From Russia with Love...
Another flight back to London, another debacle... You'd think for some reason someone is telling me not to come back.
How'd this trip back start, you ask? We'll everything went like clockwork until I got on the plane. The run up was almost perfect. Train was quick and although I forgot to stamp my ticket, which I now habitually buy, there was no conductor checking tickets (Whoohoo! Free trip!). Check in at the airport was quick and the whole haxe in my check-in luggage went
undiscovered. Hugo Boss had a sale on underwear and my ipod was fully charged.
What could possibly go wrong? Well, stepping into a puddle of molten jello outside my gate should have warned me of things to come.
Well, take one flight from Moscow that was touching down in Dusseldorf to pick up passengers (I.e. Me) for London, the sub-European security standards of Moscow and one security person in Dusseldorf who overlooked the fact that the passengers transiting through Dusseldorf needed to get off an go through security and you get utter chaos.
Just at the point where the pilot's voice comes one to welcome you on board we had the following:
"Greetings every one this is your capitain. I have just flown in from Moscow."
Good for you, I thought. I would mind visiting Moscow, but what does this have to do with this flight?
"Well, everything is ready for us to take-off, but we have a security issue."
Crap. Terrorists have found my haxe in the hold and are guiltily gorging themselves on it.
"We just arrived from Moscow... The sub-standard security spiel I just ran you through a moment ago... The only choice the Federal Police have given is is to load everyone ontp buses take you all through security again and get you back on board as quickly as possible.
Wouldn't it make more sense just to take the Russians off the plane?
Anyway, 10 minutes later we arrive at the security checkpoint to go through security again, but instead of the standard once over we are subjected to a very thorough search. It's not like we were on a flight from Islamabad or Bagdahd where they forgot to do security checks, this is Dusseldorf, Germany, for Pete's sake!
Well, after being frisked by a very butch woman, having someone comment on the bag of popcorn in my carry-on bag and fighting off a frictional chubby from the pat down, I was finally on my way back to the plane.
All in all this debacle cost me 45 minutes of my life and resulted in a good story to tell.. What awaits me on my next trip scheduled is anyone's guess...