Rain, Snow, Cold, and Other Annoyances

Up at 5 AM so I could shower before checking out of hotel at 5:45. We wanted to catch an early AirCoach to Dublin Airport. It was raining when we left so we covered our suitcases with bags we brought and walked to the bus stop. While waiting, a taxi van stopped and asked if we were planning to take the bus. He said he'd charge the same 8 Euros so we decided to go with him. He picked up 3 other people so did quite well for that trip. We arrived at airport in 20 minutes compared to 45-55 minutes by AirCoach.

I had already printed boarding passes but we checked in anyway for passport check. On to security which is usually quite simple for us. NOT THIS TIME. The inspector had Steve open his small bag and started looking. Emptying it all into the bin, they ran it through again and insisted he couldn't take his tool card because it had "blades" and "points"! This same tool card had passed through many airports, and met all US restrictions, except for the little knife blade, which Steve leaves out on travels. But they confiscated a tiny scissors, two mini-screwdrivers (each about 1" and only good for eyeglasses and such), a sewing needle, and, most absurdly, a pen! Steve started to argue that none of these posed any threat, were hardly big or sharp enough to do any harm, and met all US standards, which now are slightly less paranoid than just after 9-11, and so allow any tools under 4", including scissors. He asked to see a supervisor, who never actually answered his logical questions, but used Irish blarney to say the inspector was only following orders, that the rules covered ANY "points" of any size. "But it's a PEN!" Steve insisted. (Actually, more like a pen refill, that's slim enough to fit in the card.) Before Steve could ask if they actually confiscate every pen or pencil anyone brings along (certainly more than half of all passengers), or every brooch, badge, safety pin on diapers, etc.), or ask to see a HIGHER supervisor to show the exact rules that let them arbitrarily take such non-dangerous items, he thought better of making a scene (one of the other inspectors had already asked him to not raise his voice, after his frustration with the absurd stupidity of it all seemed to get him nowhere that otherwise would have in a world of actual logic and common sense), because they could have taken him aside, detained him, or made him take apart his entire suitcase. We fumed about it all the way to the plane, that after all the nice people and days, this one silly bit of bureaucratic nonsense would make us never want to return to such a place with such stupid rules! Steve is still planning to write a letter of complaint to one of the Green ministers in charge of transportation to see if they can change the rules to be more sensible!

We walked to the departure gate area and sat down. Looked out the window and it was SNOWING. They had to deice all the planes before departure. Our gate was changed so we moved to a different area. The woman sitting next to me, from Long Island, was on her way to Scotland with two daughters and another girl for International Step Dancing competition. She said the girls starting the "sport" when they were 5 years old. Interesting. It was COLD sitting there and on the plane. I used my jacket for a barrier by the window. They served us a snack and then I slept the rest of the flight.