AN INTERNATIONAL INCIDENT AVOIDED

Here is my slightly tongue-in-cheek account of passing through security at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, India.

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!