The Good, The Bad & The Ugly: Our first UK trip
Mar 7th 2007, 6:52 am
#16
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 9,066
Re: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly: Our first UK trip
They start flying Brisbane to Newcastle and back from September which should make a big differance for those of us from above Manchester. So I assume from your post you are not becoming a ping pong pom and you are still happy to be back in Aus?
We’ve just got back from our first trip back to England since emigrating and I thought I’d share some thoughts with you ….
I broke them up into the good, the bad and the ugly because …… well, I just wanted to really.
The Good: Seeing our family and friends again after so long was awesome. We’ve been in Australia for 20 months now and we’ve had visits from both our parents and 2 friends but have missed other rellies and those that can’t or won’t make the journey. We seem to have spent the last couple of weeks either taking people out or being taken out for lunch, dinner, elevenses, quarter-past-fourses …. That kind of thing. We spent a lot of time visitng people and catching up with gossip, as well as going out to some old haunts. You can’t really put a price on seeing people like these after such a long time – I’m talking about life-long friends and the like. Although we keep in touch with banter on email and the occaisional phone call, seeing them and buying them a beer (hmmmmmmm beeeeeeeeer ……..
I’l come to that in a minute) is priceless. Also seeing that they are all happy and well is good. You know how you speak to somebody and they tell you they are great but you never really know until you look them in the eyes. Some of our friends had some problems before we left and it’s good to be able to see that the problems are well and truly behind them.
I got to The Riverside for Boro v Reading and although it was far from the greatest game in the world, this was something else I had missed. I’ve always had Foxtel / Austar and see plenty of games in the early hours but you can’t beat being there. I was hoping to get to Newcastle v Boro too but couldn’t get a ticket
Beer …. A real pint of Guinness Actually if you want to get technical, I had a lot of real pints of Guinness. I’ve got used to drinking the fizzy stuff since landing here but it was still nice to drink some black gold – and various other real ales. The Guinness over here just doesn’t taste right. I keep trying it in different pubs but I’m always disappointed.
Other good things in short: Visiting our favourite Italian restaurant, bumping into an old school mate while ordering a parmo at the drunken end of a Saturday night, teaching my nephew how to play Aussie Rules (I bought him a ball and it hasn’t left his side since – he even slept with it), being centre of attention.
The Bad: Well being delayed at Brunei airport for 6 hours was the first. We had an 8-hour scheduled stop anyway so we went out for a tour of the city but when we got back to the airport, we found we’d been delayed. We were not really told what the problem was but through hearsay and rumour, I gather there was a problem with our plane, which was in Hong Kong at the time. The most disappointing thing is that we had a hotel room for the day and checked out to go back to our flight. The airline had known about the delay for 5 or 6 hours at this time and if they’d told us, we could have stayed in the room longer and got some kip. The hotel is owned by the airline so not knowing where we were couldn’t be used as an excuse The knock-on of this delay was missing our flight from Heathrow to Teesside and having to pay 300 quid to get to Manchester (or paying the same amount to get to Teesside but waiting a further 9 hours). I’ve written to the airline to get that money back as I think they should pay for their problems, not me.
Seeing how people haven’t changed much. I guess we shouldn’t expect them to really and like somebody said on here before: you’ve moved on and they haven’t. A prime example of this is when we arranged a Saturday night on the town, we met up in the same spot in the same pub at the same time as we always did. The only difference was that they turned up on time this time
Because I started a new job in December, I was struggling to get leave from work so we only ended up with just over 2 weeks in England. Like I said, we spent all that time visiting and being visited by family and friends. We wanted to get out and go to somewhere like Edinburgh for a couple of days but just didn’t have the time in the end.
More bad things in short: litter, traffic, miserable and downright rude people, the cost of eating out, the same old crap and the same old propaganda in the papers.
