I worked for many years as a flight attendant. I cannot count how many airports I have been to. But I have never been to the Logan Airport of Boston. I imagine it is just as modern and hi-tech as the other US airports. What has always bothered me then is why non-passengers are allowed at the boarding gates. (Though not anymore, I heard). In most, if not all, airports around the world that is a restricted security area.
When my son Nico was five years old, we flew to Florida. We were the last to disembark because he was busy collecting his toys from the floor. My cousin Atching Christine was meeting us. The last time she saw me, I was still single. She could not contain her excitement and wait any longer. She rushed inside the plane to get us. Though I was so thrilled to see her, I felt uneasy and wondered how she was able to sneak PAST security.
Our NAIA is the exact opposite. What seems like a whole barangay seeing off one kababayan cannot even get near the entrance of the departure area. In fact, we even have what I call "men sweepers." Have you seen them? They’re a sight to behold, especially at five in the morning! Some six to 10 guards in uniform, with their arms locked together forming a human chain (kapit bisig), "sweep" the rampway of people with their bodies and pushing them off to the end. What is amazing, give them another 15 minutes, they will march, sweep and "catch" again the same people. Manila, Manila, they keep coming back, Manila! Only in the Philippines!
Our flight to Bombay (now called Mumbai) arrived at dawn. A sleepy bemoustached customs officer was to examine our bags. Ahead of us was a passenger with a soft type suitcase with casters. The instant he put his suitcase on the table (KLANK!), the examiner nonchalantly swayed his head in a typical Indian manner and turned the bag on its side. Bending, he put his ear close to one wheel while tapping it with his fingers, listening intently. The passenger started to fidget with his hands. The officer swayed his head again and grabbed a funny looking tool. He peeled the black rubber caster and voila, a perfect round gold ball rolled to the floor! I was quite impressed! When it was my turn, I asked him how he knew. He said he instinctively knew something was amiss just by the sound of the casters hitting the table. So you see, don’t let those sleepy heads deceive you. Matitinik sila.
Once, there was this sensational drug bust in Hong Kong. An attractive bombshell of a woman had successfully passed the customs area. A male officer, who probably couldn’t keep his eyes off her, suddenly became suspicious and called her back. He sent her to the examiner’s room for his female colleagues to follow up. True to his instincts, she had drugs carefully concealed in her brassieres. Speaking of a drag bust (pun intended)! When interviewed by the press, he replied gesticulating like an Italian machismo expert, cupping both hands: "Breasts that big should juggle, and if they don’t, they must be padded."
Entering and exiting Tel Aviv is an unforgettable experience. Some questions can be very personal and embarrassing. Queries like if you slept with anyone the previous night; if you entertained a visitor in your hotel room; or if you befriended anyone while in Israel. And do not make the mistake of playing smart for you will surely regret it.
Never ever mention the word "bomb" in any airport or worse inside the plane. One passenger was trying to be funny and said he had a bomb in his suitcase. They turned his belongings upside down and inside out. Then, they turned on him and did the same thing. No matter how much he pleaded and said it was a joke. He was scared shit!
The September 11 tragic attacks have horrified many to paranoia. Is it safe to fly? People are wary of Arab sounding names and looks. In America, a captain refused to accept some passengers simply because he did not feel safe with them onboard. In Singapore, two Indian passengers bound for Hong Kong were detained when another passenger overheard one say that he is a "Bosnian terrorist." What the Indian actually had said was he is a bass guitarist.
But can we blame the passengers and crew for overreacting? Now, they are even talking of training crewmembers in martial arts and equipping the cockpit with firearms. Sounds more like going to war than embarking on a holiday to me.
In this "new war," even the military experts are baffled. Nobody seems to know how to end this. I wish this whole thing were just a badly scripted Hollywood disaster movie and will cut it with a deus ex machina. But since it is drama in real life still unfolding, we can only pray fervently for our only hope – a miracle.