So. I don't like travelling. I know this seems crazy, considering I've been to at least 8 countries in the past 5 years alone, but it's true, I really don't. I really like the part where I arrive at my destination, but the part that actually involves transit....not so much. Travelling always involves all kinds of stress: Will I make my connections? Will there be delays? Will someone steal my wallet/passport? Will I arrive in one piece? Will I be able to stay hydrated even though clean bathrooms aren't guaranteed? Of course, I've had plenty of uneventful trips, but just by sheer number of trips I've taken recently, you can bet I've had my fair share of mishaps.
And my trip back from England turned out to be one of those .... more eventful trips. The night before I left, I realized I couldn't find my wallet anywhere (it was in our rental car). On my train out of Bristol, I promptly "lost" my ticket, got off the train, spoke with (got grumped at by) a ticket agent and missed the train. Obviously, I found my ticket hidden between two receipts in my (not-lost) wallet a few moments after. I was able to take the next train (just a half hour later) and so I attempted to be om and zen and think good thoughts for a less-strenuous rest of my trip.
Alas, it was not to be. I got to the airport in London and was not surprised that my carry-on bag got marked aside for failing the x-ray test. I was carrying my mom's 30-year-old film camera, which has set off security in the past (the large lens is usually what does it). Now, the screening process in London is different from the US: your luggage goes through a machine and either passes through so you can recover it, or gets diverted to a separate table, where you wait for a security agent to pick it up and examine it. In addition to looking to see if you have oversize liquids, they have a piece of fabric attached to a special wand with which they probe your items. Then they place the piece of fabric into a machine to determine the threat.
Of course, there were about six people ahead of me whose luggage had to be searched, and unpacking and repacking is not an express process. When it was finally my turn, a good-humored security agent picked up my bag and hummed as she went through it. We had a nice chat about the copy of Glamour that I had in my bag, she had the same one - it came with a free bottle of conditioner, with which she was very pleased. At my advisory, she checked the camera first and it did not set off the machine. However, when she probed my iPod, it did set off the machine. She told me that she'd need to recheck it - standard protocol. No problem, I told her.
The second time, the machine went off again. The next step in the protocol was to call her supervisor to look at it. He arrived, they discussed the problem, and they informed me that the next step in protocol was to do a private search, as well as call The Authorities to check that my passport was in order. "No problem," I told them again - but this time I asked - "What exactly is going on? I understand that the machine has gone off twice and this is all just protocol, but - why did the machine go off?" "Your iPod has tested positive for a substance used in explosives", they explained. Ummmmm..............okay ?!
I went with another security agent for my private body search (nothing too invasive, I got to keep all my clothes on) and then made "casual conversation" (aka to see if I would get nervous) with the supervisor while he went through my bags again. He was satisfied (the third probe of my iPod did not yield any more alarms, neither did anything else I was carrying), so we were left to wait for The Authorities. The Authorities turned out to be two tall police officers carrying AK-47s.
The supervisor informed them he had followed all protocols, of course, and was satisfied that I did not pose an imminent threat. After a few minutes they too decided that I did not pose an imminent threat and could continue on my voyage. Luckily, that concluded the "excitement" of my journey and I made it on the plane, train, and bus back to my apartment with no further incidents.
Thanks for reading! Also, quick shout out to Kels, Ally, and Grandbobby - thanks for the snail mail!! I love you extra :)
xoxo
Samantha
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