Well, that was the vacation that was. Kevin is back home in California, and I am back in my little cottage, which seems a lot bigger now there is only me in it. I would still rather Kevin was here, though.
Of course these days any long-distance travel causes worries about security theatre. What would the “authorities” find to complain about this time? Kevin was understandably concerned. In his suitcase for his flight from San Francisco to London he had a “knife”, a “gun” and a “bomb”.
The knife was a very fine (and very sharp) cheese knife that he had got me for my birthday. The gun was the toy ray gun I use with my space pirate outfit (see my Twitter avatar). And the bomb was a Hugo trophy which, as we now know, can cause all sorts of trouble.
The TSA did not even open the suitcase.
And I caused a ruckus leaving because (a) I forgot to take off the belt clip that holds my pedometer, (b) the snaps in my belt are metal (this never has caused problems at US airports, although the bronze belt buckle has) and (c) there was metal in the buttons of my shirt (the same shirt I wore flying out of SFO). I apologize to the people slowed down behind me, but I also criticize Heathrow’s security theatre managers for bad queue management. At most US airports, I would have been shunted to secondary screening so that the no-trouble-move-along types could have kept moving. Instead, everyone behind me had to wait while they decided whether or not I would have to take off my shirt. I’ll try to remember to take my belt off completely, not just the belt buckle, the next time I go out through LHR.
I’m very glad to hear it went fairly smoothly (though Kevin is completely right about the queue system at H’row). And it was lovely to see you, albeit briefly.
Next time, just hide them in an empty printer cartridge. They appear to be the luggage equivalent of a stealth bomber.
I have taken a box cutter on twice by accident, once in my top pocket, where even a trained monkey could tell it was a box cutter. But no they had to break the nail file off my toe clippers( wtf ?)