The Ugly: Oh boy, where do I start? After the flight delays we had encountered, by the time we had booked our new connecting flight and went to check in, we had been on the go for about 39 hours so were tired and couldn’t deal with hassle. So I had to use all my powers of calm when the jobsworths on the BMI desk insisted we re-pack our suitcases because although across 2 cases and 2 pieces of hand luggage we didn’t go over our total allowance, the 2 suitcases were a kilo or two each overweight. There was almost nothing in our hand luggage so like I said, we were OK overall but they insisted. So in the middle of Heathrow we’re trying to balance everything out – there’s clothers and presents all over the place. Weigh this case; no it’s 20.3; take some more out. Grrrr
We got checked in and carried on our way, determined to stay calm. We got to security and have to take our shoes off – grrrrrr – and then when they check one of our bags, we had re-packed some toiletries into it. They took those off us. Now I know people will say ‘well you know the rules’ and wag their fingers but we were very tired and stressed at this point so after grumbling at the woman, we were on our way again. Sat in the departure lounge I thought I’d just check my email over a coffee – a one-pound-ninety coffee by the way. And no, it wasn’t in a gold-plated cup. Anyway, after having free wi-fi in Darwin, Brunei and Dubai I assumed it would be the same here. Pah! Rip-off Britain is alive and well ….
This event was probably made worse by us being very tired but was bettered (worsened?) at Teesside airport on the way back out. We had booked to fly down to Heathrow on Sunday night and stay in a hotel to pick up our Australian flight early-ish Monday morning. So we arrived at Teesside having carefully weighed our bags so they weren’t an gram over the 20kg. We had bought some toiletries from Boots from a stand called ‘perfect for travel’. Seeing as we were staying in a hotel, Vanessa wanted some hair stuff, her own shampoo and shower gel, etc so had bought these little packets deliberately. Also we had some roll-on deodorant to apply during the long flights. As we checked in, the woman says “Do you have any liquids in quantities of more than 50ml in hand luggage?”. No we didn’t so seeing as that was the sum of her questioning on the subject, we assumed we’d be right. There are no signs up around the place offering any different advice so off we trotted through security. The machine buzzed as our bag went through and we were pulled to one side so somebody could check it. She stood there emptying pockets on to the counter and eventually started putting some things back. However, there was a lot of stuff she didn’t put back and eventually she turned to us and says “you can’t take this stuff on the plane”. It was mostly Vanessa’s cosmetics and some shower gel, shampoo, some of my after shave …. None of it was in quantities of more than 50ml but there it was, she took them away. We tried for an explanation but the best she could muster was ‘it doesn’t meet regulations’. Funny how we saw a woman on the plane later using the same brand and size of lipstick that Vanessa wasn’t allowed to bring on board. Consistancy, gotta love it. When we were flying out of Heathrow on Monday morning, they have huge signs all over saying what you can and can’t take and staff helping people re-pack their bags and giving out clear plastic bags for liquids. I was seriously pissed off with the attitude and lack of support and help at Teesside and have written to them to say so. I expect the respinse will be along the lines of “tough shit, you should have checked first” but actually their web site doesn’t mention any of this. I thought we were within our rights to take small quantities of liquids on board and most of what I’ve read since back this up, albeit with those liquids having to be in clear plastic bags. It would have been nice if somebody there had told us and helped us instead of just ‘stealing’ about 50 quid’s worth of gear off us.
More ugly stuff: A complete lack of customer service at one particular eaterie we went to, the new London congestion charge (although it doesn’t directly affect me I think it’s disgusting that the government uses this as a ‘solution’ to London’s traffic problems, instead of actually figuring out how to get people safely and quickly from A to B).
So there it is. Apologies again for the length of the post. I wanted to get it all off my chest, as it were! Somebody on here said that around the 18 month mark or first visit back there is usually something of a watershed moment when you will either realise what a stupid mistake you made and start making plans for a return or realise you wasted the preceeding years by not doing it sooner. We had the latter kind of realisation. We’ve settled here really well but the whole trip with confirmed it all. What with litter, chewing gum and dog shit all over the place, the lack of customer service and all the miserable people, the poor quality roads and traffic problems …… And then as if to confirm it all in one fell swoop on arriving in Darwin; it took us about 40 mins from getting off the plane, going through immigration and customs (with stuff to declare), getting our bags in a taxi and opening the front door of the apartment. On Sunday evening, we stood beside the baggage carousel in Heathrow for about the same length of time, just waiting for our cases from the Teesside flight. British people and British organisations are supposed to be so efficient and courteous, and the Australians so laid back they’re horizontal but the reality seems to be very different. It seems like hard work to get a smile out of customer facing people in England, let alone any kind of good service.
