Long, slow ride

What a mess! We flew into a particular international airport late Monday afternoon. Arrived on time, in fact a little early. And that was nice. Kind of went down hill from there though.

You know when you leave another airport on an international flight, i.e. London-Gatwick, you and your luggage go through Immigration and Customs. You and your luggage are checked quite thoroughly. You and your luggage get on a direct flight. No lay-overs. No getting off the plane, not even if the baby behind you is screeching all the way from the U.K to the U.S. of A. Nope, that's why it is called a "direct flight." So why in the hell do you have to go through so much hassle when you get to the other end; i.e., especially this particular airport?

I'm not talking about Immigration. Although, I felt for the Brits having to go through the eye and finger exams. We all had to stand in long-ass lines (queues). In that respect we were all in the same boat. The Brits' oars were just a little bit heavier, but we were paddling up the same river. What I am talking about is Customs.

After Immigration we all trotted off to Customs pick up our luggage. No problems there. It wasn't until you were trying to get through to your loved ones. We got stopped again. Had to get our luggage inspected...again. Where pray tell, could we manage to stash something or someone in our luggage from the time the luggage left London-Gatwick to this airport. [sigh]

I realize that security is tight. And I know why security is tight; however, if it occurred to me that perhaps the U.S. of A. (at least the folks at this airport) don't trust the folks in the U.K. (the folks at LGW), then what kind of impression is it sending to the tourists coming from the U.K. Do the people at this particular airport really think that the people at LGW would really allow anything or anyone to be snuck through onto our shores?

Geesh, give me a break. I don't feel any safer or less safe, for that matter, after passing through the doors of this airport and their inspections than I do after leaving LGW. I just feel like I have to apologize to all Brits who go through this airport for the inconvience that we all have to go through.

And guess what...it only took two hours to get through. Two hours. So, you might be thinking that this particular airport is out of Washington, D. C.; right? No, and it's not out of L.A.; Atlanta; Dallas-Fort Worth; nor Orlando; not even Chicago. It's Raleigh-Durham. That's right. Raleigh. As in North Carolina.

And have I mentioned it's hot here?