Dear friends;
My wife and I just returned from a wonderful vacation in Cozumel Mexico. Nothing but scuba diving for a full 7 days.
For a week, I have been totally isolated from all news. No television, radio or newspapers were available. Actually, I have missed being able to talk with my German friends this last week.
On this website before I departed, a survey was conducted and asked a simple question:
Which country has the most freedom. Germany or the United States?
Before my vacation to Mexico, I had voted for the United States. I am now changing my vote.
Let me tell you about my vacation:
Americans are told to arrive at the airport 2 hours before the aircraft departure time. That is not a problem, so my wife and I arrived 2 hours early.
For the next hour, everyone stood in a line (que) waiting for the airline and security people to get ready for us.
Once everyone was ready, they started searching our luggage. Not random checks, but each and every one of us were searched.
My wife and I had all of our scuba equipment carefully packaged to protect this expensive equipment. Well the security people opened up our luggage and search every item. Seriously, they even opened up the clear plastic bags and searched inside of my clothing, to include each of my socks.
Looking for bombs is one thing, but searching my socks?
Now for the funny part:
I had purchased a very expensive vibrator (you know, the thing women love and it uses batteries?) for my wife and it arrived in the mail the day before we went to Mexico. She had not been able to test it, so I put it in my luggage.
My wife was absolutely horrified when they removed that vibrator from my luggage and questioned me about it.
Ok, so after 30 minutes of inspection, our luggage was allowed to be loaded on the airplane. Now, my wife and I must pass through another security station.
At this new security station, they pass a metal detector over your body. You must remove your shoes and stand there with your arms extended. Now my wife was in an auto accident a few years ago and her bones are held together with metal parts, so they detected metal on her body. Off she went for a very private strip search.
Eventually, my wife and I were allowed on the aircraft and we flew to Mexico.
Returning to America from Mexico:
Once again, we arrived at the airport 2 hours before the flight as required. And once again, we stood in line for 1 hour before anyone was ready for us.
Once again, each and every one of our bags was personally inspected. And yes, my wife blushed when that vibrator was looked at. This time, the security inspector was a girl and she blushed also. Actually, she was rather fascinated, since that was a very expensive $128 vibrator that does some rather interesting things. But I am off topic.
At 1930 hours (7:30 pm) the aircraft arrived from the United States. A security team boarded the aircraft after everyone departed and they certified that no bombs were on the aircraft.
Remember, only 30 minutes before, everyone was inspected. Now we all had to do it all over again. Yes, remove your shoes, stand with your arms extended as they check you all over.
Ok, now we are finally allowed to enter the airplane and we depart Cozumel and fly 15 minutes to Cancun Mexico.
Giggle, now get this! We must all exit the airplane so that it can be inspected for a bomb.
Once again, we spent another 30 minutes being personally inspected. Remove your shoes, have your body and luggage inspected.
Eventually, everyone is all back on the airplane and we can fly back to Minnesota in the United States. My wife and I arrived at the Cozumel airport at 1700 (5:00 pm) and it is now 2200 (10:00 pm) to travel a total distance of about 30 kilometers.
Can you guess what happened when we arrived in Minnesota (United States) round 0200 (2:00 am) in the morning? Yes, once again, our luggage and bodies had to be searched to insure we did not have any illegal drugs.
GRRRRRRRRRR!
My wife and I just returned from a wonderful vacation in Cozumel Mexico. Nothing but scuba diving for a full 7 days.
For a week, I have been totally isolated from all news. No television, radio or newspapers were available. Actually, I have missed being able to talk with my German friends this last week.
On this website before I departed, a survey was conducted and asked a simple question:
Which country has the most freedom. Germany or the United States?
Before my vacation to Mexico, I had voted for the United States. I am now changing my vote.
Let me tell you about my vacation:
Americans are told to arrive at the airport 2 hours before the aircraft departure time. That is not a problem, so my wife and I arrived 2 hours early.
For the next hour, everyone stood in a line (que) waiting for the airline and security people to get ready for us.
Once everyone was ready, they started searching our luggage. Not random checks, but each and every one of us were searched.
My wife and I had all of our scuba equipment carefully packaged to protect this expensive equipment. Well the security people opened up our luggage and search every item. Seriously, they even opened up the clear plastic bags and searched inside of my clothing, to include each of my socks.
Looking for bombs is one thing, but searching my socks?
Now for the funny part:
I had purchased a very expensive vibrator (you know, the thing women love and it uses batteries?) for my wife and it arrived in the mail the day before we went to Mexico. She had not been able to test it, so I put it in my luggage.
My wife was absolutely horrified when they removed that vibrator from my luggage and questioned me about it.
Ok, so after 30 minutes of inspection, our luggage was allowed to be loaded on the airplane. Now, my wife and I must pass through another security station.
At this new security station, they pass a metal detector over your body. You must remove your shoes and stand there with your arms extended. Now my wife was in an auto accident a few years ago and her bones are held together with metal parts, so they detected metal on her body. Off she went for a very private strip search.
Eventually, my wife and I were allowed on the aircraft and we flew to Mexico.
Returning to America from Mexico:
Once again, we arrived at the airport 2 hours before the flight as required. And once again, we stood in line for 1 hour before anyone was ready for us.
Once again, each and every one of our bags was personally inspected. And yes, my wife blushed when that vibrator was looked at. This time, the security inspector was a girl and she blushed also. Actually, she was rather fascinated, since that was a very expensive $128 vibrator that does some rather interesting things. But I am off topic.
At 1930 hours (7:30 pm) the aircraft arrived from the United States. A security team boarded the aircraft after everyone departed and they certified that no bombs were on the aircraft.
Remember, only 30 minutes before, everyone was inspected. Now we all had to do it all over again. Yes, remove your shoes, stand with your arms extended as they check you all over.
Ok, now we are finally allowed to enter the airplane and we depart Cozumel and fly 15 minutes to Cancun Mexico.
Giggle, now get this! We must all exit the airplane so that it can be inspected for a bomb.
Once again, we spent another 30 minutes being personally inspected. Remove your shoes, have your body and luggage inspected.
Eventually, everyone is all back on the airplane and we can fly back to Minnesota in the United States. My wife and I arrived at the Cozumel airport at 1700 (5:00 pm) and it is now 2200 (10:00 pm) to travel a total distance of about 30 kilometers.
Can you guess what happened when we arrived in Minnesota (United States) round 0200 (2:00 am) in the morning? Yes, once again, our luggage and bodies had to be searched to insure we did not have any illegal drugs.
GRRRRRRRRRR!