I’m very happy to be home
I broke them up into the good, the bad and the ugly because …… well, I just wanted to really.
The Good: Seeing our family and friends again after so long was awesome. We’ve been in Australia for 20 months now and we’ve had visits from both our parents and 2 friends but have missed other rellies and those that can’t or won’t make the journey. We seem to have spent the last couple of weeks either taking people out or being taken out for lunch, dinner, elevenses, quarter-past-fourses …. That kind of thing. We spent a lot of time visitng people and catching up with gossip, as well as going out to some old haunts. You can’t really put a price on seeing people like these after such a long time – I’m talking about life-long friends and the like. Although we keep in touch with banter on email and the occaisional phone call, seeing them and buying them a beer (hmmmmmmm beeeeeeeeer ……..
I’l come to that in a minute) is priceless. Also seeing that they are all happy and well is good. You know how you speak to somebody and they tell you they are great but you never really know until you look them in the eyes. Some of our friends had some problems before we left and it’s good to be able to see that the problems are well and truly behind them.I got to The Riverside for Boro v Reading and although it was far from the greatest game in the world, this was something else I had missed. I’ve always had Foxtel / Austar and see plenty of games in the early hours but you can’t beat being there. I was hoping to get to Newcastle v Boro too but couldn’t get a ticket
Beer …. A real pint of Guinness
Actually if you want to get technical, I had a lot of real pints of Guinness. I’ve got used to drinking the fizzy stuff since landing here but it was still nice to drink some black gold – and various other real ales. The Guinness over here just doesn’t taste right. I keep trying it in different pubs but I’m always disappointed.Other good things in short: Visiting our favourite Italian restaurant, bumping into an old school mate while ordering a parmo at the drunken end of a Saturday night, teaching my nephew how to play Aussie Rules (I bought him a ball and it hasn’t left his side since – he even slept with it), being centre of attention.
The Bad: Well being delayed at Brunei airport for 6 hours was the first. We had an 8-hour scheduled stop anyway so we went out for a tour of the city but when we got back to the airport, we found we’d been delayed. We were not really told what the problem was but through hearsay and rumour, I gather there was a problem with our plane, which was in Hong Kong at the time. The most disappointing thing is that we had a hotel room for the day and checked out to go back to our flight. The airline had known about the delay for 5 or 6 hours at this time and if they’d told us, we could have stayed in the room longer and got some kip. The hotel is owned by the airline so not knowing where we were couldn’t be used as an excuse The knock-on of this delay was missing our flight from Heathrow to Teesside and having to pay 300 quid to get to Manchester (or paying the same amount to get to Teesside but waiting a further 9 hours). I’ve written to the airline to get that money back as I think they should pay for their problems, not me.
Seeing how people haven’t changed much. I guess we shouldn’t expect them to really and like somebody said on here before: you’ve moved on and they haven’t. A prime example of this is when we arranged a Saturday night on the town, we met up in the same spot in the same pub at the same time as we always did. The only difference was that they turned up on time this time
Because I started a new job in December, I was struggling to get leave from work so we only ended up with just over 2 weeks in England. Like I said, we spent all that time visiting and being visited by family and friends. We wanted to get out and go to somewhere like Edinburgh for a couple of days but just didn’t have the time in the end.
More bad things in short: litter, traffic, miserable and downright rude people, the cost of eating out, the same old crap and the same old propaganda in the papers.
