A Desert Rose
Simply Charming Elsewhere
- Joined
- Aug 16, 2002
- Posts
- 13,997
There is nothing like traveling to give one a good story.
I was in Canada last week. I had no problems leaving the states.
In my carry-on I had my laptop, a skein of yarn and a crochet hook. Since I can't smoke on the flight, I took my crocheting to keep me busy. Not one person took issue with this.
Coming back was an entirely different story.
I had my same carry-on with the same items. Those border people, who are not only not American but can hardly speak English, made me open my carry-on.
In hard to understand English, the little asian woman made me open my laptop and waved a magic wand over it. It was obviously just what it appeared to be.... a laptop. She failed miserably in magically making it anything malevolent. (I love alliteration.)
Oh my, but then she spied my yarn, 1/3 finished baby afghan and the hook. She rambled off something about this not being acceptable and that she had to get her manager and she rushed off with my stuff. Then a very middle eastern appearing manager comes back and gets right in my face about this.
He demanded to know what this (the afghan, yarn and hook) was. I explained twice that it was an afghan in progress... then, I realized he didn't know that English word so I changed to "It's a baby blanket, I am crocheting."
"Why did you not pack that in your checked bags?" he demanded to know.
"Because, I can't smoke. This gives me something to do on the plane," I explained, right back in his face.
And then.... he asked me again.
"Look sir, if it's in my bags, how do I crochet when I cannot smoke?"
At that, he tossed my stuff onto the counter, threw up his hands and walked away. I am now thinking, what did that mean? Do I get to take my things or what?
So I ask the small asian woman, "What did that mean? Do I get to take my things or what?"
She said "You should have packed this in your checked bags."
I said "Look if it's a big deal, keep the crochet hook."
"Oh no. It's not the hook," she said, with a very asian accent, as she held up the skein of baby yarn. "Tie up and subduuuue, with this."
I was stunned. And then I laughed. I am 61 inches tall and I weigh... well, not that much. Certainly, no bigger than she was. It was all just too funny.
In the end, I did get to take my crocheting with me.
I was in Canada last week. I had no problems leaving the states.
In my carry-on I had my laptop, a skein of yarn and a crochet hook. Since I can't smoke on the flight, I took my crocheting to keep me busy. Not one person took issue with this.
Coming back was an entirely different story.
I had my same carry-on with the same items. Those border people, who are not only not American but can hardly speak English, made me open my carry-on.
In hard to understand English, the little asian woman made me open my laptop and waved a magic wand over it. It was obviously just what it appeared to be.... a laptop. She failed miserably in magically making it anything malevolent. (I love alliteration.)
Oh my, but then she spied my yarn, 1/3 finished baby afghan and the hook. She rambled off something about this not being acceptable and that she had to get her manager and she rushed off with my stuff. Then a very middle eastern appearing manager comes back and gets right in my face about this.
He demanded to know what this (the afghan, yarn and hook) was. I explained twice that it was an afghan in progress... then, I realized he didn't know that English word so I changed to "It's a baby blanket, I am crocheting."
"Why did you not pack that in your checked bags?" he demanded to know.
"Because, I can't smoke. This gives me something to do on the plane," I explained, right back in his face.
And then.... he asked me again.
"Look sir, if it's in my bags, how do I crochet when I cannot smoke?"
At that, he tossed my stuff onto the counter, threw up his hands and walked away. I am now thinking, what did that mean? Do I get to take my things or what?
So I ask the small asian woman, "What did that mean? Do I get to take my things or what?"
She said "You should have packed this in your checked bags."
I said "Look if it's a big deal, keep the crochet hook."
"Oh no. It's not the hook," she said, with a very asian accent, as she held up the skein of baby yarn. "Tie up and subduuuue, with this."
I was stunned. And then I laughed. I am 61 inches tall and I weigh... well, not that much. Certainly, no bigger than she was. It was all just too funny.
In the end, I did get to take my crocheting with me.
