On Sat, 17 May 2008 13:43:53 +0530, "grusl"
wrote:
>
>In all fairness, Alan, the Central Industrial Security Force, which runs
>airport security in India, is one of the most decent and hardworking of the
>disciplined forces in the country.
>
>CISF officers just enforce what rules they're told to enforce. Their working
>language is English and they can be very helpful people at unfamiliar
>airports, much more so than gate agents.
>
>I doubt there was a bribe involved. I've had "discussions" about a second
>laptop bag myself and eventually been let through. (Eventually I bought a
>padded cover and just pop the laptop into my carryon bag).
>
>Cheers,
>George W Russell
>Bangalore
George, I'll eventually be writing a separate blog entry on
Indira Ghandi Airport. It was a fascinating and frustrating
experience, both arriving and departing.
I understand where you are coming from, but you may no
longer be seeing the place from the eyes of a foreign
tourist. And bear in mind that for comparison on this last
trip I passed through two Aussie airports (OOL, SYD),
Bangkok, Siem Reap, Hong Kong, Delhi, Amman, Cairo,
Heathrow, Dulles, JFK, Can Cun, Merida, Mexico City, Dallas
and Honolulu. Some were a pain, some were effortless, but
DEL was in a class of it's own.
Here is just a brief description of my departure experience.
Arrived at 3:30 am for the 6:20 Royal Jordanian to Amman. At
that time I expected things to be quiet. Wrong. A large
crowd was milling about on the sidewalk outside the doors.
They were outside because I found that I needed my passport
and boarding pass just to enter the building. The sergeant
on the door had apparently not heard of e-tickets. So I
rummaged through my luggage until I found the email with my
Qantas itinerary on it. He begrudgingly let me in.
As I entered the door a guy appeared from nowhere and
grabbed the larger of my two bags, literally out of my
hands, and immediately threw it on a security x-ray scan
machine where it disappeared into the bowels of the scanner.
As it appeared at the other end a security man sealed a
plastic strip around it to indicate that it had been scanned
for checked baggage. I wasn't impressed because I had
intended taking both as carry-on; that had been OK on the
previous five flights. The security guy would not give the
bag to me but only to my helper who had put it in the
machine. He wouldn't give it back until some rupees appeared
in my hand.
I eventually found the Royal Jordanian desk, but only after
another unsolicited helper showed me where it was; for a
tip. There was a remarkable absence of signs, and the only
working TV displays in that area did not show Airline
counter locations. Maybe they do on other days...
I should mention that I'll be calling the blog entry on
India "Work in Progress". It's a fascinating country and I'm
very pleased I went, but the place is just chaotic. The only
airport I've ever arrived at with more stuff hanging from
the ceiling, more damaged walls and floors, and less things
working was Darwin when I arrived with the damage assessment
team after Cyclone Tracy. And every unfinished repair had a
"Work in Progress" sign on it. I never actually saw a
workman near one of those signs. Not in the airport, nor on
the roads nor in public buildings.
These are some photos I took to while away the time while
standing in queues:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alan_s/sets/72157604919289274/
OK, I've checked in at Royal Jordanian; she whisked that
second bag away on the conveyor as soon as she had my name
to make up a tag. It was only later that I realised that
she, and the first guy, had done me a favour. She told me to
go to immigration queue. But I was unaware that she missed a
very important point. She didn't give me a carry-on bag tag.
There was another sergeant, or maybe a corporal, checking
passport and boarding pass before you could enter the
immigration queue. It was set up with ribbons into one of
those "snake" affairs. The sort where you could slip the
ribbon out of a supporting post if necessary. Which is
exactly what the cop did about 40 minutes later when a VIP
of some sort arrived, showed his passport and a few hundred
rupees, and went to the front of the queue. No-one said a
word. I got through about twenty minutes later. It took me a
long time in the original queue to enter the country - but
even longer to leave it.
Then I went through another passport and boarding pass check
as I left immigration, to enter the queue for the gate
lounge security scan and carry-on check. That was when I saw
the "Only One Carry-on Bag Allowed" sign and silently
thanked the people who sent my other bag to be checked.
Eventually, I reached the sergeant at the front of the
queue. That was after the laptop incident I referred to. The
sergeant became agitated and would not let me pass. He spoke
no English. The English tourist behind me told me that he
wanted to stamp the tag on my carry-on - and I had failed to
put a tag on the bag.
After a lot of discussion in mutually incomprehensible
languages a supervisor arrived and told me I must return to
the RJ counter to get a tag and go through the long
immigration queue again. I gave up arguing and headed off
and luckily found an RJ person who offered to go back and
get me a tag - but just then the English guy called me back
and said he could give me a BA tag. The sergeant accepted
that - with no name, no flight number, and the wrong
airline. All he wanted was a tag so he could stamp it. The
queue had moved so slowly that I had not lost my position.
When I finally queued to board the aircraft, another cop was
beside the flight stewards checking those carry-on tags. It
didn't matter that mine was blank and for a different
airline - it had a stamp! So I was allowed on board.
I have a vague feeling that I've missed one of the security
scans in that description; but I think you will understand
that I was immensely relieved when the plane took off for
Jordan with me on board.
If I visit India again, I may go by ship:-)
Cheers, Alan, Australia
--
http://loraltravel.blogspot.com/
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