The Ugly: Oh boy, where do I start? After the flight delays we had encountered, by the time we had booked our new connecting flight and went to check in, we had been on the go for about 39 hours so were tired and couldn’t deal with hassle. So I had to use all my powers of calm when the jobsworths on the BMI desk insisted we re-pack our suitcases because although across 2 cases and 2 pieces of hand luggage we didn’t go over our total allowance, the 2 suitcases were a kilo or two each overweight. There was almost nothing in our hand luggage so like I said, we were OK overall but they insisted. So in the middle of Heathrow we’re trying to balance everything out – there’s clothers and presents all over the place. Weigh this case; no it’s 20.3; take some more out. Grrrr
We got checked in and carried on our way, determined to stay calm. We got to security and have to take our shoes off – grrrrrr – and then when they check one of our bags, we had re-packed some toiletries into it. They took those off us. Now I know people will say ‘well you know the rules’ and wag their fingers but we were very tired and stressed at this point so after grumbling at the woman, we were on our way again. Sat in the departure lounge I thought I’d just check my email over a coffee – a one-pound-ninety coffee by the way. And no, it wasn’t in a gold-plated cup. Anyway, after having free wi-fi in Darwin, Brunei and Dubai I assumed it would be the same here. Pah! Rip-off Britain is alive and well ….This event was probably made worse by us being very tired but was bettered (worsened?) at Teesside airport on the way back out. We had booked to fly down to Heathrow on Sunday night and stay in a hotel to pick up our Australian flight early-ish Monday morning. So we arrived at Teesside having carefully weighed our bags so they weren’t an gram over the 20kg. We had bought some toiletries from Boots from a stand called ‘perfect for travel’. Seeing as we were staying in a hotel, Vanessa wanted some hair stuff, her own shampoo and shower gel, etc so had bought these little packets deliberately. Also we had some roll-on deodorant to apply during the long flights. As we checked in, the woman says “Do you have any liquids in quantities of more than 50ml in hand luggage?”. No we didn’t so seeing as that was the sum of her questioning on the subject, we assumed we’d be right. There are no signs up around the place offering any different advice so off we trotted through security. The machine buzzed as our bag went through and we were pulled to one side so somebody could check it. She stood there emptying pockets on to the counter and eventually started putting some things back. However, there was a lot of stuff she didn’t put back and eventually she turned to us and says “you can’t take this stuff on the plane”. It was mostly Vanessa’s cosmetics and some shower gel, shampoo, some of my after shave …. None of it was in quantities of more than 50ml but there it was, she took them away. We tried for an explanation but the best she could muster was ‘it doesn’t meet regulations’. Funny how we saw a woman on the plane later using the same brand and size of lipstick that Vanessa wasn’t allowed to bring on board. Consistancy, gotta love it. When we were flying out of Heathrow on Monday morning, they have huge signs all over saying what you can and can’t take and staff helping people re-pack their bags and giving out clear plastic bags for liquids. I was seriously pissed off with the attitude and lack of support and help at Teesside and have written to them to say so. I expect the respinse will be along the lines of “tough shit, you should have checked first” but actually their web site doesn’t mention any of this. I thought we were within our rights to take small quantities of liquids on board and most of what I’ve read since back this up, albeit with those liquids having to be in clear plastic bags. It would have been nice if somebody there had told us and helped us instead of just ‘stealing’ about 50 quid’s worth of gear off us.
More ugly stuff: A complete lack of customer service at one particular eaterie we went to, the new London congestion charge (although it doesn’t directly affect me I think it’s disgusting that the government uses this as a ‘solution’ to London’s traffic problems, instead of actually figuring out how to get people safely and quickly from A to B).
So there it is. Apologies again for the length of the post. I wanted to get it all off my chest, as it were! Somebody on here said that around the 18 month mark or first visit back there is usually something of a watershed moment when you will either realise what a stupid mistake you made and start making plans for a return or realise you wasted the preceeding years by not doing it sooner. We had the latter kind of realisation. We’ve settled here really well but the whole trip with confirmed it all. What with litter, chewing gum and dog shit all over the place, the lack of customer service and all the miserable people, the poor quality roads and traffic problems …… And then as if to confirm it all in one fell swoop on arriving in Darwin; it took us about 40 mins from getting off the plane, going through immigration and customs (with stuff to declare), getting our bags in a taxi and opening the front door of the apartment. On Sunday evening, we stood beside the baggage carousel in Heathrow for about the same length of time, just waiting for our cases from the Teesside flight. British people and British organisations are supposed to be so efficient and courteous, and the Australians so laid back they’re horizontal but the reality seems to be very different. It seems like hard work to get a smile out of customer facing people in England, let alone any kind of good service.
I’m very happy to be home
Mar 7th 2007, 6:54 am
#17
Account Closed
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,630
Re: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly: Our first UK trip
Great post
Doesn't surprise me about the airport hassle - I am on a disciplinary at work (work for BA) because my small bottle of perfume fell out of the clear plastic bag and security found it
Anyway I digress, it's so nice to read an opinion on EVERYTHING like you said good, bad and ugly.
Doesn't surprise me about the airport hassle - I am on a disciplinary at work (work for BA) because my small bottle of perfume fell out of the clear plastic bag and security found it
Anyway I digress, it's so nice to read an opinion on EVERYTHING like you said good, bad and ugly.
Mar 7th 2007, 7:02 am
#18
What's happening dudes?
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2004
Location: Bayside Brisbane
Posts: 20,647
Re: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly: Our first UK trip
I'm certainly not going to be a PPP
I'm not sure we'll end our days in Darwin but I do think we will stay in Oz until the fat lady sings.
Mar 7th 2007, 7:05 am
#19
What's happening dudes?
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2004
Location: Bayside Brisbane
Posts: 20,647
Re: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly: Our first UK trip
Mar 7th 2007, 7:08 am
#20
Gutter Gob!!
Joined: Feb 2005
Location: Perth
Posts: 13,098
Re: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly: Our first UK trip
Great post
Doesn't surprise me about the airport hassle - I am on a disciplinary at work (work for BA) because my small bottle of perfume fell out of the clear plastic bag and security found it
Anyway I digress, it's so nice to read an opinion on EVERYTHING like you said good, bad and ugly.
Doesn't surprise me about the airport hassle - I am on a disciplinary at work (work for BA) because my small bottle of perfume fell out of the clear plastic bag and security found it
Anyway I digress, it's so nice to read an opinion on EVERYTHING like you said good, bad and ugly.
Mar 7th 2007, 7:11 am
#21
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 9,066
Re: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly: Our first UK trip
Royal Brunei? They do it now, albeit via Heathrow. You can go BNE - Brunei - DXB - LHR - NCL. A couple on our flight were going to Newcastle - they missed their connection too but at least it was with Brunei so they didn't have to re-arrange it themselves.
I'm certainly not going to be a PPP I'm not sure we'll end our days in Darwin but I do think we will stay in Oz until the fat lady sings.
I'm certainly not going to be a PPP
I'm not sure we'll end our days in Darwin but I do think we will stay in Oz until the fat lady sings.We sort of assume that even if we left Aus we would try somewhere else not UK, find the cheapest place in the world and move there as a rich person would be good.
Mar 7th 2007, 7:11 am
#22
Home and Happy
Joined: Dec 2002
Location: Keep true friends and puppets close, trust no-one else...
Posts: 93,814
Re: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly: Our first UK trip
Interesting reading - and interesting to compare. I have to say that when I was in the UK last month I was amazed at the service I got everywhere, helpful shop assistants, but not instrusive, helpful bar staff, even helpful car park attendants! Truly frightening as I wasn't expceting it. I had fab service from Qantas, no problem with Security at the airports, and came back so relaxed its untrue. Two days back in Australia and the heat plus the niggles of life and work and I was back on a heavy diet of Nurofen.
I waited two years for my first trip home, cos I'd heard about the 18 month watershed too....but here I am after nearly 4 years in Aus, and its still not home, I still don't feel I belong, and every trip to the UK makes me feel more alien in Australia.
Suppose it proves how different we all are, and no one country is right for everyone.
