On our recent flight back to
the United States ,
the Indian airport security made our American TSA experience seem like a speedy,
efficient, well-oiled machine. Due to the fact that Lou was pushing me in his
dad's transport wheelchair, we were directed to a different line. Everything
electronic had to be removed from our carry on bags - phones, tablets, cameras,
chargers, kindles, batteries, etc.
None of the metal detectors
were working or they just didn't feel like using them, not sure which. They
were wanding all the men. I stepped out of the wheelchair & was motioned into a small booth (not unlike the old voting booths) where a woman in traditional
burka clothing motioned for me to turn around. She ran her hands up & down
my body until she was convinced that I wasn't carrying anything that could blow
the plane out of the sky.
I made it out the other side
of the voting booth & Lou soon joined me. He had apparently passed the wand
test assuring a terrorist-free flight. Our experience had been that they would
get to the wheelchair when they felt like it, so we waited patiently using the
time to put all of our electronics back in our carry ons.
At this point one of the camouflage
clad agents held up my purse looking for the owner. I raised my hand & he communicated
that he needed to open it. I nodded as he unzipped it & began rummaging through the contents. He removed my wallet, sunglasses, quart bag of liquids & a few
other things. He took out my small makeup type bag that contains a few
medicines, bandaids, a mirror, lipstick, etc.
Finding nothing, he put it
back through the x-ray machine. Another camo agent checking the screen again
told him to search it. Once more, everything was removed & rummaged through
as I stood quietly by. I waited as he spread my dental floss, ibuprofen, panty
liners, lip balm & other assorted toiletries out on the table. About this
time I was beginning to think that maybe it was my corkscrew buried in the
bottom of the makeup bag. But I wasn't about to bring it to his attention.
Thirty years ago when I
started getting into wine, I vowed to never be without a corkscrew. I always
carry one with me. And it has come in handy many times. You really never know when you
will need to open a bottle of wine.
One time about 25 years ago,
my ex-husband & I were in Tahoe. We stepped into the elevator in Harvey 's to ride up to
our 20-whatever floor room. Two young men got on, also. They had grocery bags
with them & one pulled out a 2-liter bottle of wine. The other one started
giving him a hard time saying, "Why the hell did you buy that? How are you going to
open it?" I immediately scrounged around my purse & withdrew my
corkscrew saying, "Here ya go!" His smug look at his friend made me
smile as he opened his bottle of wine on the elevator ride.
But I digress. Back in Delhi at the security
table, after the third search, the camo guy pulled out my corkscrew, took it
apart, looked at it & asked what it was. I replied, "A corkscrew."
I have learned over the years not to volunteer too much information & give minimal answers. He
looked puzzled so I added, "It's to open wine bottles." Still
confused he took the offending "weapon" to a higher up camo guy. A
minute later he returned, put it back in my purse & sent us on our way to
the gate with no further explanation.
Apparently, we avoided an
international incident regarding the attempted smuggling of a sharp pointed, curly
cue corkscrew. A scenario flashed through my mind where I separated my
corkscrew from its holder, held it up & shouted, "Get back! I've got a
corkscrew & I'm not afraid to use it!"
Eventually they decided we
weren't hiding any explosives in the wheelchair either & we were finally on
our way. BUT upon arriving at the gate, we discovered yet another security screening.
Yep, all the electronics had to be taken out of the bags again, our shoes had
to come off this time & the wheelchair was searched again. Any water that
was purchased had to be discarded. HOWEVER, my corkscrew made it through with no
further issue!