Category: Travel

[This post originally appeared in Dullicious, where I blogged as Barbie-dull for several years.]

I missed my flight tonight. Now I’m writing this entry from the plane, which is a sure sign that things went well in the end. The flight was delayed. I was thankful for that. I have run all day, I was hardly ready to go at the scheduled time. I could have made it, it’s just that seeing the flight had a 25 minute delay, I left 25 minutes later than I intended.

Now the thing is that hold luggage should be checked in at the initially scheduled time. So the guy could not send my luggage in time. He asked if I had scissors or knives. Yes, I have a pair of scissors. I also had two smallish suitcases and a bag full of toiletries. The guy at the AF desk was almost willing to send me on the plane with all of my luggage. I said I couldn’t afford to lose them and would rather wait hours to be on a later flight than risk losing them to leave on time.

So he managed to book me on the next flight. It turned out I had to run because it was boarding pretty soon. He checked in my two suitcases and sent me with my bag full of toiletries and a pair of scissors. Sharp and pointy scissors. I thought the x-ray guys would stop me, look at me reproachfully, search for the scissors and take them from me.

Not at all. I also smuggled my entire collection of cigarette lighters and two matchbooks. That was for a Nice – Paris Orly flight. I don’t expect to smuggle these on the London Heathrow – Boston flight.

Update: I *did* smuggle them on the London – Boston flight too.