Aug 17
We awoke this morning in our shady little sleeping quarters at 2:00am. We walked back to Josan Uncle’s place in a zombie state and packed our things and headed out to the airport. Let the gong show begin.
We waited in a long line for more than an hour just waiting for the check-in counter to open. It was here that they told us we would not be allowed to take any hand luggage on the plane. (If only we would have listened!) We had called Kuwait Airways yesterday and they said that we were allowed 5kg of hand luggage and electronics were ok, but no liquid items were allowed. After arguing with them, they let us take hand luggage like the many other people who were going through. I think they were just trying to get less people to have carry-on luggage.
Then we waited in line for immigration.
Then we waited in line for security check. There was a lot of standing and waiting for it being 4:00am.
They frisked us thoroughly and then check our bags. They went into every pocket, zipper, and crease of the carry-ons. They pulled everything out. We watched as they took away handfuls of items from different people. Medication, makeup, food, any liquids… pretty much anything they felt like. We had been very careful about not packing anything questionable. And yes, I remembered to pack Pepto in the large bag. He surely would have been taken away, and I think there may have been some anger released and I may not have been able to leave
They took all my batteries! I had just bought 2 packs of new batteries and had them in that bag. I didn’t know they would be a problem, but he took them all! Then he made me open my camera and flashlight and give him the batteries from them. It was 14 batteries in total. Potlickers. Zab had his new bottle of advil taken, and his mother had all of her prescription medication taken away except 1 or 2 pills. They didn’t think she needed so many. After sending Zab from place to place to get his ticket stamped and re-stamped, and re-stamped, we finally made it out of security and into the waiting area by the gate. As we sat and waited for a few more hours, we watched the security guards after the flow of travelers through the security check stopped. They were looking at the massive pile of goods they just took from all of us, and they were pointing at them and then bending over and reaching in. It looked to us like they were claiming items and then taking them! This may not have been what was happening, but it did annoy me to think that someone just got my brand new batteries and I had to go buy more.
Nearly 2 hours of waiting at the gate and they finally called us to board, but here we found ourselves in YET ANOTHER LINE! To our amazement the Kuwait Airways security was conducting another security check right before going through the aerobridge and entering the airplane. They made us pull out all the items in our bags again. This time the man pulled out my cliff bar and asked me what it was. I tried to explain that it was an energy bar that athletes and active people eat when they need a quick meal. It was peanut butter flavor, and it looks and tastes really good. Zab and Julie have both tried them, and love them. He took it away from me! I was not happy, so I asked him if I could eat it if they were going to take it from me, and he didn’t answer. The guard beside him laughed and said that I better eat it. I think my security guard just wanted to have it for himself. I had 5 more in my bag in a different pouch that he would have seen and didn’t take. Oh well, I was a little hungry then anyways and it tasted good.
We were finally seated on the plane and we took off. It was well over 2 hours late. We slept and read for the 3 hour flight.
Once we landed in
We got out bags and walked out into the meeting area to look for Zab’s father.
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