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Donna Mae DePola - Guest Speaker Chat ...May 25th 2013 ... for more information please read this!
There is still plenty of time and spaces if you'd like to sign up for the Guest Speaker Chat scheduled for this Saturday!
There is still plenty of time and spaces if you'd like to sign up for the Guest Speaker Chat scheduled for this Saturday!
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SO I went on a trip. A big trip. With my daughter, and my boyfriend. And it went great. The trip was amazing, and we have already booked again for next year. The best time ever. How ever…
Now first let me say I love my boyfriend and I can’t imagine life without him, that he is the dearest kindest, most supportive, patient guy in the whole world, and I have no idea what I did to deserve him.
All that being said OMG! Next time I swear I am going to ask him to meet us at the cruise ship because traveling through the airport with him is an exercise in frustration. You know how when you travel, there is always “that guy” ahead of you that makes you want to pull your hair out, the one you look at and think “for Christ sakes buddy, get it together. Come on!”
My boyfriend, he’s “that Guy”.
Ok, hang on, let me back up… For those of you who have been living under rocks for the last decade or so, airport security is a pain, you are required to submit to screenings, to remove your shoes, and your belts, to having your bags x-rayed, and if you are flying into the States from another country you will need to show your passport at least three or four times sometimes more
In light of all of these security measures that may or may not actually help keep the flying public safe, (the jury is still out on that one), Passengers on international flights are asked to arrive at the airport three hours before their flight. Ok I can handle that. So for my 10:30 am flight I need to be there around 7:30 in the morning. So I drive the hour to the boyfriends the night before and spend the night so his family can drive us in the morning. They are only 20 minutes from the airport so great I can leave at 7:00 am. Get a good nights rest and have and easy start to the trip right? Wrong. The BF turns into paranoia guy and thinks we should leave at 6 am. To which I reply “No, I will leave no earlier than quarter to seven, I would prefer to leave at 7:15 but I will compromise and we can leave at 7:00”
So we get that part worked out, (after I pointed out that the check in counter doesn’t even open until 7:30) and we get to the airport at 7:32. So I think great, we are away to the races. But wait, I spoke to soon. Now to be fair I packed a lot, for me and my daughter there are two LARGE suitcases, two of the largest carry-ons permissible and a small carry on (the BF has one suitcase and one small carry-on) and I figure that I will get a cart, but no, paranoia guy thinks that we should just do it ourselves and I figure that is not worth the fight but then, once we are in line he does nothing to help move any of the luggage I am left to move most of it myself as my daughter is still to small to really be of much help. And so we are standing in line, we step up to the ticket counter to check in and that’s when the fun really starts.
I hand the lady the passports, at least I hand her mind and my daughters, the BF feels better if he is in charge of his own, so then we wait for him to get his passport out, and he does. He takes it out of his carry-on and passes it to the agent. Who then says “no you have to take it out of the holder” so BF takes the passport out of the holder and passes it to the agent. Now the agent swipes it, checks us in and hands back the three passports to me and says, you will need to keep these handy. Then before we can move, BF asks for his back. I think ok and pass it back, and then he proceeds to put it back in the holder and then the holder back in his carry on bag and zips it up. So finally we get moving, all of 30 ft, where we come to the next check. And again, two passports followed by Bf opening the carry on, taking out the holder, trying to pass the security guy the holder, being told “no, you have to take it out” then taking the passport out of the holder and then handing it to the agent, who again passes me all three. And says you will need these again inside. And again Bf wants his back. (Can you guess what is coming next?) You guessed it! That’s right folks the passport goes back in to the holder, than the carry on is opened, the passport goes in the carry-on ant the carry on gets reclosed. Six passport checks. Six, and every time it was exactly the same.
Now in retrospect, this is funny I do get that, but during the screening process? Not so funny. And besides, I general find it wise not to make the airport screeners unhappy, they are the ones who can decide that you get to miss your flight. (And it is not like this should be a new process for him; he has flown before, last year in fact.) As if all the passport fun wasn’t enough, BF just couldn’t seem to get the physical screening part.
Let’s see if I can sum this part up for you, In the interest of brevity, I will just list the screener’s comments:
“Sir you need to remove your shoes first”
“Sir your shoes, need to X-rayed first before you can put them back on”
“Sir you need to remove your belt”
“Sir the belt needs to go in the tray”
“Did you empty your pockets?”
“Back up, are you wearing a watch?”
“Put the watch in the tray, and try again”
“Don’t touch the sides of the machine, Try again”
“Do you have anything in your pockets? Put it in a tray”
“Don’t touch the sides of the machine, Try again”
“Don’t touch the sides of the machine, Try again”
“Have a nice flight”
So I think maybe next time, I’ll just meet him at the ship.
