London Gatwick and Easyjet.

[Wimse]

I arrived in London Gatwick on the 1.9.09. I was travelling to Biarritz the next morning and booked into an airport hotel.
Only carrying handluggage 43x35x18 cm) I'm allowed to go straight to Securitycontrol as late as 40 minutes prior to departure.
But I took no chances, arrived at 7.15 and had my boardingpass (7.18 am, issued on the boardingpass), went straight to the Securityzone witch is 15 steps away from Easyjets corner of the airport.
I was immediately denied access by a female security-attendent who must have had overearthly powers, because she could tell that my bag was too big. I was then made to wait for 15 min. untill an errin-boy arrived at the scenery to escort me outside the area, where I was asked to put my bag in an identical metalholder, which the lady at the desk just stopped me from doing.
And of course, it ******. I have been doing not much else than weighing and measuring all stuff for a 4 weeks pilgrimage by th St. James Road to Santiago de Compestella.
I was the escorted back to the securityzone, now deprived of 15 minutes.
I was then stopped in security, because the scanner showed a bottle of liquid somewhere in my bag.
No, it didnt! There was absulety no liquid in my bag, but still I had to watch while my makeup was smashed,expensive walkingclothes was thrown on the floor and walked on and they even took 3 mini tubes of toothpaste out of the ziplocked plasticbag, because one was enough for the trip! Objections from my side about being away for 4 weeks was ignored.
I was then dismissed, asked to leave the zone and check in my handbagage normally.
On my arrival to check in at 8.55 (You will have had to have been at securitycontrol in Gatwick to appreciate this.), check in was closed, and I stormed over to the Easyjet desk and desperately begged for help.
I had nothing to worry about..If only I chucked away my plasticbag with toiletries I wold get to the gate in time.
So I did!
Back in security, with a somewhat lighter bag, I was stopped again and grilled about my destination, lateness and why I was carrying so little luggage.
The securityintendant the contacted the Gate and asked if I still could manage to board the flight.
If I ran, I could make it..But I would have to run.
Gate 35 is situated furthest back at the departurelounge. I mist have looked a right idiot, running with walkingboots and backpag, and maybe I provided somebody with a cheap laughingfit.
From the distance I could tell, that I lost the flight.
The 2 flightattendents that sat and starred apathetic at me, blowing chewinggumbobbles, didnt even offer to escort me out of the area. By law they are obliged to. The departurehalls are made for departure. You dont just walk out again.
I walked around, crying, for the best part of an hour, untill at cleaninglady was so kind as to escort me to the desk in the heart of the departure-hell, from where the airport authorities was contacted.
A lovely young woman came and escorted me the long way back to the mainhall.
She told me that she specifically told the securityattendant NOT to send me to the gate since the gate had been closed.
So if the securityattendant DID indeed understand the information, one could get the thougt that he got even with me for answering back by knowing that he send me out on the run of my life.

The attempts to prevent terrorattacks has gone to far. The ones the authorities wants to protect - us - are the ones they are harressing.
The monsters we are trying to eliminate, is nurtured in the midst of ourselves by attitude and something that could look like contempt for man.

I believe that 99 % of flightpassenger are peaceloving, antiwar and non violent and just want to get from point A to B.
But you're not one of these things once you have been squezed through the Security-mill.

I am never travelling via London/Greatbritain again.