouldn't take my bomb through security – I'd get a job as a cleaner in the airport – surely they're still allowed bottles with non-drinkable fluids!

Phyl said...

Haha - dad can you imagine Elise on a liner crossing the Atlantic? It'd be half-empty by the time it reached NY ;-)

Sebastian said...

Oh even if you are a cleaner in the airport, you have to go through the security to get near any planes. At least in Kastrup.