30. The End – Flight Back to Toronto
We
left Bad Homburg around 11 AM for the 5.15 PM flight. So we had plenty of time.
But,
we needed to find the Budget Car return, turn the car back in, all of that went
without a problem. I gave the guy who checked the car in, looked it over for
dents, scratches, etc., the fan we had bought weeks earlier.
He
was happy to get a new fan, I told him it works great. He smiled and just
nodded.
Knowing
the huge distances at FRA airport we had arranged some pickups here and there,
to be transported, rather than walk miles inside the terminal.
Our
check-in for the luggage was fine, no issues.
But
then, when we had to go through security they found something in my carry-on
bag. Carol was fine but they wanted to check my bag. OK, help yourself!
But
before me there was another bag they had to check first.
It
took forever! But finally it was my
turn.
The
guy put on his rubber gloves and then went to work, opening each
zipper, feeling inside for something. I asked him what he was looking for but
he did not answer me. A male and a female police officer showed up, both were
armed, hands on their holsters. I just stood and waited.
The
searcher is still feeling, prodding, looking for something. Again, I asked him,
what are you looking for? No answer.
Meanwhile
our ‘ride’ has arrived; we need to get on to the shuttle. Carol came and told
me, we need to catch the shuttle or it will leave without us. Right! Like I can
do anything about that!
So
I told this searcher, “Look, let me help you, let me give you from the bag what
you need”. He got a bit indignant then, and put my bag back into the x-ray
machine. The police personnel just stood there, keeping a watch on me.
I
got more indignant, telling this searching guy to stop being such a stuck-up
guy and let me help. Ah, big mistake!
The male police (man?) about 19 years old, told me if I don’t shut up he
will throw me out of the terminal. Guide me to the parking lot and I will be
banned from the airport. Ok, I shut up, but if looks could kill, he would be
dead by now.
Finally,
the searcher found a Gerber foldable all-in-one tool I forgot I had in the bag.
Ah, they showed it to me, saying it is against the law of the European Union to
have such a thing. I told him it’s a foldable, in case of emergency, tool. He
was not happy that I was not impressed that he had found it. So he searched
some more, he found toothpaste I had in my ditty bag. Half used, of course, but
he said the toothpaste was too big, European Union rules say it must be a small
or medium size, my toothpaste tube was too big. Ok, keep it! I told him.
He
was not finished yet, he dug some more and found nail clippers. He confiscated
them, too. So I had now 3 items that were against the rules of the European
Union regulations, all neatly packed in my carry-on bag.
He
said do you want to keep this? I said, sure I like to keep these, but then he
said, I must go with those police folks to the parking lot and miss my flight.
Or,
they would keep those items and if ever I wanted them back I could fill out a
20-page form, pay a ransom fee for filing those forms, pay for the storage of
the used toothpaste and pick the whole 3 items up in the near future.
Or
I could just abandon those items and they would throw them in the trash. I
meant to say they could actually shove this stuff where the sun don’t shine but
I remembered Carol was waiting impatiently with her shuttle train ride to the
gate.
I
believe the whole procedure lasted almost 40 minutes.
German
Bureaucrats at their finest. Germany might be a nice country but their
laws, their obedience to uphold the smallest detail would drive me nuts.
Guess
I will stay an American… die an American…. Good riddance, Germany.
 |
| Waiting For Luggage - 2 HOURS! |
We
arrived in Toronto at 7.40 PM and the check in with Immigration was no problem.
We went to the baggage carousel and had to wait until our bags arrived.
We
waited and waited…. Canadians are polite, they don’t complain.
Finally
at 9.30 the first bags started popping up. Almost 2 hours to get our bags.
Shame
on you Pearson Airport! That is really, really a bad performance.
We
made it into the exit door around 10 PM Toronto time, or 4 AM German time.
It
was a long day, a long flight… I don’t like flying! But I said that already when we started this
blog.
See
you down the road!
