18 June 2001
I have spent the past week wearing jeans that are just a bit snug for comfort. In the kind of way where the denim takes a good grip on your particulars and says "If you squirm, this is going to hurt". The reason for this is that I discovered a hole in the right pocket of my baggy blue jeans. No big deal, you'd think, only I'm a creature of habit and always even unconsciously, put spare change into my right pocket. However, the hole wasn't so big that change would fall out until this one incident...
I was running late for a plane I was supposed to catch to spend the weekend with Pixel, I had managed to get bumped from the plane I missed to the next one and was told I would have to run for the plane. Thanking the lady profusely I ran to the x-ray machine bit, and noted that a pair of the well-armed airport security guards were nearby, their mp5 machine guns slung over their shoulders, pistols in holsters.
Should that make any difference? No, none at all, nor should the fact my pocket was bulging with coins of all denominations. I had been running up until the x-ray machine and when I arrived I was hot and out of breath. I stopped and every coin in my pocket leapt through the hole, rolled down my trouser leg and into my shoe. I yelped at the cold metal rolling over my skin and hopped back a pace as the coins rearranged themselves in my shoe.
click
I'd never heard the safety catch being taken off an mp5 in real life before.
My eyes probably lit up and I bent down behind the baggage x-ray machine and started grabbing at my shoe. I had moved out of the view of the two armed guards and they quickly moved to flanking positions either side of me.
click
That made both machine guns ready to fire.
I pulled off my shoe and stood up again. The man who helps put your bags onto the conveyor belt watched me pour the coins out of my shoe into my hand and he and the two guards relaxed again before the guy said to me;
"Coins won't set this off, mate. Just keys."
No comments yet.
... the online home and (not very) alter(ed)-ego of Ann McMeekin, a recently freelance Web Accessibility Consultant.
... passionate about many things, most of which will turn up on this site at some time or other.
... contactable via email.
Design and content copyright 2000-2007 pixeldiva, except where noted.
Copyright of comments remains with the individual author.
All rights reserved.
Left comments