Aleksandra's Blog

from the Dead Sea that traveled in a special security box.

ended at the airport hotel. If I don’t count my previous visit just at the airport and transfer area two weeks earlier that would have been my first long-awaited (but this time completely forced on me) visit to this beautiful city.

Of course this is completely my fault. What was I thinking hoping that 1.5h is enough to change a plane. Unfortunately, my trip from a country described in previous posts was delayed due to the heavy traffic over Cyprus. My aircraft simply spent 1h15min at the gate loaded with luggage and passengers. My connecting flight was with Finnair. This Finnish company prefers to keep its reputation of not being late. This time they sacrificed me and my time by forcing me to take the next flight on the next day. Sure, my stay was sponsored by Finnair and many of you may say there’s no room for complaining. Seize the day! Go have a free sightseeing opportunity in Vienna. I guess I would have done it if it wasn’t 10pm and my next flight wouldn’t be next day in the morning.

Anyway, surely there should not be any problem staying overnight if you have your luggage and clean clothes, right? Wait a sec, but where was my luggage? Still in the country of my departure, you say? How splendid! Especially that it will not arrive to Finland on the same flight as me but, as it appeared later, on the next day after my arrival.

It took me two days to get home, my luggage traveled few hours longer. If Finnair would operate on that route the direct flight, it takes 4 hours, according to their information, to travel from point A to B.

I started to wonder what kind of treatment other numbers receive in that country. I understood already that one is the safest traveler so my  five made me a quite suspiciously looking person. In Vienna where I was waiting for my luggage after I found out  that I was forced to spend a night because my flight already left (another kind of story) I met a girl who was a number 6.

How’s different six from five? So a number six gets a room on its own to receive a very special treatment of every piece of items in the luggage being checked thoroughly. A special room far from public eyes allows a traveler also to receive a careful personal check of the body. There is an additional interrogation, checking pictures in the camera and so on. Additionally some more dangerous items end up in the security box like eye lenses liquid and a shampoo. And this all you may receive just because you went to the wrong part of the country during your stay.

This girl has been going away and back to this country several times and has got familiar with the number system. She informed me that no. 6 is just below the terrorist suspicion.

So tell me, my friends, what number did you receive on your way home?

On a daily basis people get labeled receiving not only their names but also series of numbers. We receive a number when going to a doctor, while standing in the post office queue or we are assigned a seat on a plane with a specific number. If one travels from a certain country in the Middle East*, receives also another kind of number. Mine was no. 5.

Security measures taken at the major airport in this country are known to many. Not only those that happen to be in this country. Its severeness is talked about in guide books, internet and in personal contacts. When arriving to the airport the first thing you encounter is a security check of all your belongings. It is then, during the first contact with the airport personnel that you’re assigned a number. A description of a number 5 is the following. You’re qualified for a check up of your all luggage, especially the main one, and it is done at the special counter in the departure hall. Security goes around the clothes, electronics, cosmetics and everything else with a special tool. They obviously search for unwanted and dangerous items. What kind of dangerous items one may have? For example I bought a box of mud from the Dead Sea that was originally packed by the company. This was qualified as a suspicious item. It was not however thrown away but placed in  a separate box provided by the security and later checked in as my second luggage. Its way to the aircraft is also different from other “traditional” luggage. I was told to take it to a special elevator where all suspicious items go. I did not know where it was so I had a pleasure to be escorted by the security. Nice. 😉

Number 5 gives also another treatment. It is a choice of a hand luggage security. There both a passport and a ticket are confiscated for the time of the check up (it happened to me for the first time), then all electronics including mobile phones, ipods and laptops have to be removed from a bag. Staff additionally uses the same tools detecting dangerous items as before. This time they check additionally shoes and passports.

All in all my passport was checked six times. But I need to add that the airport/security staff was very polite all the time.

* Originally I wanted to write where I was but I would like to go back there some time again and I’m afraid this post would make it more difficult. Although on the other hand I don’t think anyone really reads this blog.

Definitely not! My Summer starts with an academic first class visit to Israel. For almost two weeks I’ll be listening to lectures on political economy. I’ll be here:

http://www.as.huji.ac.il/schools/econ21/

Later some nature explorations are awaiting: mountains, forests and rivers. We may be even here: