my love of flying!
so I just booked another flight today so I can get back to dublin in time for a dentist appointment and the christmas party. I see far too much of dublin airport in this job!
Anyway - on my last trip back to dublin I was running a little late! It probably didn't help that i was sitting in a pub drinking beer with less than 2 hours before the flight took off (8.45 != 8.15 it seems!). thankfully the city had good public transport so I could still make.
quick dash back to the hotel to pick up my bag. hit the train station. where does one buy tickets? lots of ticket dispensing machines but none seem to do the right tickets! anyway - find a helper dude and get a ticket. grand - 1.25 hrs left to make the flight. get to the platform and a train arrives. nice! the train is wedged and there's no chance of getting on it. damn!
wait another 7 mins and another train arrives. no people on this one so i'm on my way. arrive at the airport's train station and suddenly realise there's 4-5 terminals, of which i have no idea which one i should be heading for. i go in a general direction (avoiding making a decision) and find a sign with a list of airlines. aer lingus - terminal 2 i think it was. time to get a shuttle. thankfully these were short shuttles and they ran every minute. hit the desk - 45 mins before the flight is due to depart. people still at desk. sorted!
well almost! first i have to get my check-in baggage screened by some security folk. grand stuff. bag goes through - security people get edgy. just great... so they trawl through my bag and finally decide that the battery pack for the labeller i have with me needs to be tested. girl arrives and takes some samples from with a cotton bud and i have to wait while she goes off to test whatever they've wiped off the battery pack (probably dust). 5 mins later and i'm given the all clear.
i check-in and the girl goes "you're boarding at gate X at 19.25 - oh wait - you better head straight there!" (it being 19.45!). so i head straight to the passport/security area and hit queues! passport check is fine. security involves queueing for 5mins and then i get to go through... until security get interested in my hand luggage too! "do you own a leatherman, sir?". *sigh*
so yeh - it turns out i forgot to through my leatherman into my checkin luggage. damn! am i going to lose it to security? not if i can help it!
so i plead to the security guy and he suggests that i might be able to pick it up on my next trip through the airport. further trips to this location are envisaged but i'd prefer not to loose it. i ask if i can check in my bag and leatherman. after some checking this seems to be possible and after filling out some forms i head to the gate with a security dude. check in my bag and i'm ready to board. sweet!
that's the only time i've a) been that late for a flight and b) had issues with security. hopefully it'll be the last time. :)
Anyway - on my last trip back to dublin I was running a little late! It probably didn't help that i was sitting in a pub drinking beer with less than 2 hours before the flight took off (8.45 != 8.15 it seems!). thankfully the city had good public transport so I could still make.
quick dash back to the hotel to pick up my bag. hit the train station. where does one buy tickets? lots of ticket dispensing machines but none seem to do the right tickets! anyway - find a helper dude and get a ticket. grand - 1.25 hrs left to make the flight. get to the platform and a train arrives. nice! the train is wedged and there's no chance of getting on it. damn!
wait another 7 mins and another train arrives. no people on this one so i'm on my way. arrive at the airport's train station and suddenly realise there's 4-5 terminals, of which i have no idea which one i should be heading for. i go in a general direction (avoiding making a decision) and find a sign with a list of airlines. aer lingus - terminal 2 i think it was. time to get a shuttle. thankfully these were short shuttles and they ran every minute. hit the desk - 45 mins before the flight is due to depart. people still at desk. sorted!
well almost! first i have to get my check-in baggage screened by some security folk. grand stuff. bag goes through - security people get edgy. just great... so they trawl through my bag and finally decide that the battery pack for the labeller i have with me needs to be tested. girl arrives and takes some samples from with a cotton bud and i have to wait while she goes off to test whatever they've wiped off the battery pack (probably dust). 5 mins later and i'm given the all clear.
i check-in and the girl goes "you're boarding at gate X at 19.25 - oh wait - you better head straight there!" (it being 19.45!). so i head straight to the passport/security area and hit queues! passport check is fine. security involves queueing for 5mins and then i get to go through... until security get interested in my hand luggage too! "do you own a leatherman, sir?". *sigh*
so yeh - it turns out i forgot to through my leatherman into my checkin luggage. damn! am i going to lose it to security? not if i can help it!
so i plead to the security guy and he suggests that i might be able to pick it up on my next trip through the airport. further trips to this location are envisaged but i'd prefer not to loose it. i ask if i can check in my bag and leatherman. after some checking this seems to be possible and after filling out some forms i head to the gate with a security dude. check in my bag and i'm ready to board. sweet!
that's the only time i've a) been that late for a flight and b) had issues with security. hopefully it'll be the last time. :)
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