Now first let me say I love my boyfriend and I can’t imagine life without him, that he is the dearest kindest, most supportive, patient guy in the whole world, and I have no idea what I did to deserve him.
All that being said OMG! Next time I swear I am going to ask him to meet us at the cruise ship because traveling through the airport with him is an exercise in frustration. You know how when you travel, there is always “that guy” ahead of you that makes you want to pull your hair out, the one you look at and think “for Christ sakes buddy, get it together. Come on!”
My boyfriend, he’s “that Guy”.
Ok, hang on, let me back up… For those of you who have been living under rocks for the last decade or so, airport security is a pain, you are required to submit to screenings, to remove your shoes, and your belts, to having your bags x-rayed, and if you are flying into the States from another country you will need to show your passport at least three or four times sometimes more
In light of all of these security measures that may or may not actually help keep the flying public safe, (the jury is still out on that one), Passengers on international flights are asked to arrive at the airport three hours before their flight. Ok I can handle that. So for my 10:30 am flight I need to be there around 7:30 in the morning. So I drive the hour to the boyfriends the night before and spend the night so his family can drive us in the morning. They are only 20 minutes from the airport so great I can leave at 7:00 am. Get a good nights rest and have and easy start to the trip right? Wrong. The BF turns into paranoia guy and thinks we should leave at 6 am. To which I reply “No, I will leave no earlier than quarter to seven, I would prefer to leave at 7:15 but I will compromise and we can leave at 7:00”
So we get that part worked out, (after I pointed out that the check in counter doesn’t even open until 7:30) and we get to the airport at 7:32. So I think great, we are away to the races. But wait, I spoke to soon. Now to be fair I packed a lot, for me and my daughter there are two LARGE suitcases, two of the largest carry-ons permissible and a small carry on (the BF has one suitcase and one small carry-on) and I figure that I will get a cart, but no, paranoia guy thinks that we should just do it ourselves and I figure that is not worth the fight but then, once we are in line he does nothing to help move any of the luggage I am left to move most of it myself as my daughter is still to small to really be of much help. And so we are standing in line, we step up to the ticket counter to check in and that’s when the fun really starts.
I hand the lady the passports, at least I hand her mind and my daughters, the BF feels better if he is in charge of his own, so then we wait for him to get his passport out, and he does. He takes it out of his carry-on and passes it to the agent. Who then says “no you have to take it out of the holder” so BF takes the passport out of the holder and passes it to the agent. Now the agent swipes it, checks us in and hands back the three passports to me and says, you will need to keep these handy. Then before we can move, BF asks for his back. I think ok and pass it back, and then he proceeds to put it back in the holder and then the holder back in his carry on bag and zips it up. So finally we get moving, all of 30 ft, where we come to the next check. And again, two passports followed by Bf opening the carry on, taking out the holder, trying to pass the security guy the holder, being told “no, you have to take it out” then taking the passport out of the holder and then handing it to the agent, who again passes me all three. And says you will need these again inside. And again Bf wants his back. (Can you guess what is coming next?) You guessed it! That’s right folks the passport goes back in to the holder, than the carry on is opened, the passport goes in the carry-on ant the carry on gets reclosed. Six passport checks. Six, and every time it was exactly the same.
Now in retrospect, this is funny I do get that, but during the screening process? Not so funny. And besides, I general find it wise not to make the airport screeners unhappy, they are the ones who can decide that you get to miss your flight. (And it is not like this should be a new process for him; he has flown before, last year in fact.) As if all the passport fun wasn’t enough, BF just couldn’t seem to get the physical screening part.
Let’s see if I can sum this part up for you, In the interest of brevity, I will just list the screener’s comments:
“Sir you need to remove your shoes first”
“Sir your shoes, need to X-rayed first before you can put them back on”
“Sir you need to remove your belt”
“Sir the belt needs to go in the tray”
“Did you empty your pockets?”
“Back up, are you wearing a watch?”
“Put the watch in the tray, and try again”
“Don’t touch the sides of the machine, Try again”
“Do you have anything in your pockets? Put it in a tray”
“Don’t touch the sides of the machine, Try again”
“Don’t touch the sides of the machine, Try again”
“Have a nice flight”
So I think maybe next time, I’ll just meet him at the ship.
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This Blog contains real words, detailed descriptions, and raw content. Please be aware that some people may find certain elements disturbing or triggering. I urge you to be mindful of that fact, and proceed with caution
