Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Scare Tactics at the Airport

I don’t have even a week left before i spend 27 hours in flight, towards my destination - India! Guess what? I will be older by ten hours on reaching India. Talk of time travel heh....?? My worst come worst fears though is not 'age'; but airport delays causing missed connections, missed baggage etc. Having already faced ridiculous situation before I certainly am not keen on traveling via Chicago nor take an Air India flight (They are on time, especially when you dont want them to be).

Airport Security is traumatizing in itself. I had dwelled on the security measures in an earlier post.
The security personnel tend to ask questions which really test one's IQ. Tackling a GMAT examination question would be comparatively easier. Some of those questions are real tricky!! You need to keep a straight face while answering them plus an IQ level of atleast a 100.

For instance, you are standing in line to check in baggage. Obviously you have to screen it first, and just when you start loading your bag back in the cart; your worst fears come true, decibels bouncing of the ear drums - HE SPEAKS!! HE IN THE UNIFORM....!!!
"Sir, Is this your baggage?"

We tend to look down and around, the heart beats starts to flutter, followed by a stutter of gibberish...even though it’s obvious that we would be taking our bag!! Any particular reason why you would choose to load someone else's? But you still tend to make sure; the name tags are right. The BLUE band right across the handle bars. Ah. Confirmation; "Yes it is mine". Before you know it, the next sets of questions drop even a bigger bombshell.

"Sir, did you pack this bag yourself?"

"Do you know what the contents of your baggage are?"

At the point of time nervousness starts to show and a flurry of thoughts mix with the slurry in the brain, left brain starts accusing the right. It’s not like as though your neighbor’s servant packed your bag! Or did he/she?? It’s not wrong to cross out possibilities. This is about the only point of time when our ego doesn't come in the way and we tend to question our own actions. 'Did we pack right? Was there something inappropriate?.......?........?'

Fear Factor hence: I-ntelligent Q-uestions....Scare tactics employed at the Airport.

2 comments:

shilpa said...

haha that is funny!..it is a nerve wracking experience!..
Imagine this..I checked in one bag in Amsterdam..it did not arrive in Mumbai.I filled out the due forms.Under number of bags checked in I entered ..one.The guy at the counter still asked me how many bags had not made it...Hmmm buddy....half?

Nitin said...

yeah...i know, i often wonder whats the eligibility criteria to be a security personnel?? - ability to speak only and yeah probably act 'intelligent'?