We started back to the States on Saturday, June 23.
We had a hard time getting back to the States just like we had a hard time getting to Mexico. We arrived in Houston with what we thought was plenty of time to get to our next flight. Most of us got through immigration control with no problem although the lines were long. But when we gathered ourselves past the lines one of us was missing.
Brandi is a Canadian citizen, and something about her documentation had caused the officials to detain her for questioning. After we waited for a while, Chase decided to wait on her and send the rest of us on to customs.
Before proceeding to customs we had to retrieve our checked luggage.
At customs again, the lines were long.
We split into several smaller groups, and the lines were not moving at the same pace. So we got split up.
Beyond customs we had to check our bags again, but there was no one there to take the bags. We were forced to leave our bags in long rows of unattended baggage (so much for security).
So then we thought we were on our way, but we were missing two of us, Jim and Catherine. They had been delayed in customs because they had forgotten that they had a few pieces of fruit in their carry-on baggage.
After retrieving Jim and Catherine we got to wait in another very long line to go through security again. This time I got the special treatment. I had a ton of stuff to take out of my pockets, a laptop computer to take out, shoes to take off, etc., and the person behind me was impatient. He shoved the security containers down the conveyor, and my stuff when flying all over the floor--change was going everywhere, my phone hit the floor and flew into pieces. I was less than thrilled. After I got most of my belongings retrieved from the floor, I proceeded to the metal detector--beep-beep! The gentleman asked me to check my pockets again. Then beep--beep! This time the gentleman led me to the plexiglass room beyond the metal detectors where I had the privilege of waiting for what seemed an eternity. Finally, a supervisor came to see what was happening with the trouble maker. Of course, by that time I was realizing that my watch was still on my arm and my belt (with a metal buckle) was still on my waste. The rest of the group was laughing at me but they were also realizing that we were close to missing our flight. I motioned them on knowing that I could take care of myself.
The security supervisor also found that I had a wrapper in my pocket that was foil lined. According to him, that was the main problem. Since I was already getting special attention, he searched my carryon bags by hand and found a bottle of picante sauce I had purchased at the airport in Mazatlan. I had to throw it out.
After being released from security, I realized that I had only a matter of minutes before the flight was scheduled to leave the gate, and I was across the airport from the concourse and gate that I needed. I ran to the bus, rode to the proper concourse, and took off running again to my gate. When I strolled onto the plane, the rest of the group applauded me with laughter, and only a few minutes later the door of the air plane was closed.
About this time we got a call from Chase saying that Brandi was still with the immigration officials, and they would not be able to make the flight.
To make a long story short, all of us but Brandi and Chase made it back to Knoxville on Saturday the 23rd but without our luggage.
Brandi and Chase made it back to Knoxville the next day along with our luggage (notice the empty luggage compartment in the picture above).
Flying in this post-911 world sure isn't what it used to be . . .
We had a hard time getting back to the States just like we had a hard time getting to Mexico. We arrived in Houston with what we thought was plenty of time to get to our next flight. Most of us got through immigration control with no problem although the lines were long. But when we gathered ourselves past the lines one of us was missing.
Brandi is a Canadian citizen, and something about her documentation had caused the officials to detain her for questioning. After we waited for a while, Chase decided to wait on her and send the rest of us on to customs.
Before proceeding to customs we had to retrieve our checked luggage.
At customs again, the lines were long.
We split into several smaller groups, and the lines were not moving at the same pace. So we got split up.Beyond customs we had to check our bags again, but there was no one there to take the bags. We were forced to leave our bags in long rows of unattended baggage (so much for security).
So then we thought we were on our way, but we were missing two of us, Jim and Catherine. They had been delayed in customs because they had forgotten that they had a few pieces of fruit in their carry-on baggage.
After retrieving Jim and Catherine we got to wait in another very long line to go through security again. This time I got the special treatment. I had a ton of stuff to take out of my pockets, a laptop computer to take out, shoes to take off, etc., and the person behind me was impatient. He shoved the security containers down the conveyor, and my stuff when flying all over the floor--change was going everywhere, my phone hit the floor and flew into pieces. I was less than thrilled. After I got most of my belongings retrieved from the floor, I proceeded to the metal detector--beep-beep! The gentleman asked me to check my pockets again. Then beep--beep! This time the gentleman led me to the plexiglass room beyond the metal detectors where I had the privilege of waiting for what seemed an eternity. Finally, a supervisor came to see what was happening with the trouble maker. Of course, by that time I was realizing that my watch was still on my arm and my belt (with a metal buckle) was still on my waste. The rest of the group was laughing at me but they were also realizing that we were close to missing our flight. I motioned them on knowing that I could take care of myself.
The security supervisor also found that I had a wrapper in my pocket that was foil lined. According to him, that was the main problem. Since I was already getting special attention, he searched my carryon bags by hand and found a bottle of picante sauce I had purchased at the airport in Mazatlan. I had to throw it out.
After being released from security, I realized that I had only a matter of minutes before the flight was scheduled to leave the gate, and I was across the airport from the concourse and gate that I needed. I ran to the bus, rode to the proper concourse, and took off running again to my gate. When I strolled onto the plane, the rest of the group applauded me with laughter, and only a few minutes later the door of the air plane was closed.
About this time we got a call from Chase saying that Brandi was still with the immigration officials, and they would not be able to make the flight.
To make a long story short, all of us but Brandi and Chase made it back to Knoxville on Saturday the 23rd but without our luggage.
Brandi and Chase made it back to Knoxville the next day along with our luggage (notice the empty luggage compartment in the picture above).Flying in this post-911 world sure isn't what it used to be . . .
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