I waited two years for my first trip home, cos I'd heard about the 18 month watershed too....but here I am after nearly 4 years in Aus, and its still not home, I still don't feel I belong, and every trip to the UK makes me feel more alien in Australia.
Suppose it proves how different we all are, and no one country is right for everyone.
Mar 7th 2007, 7:21 am
#23
What's happening dudes?
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2004
Location: Bayside Brisbane
Posts: 20,647
Re: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly: Our first UK trip
Think the new Emirates one will be just a Dubi stop and/or possible Singapore for fuel. Don't think it's doing a Heathrow stop, could be totallllly wrong though as none of our family or friends have tested it out yet due to the start date.
We sort of assume that even if we left Aus we would try somewhere else not UK, find the cheapest place in the world and move there as a rich person would be good.
We sort of assume that even if we left Aus we would try somewhere else not UK, find the cheapest place in the world and move there as a rich person would be good.
On the way back was even better. We got off the plane and were told to go to gate 10. We got off at gate 10 and walked past the door for the departure lounge at the gate but had to go upstairs, walk for 150yds, go through security (the full monty, shoes off and all that), go downstairs, walk back another 150yds then back on the plane. What I thought was odd was that we had been security checked at Heathrow and only been on the plane since then so surely it would have been easier to let us straight into the lounge. We would have been in a secure zone all the way and save everyone the extra hassle.
Mar 7th 2007, 7:23 am
#24
forever hopeful
Joined: Mar 2005
Location: oh,i don't flippin know, why ask me
Posts: 1,879
Re: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly: Our first UK trip
Interesting reading - and interesting to compare. I have to say that when I was in the UK last month I was amazed at the service I got everywhere, helpful shop assistants, but not instrusive, helpful bar staff, even helpful car park attendants! Truly frightening as I wasn't expceting it. I had fab service from Qantas, no problem with Security at the airports, and came back so relaxed its untrue. Two days back in Australia and the heat plus the niggles of life and work and I was back on a heavy diet of Nurofen.
I waited two years for my first trip home, cos I'd heard about the 18 month watershed too....but here I am after nearly 4 years in Aus, and its still not home, I still don't feel I belong, and every trip to the UK makes me feel more alien in Australia.
Suppose it proves how different we all are, and no one country is right for everyone.
I waited two years for my first trip home, cos I'd heard about the 18 month watershed too....but here I am after nearly 4 years in Aus, and its still not home, I still don't feel I belong, and every trip to the UK makes me feel more alien in Australia.
Suppose it proves how different we all are, and no one country is right for everyone.
Oh Polly, i really feel for you, do you think it will ever get to stage where you just can't take it any longer, or is it a case of just accepting it for what it is?
whaterver it is i really hope you get happier soon.
could you not move somewhere else?
Mar 7th 2007, 7:24 am
#25
What's happening dudes?
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2004
Location: Bayside Brisbane
Posts: 20,647
Re: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly: Our first UK trip
Interesting reading - and interesting to compare. I have to say that when I was in the UK last month I was amazed at the service I got everywhere, helpful shop assistants, but not instrusive, helpful bar staff, even helpful car park attendants! Truly frightening as I wasn't expceting it. I had fab service from Qantas, no problem with Security at the airports, and came back so relaxed its untrue. Two days back in Australia and the heat plus the niggles of life and work and I was back on a heavy diet of Nurofen.
I waited two years for my first trip home, cos I'd heard about the 18 month watershed too....but here I am after nearly 4 years in Aus, and its still not home, I still don't feel I belong, and every trip to the UK makes me feel more alien in Australia.
Suppose it proves how different we all are, and no one country is right for everyone.
I waited two years for my first trip home, cos I'd heard about the 18 month watershed too....but here I am after nearly 4 years in Aus, and its still not home, I still don't feel I belong, and every trip to the UK makes me feel more alien in Australia.
Suppose it proves how different we all are, and no one country is right for everyone.
Mar 7th 2007, 7:55 am
#26
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 389
Re: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly: Our first UK trip
We had the same problems at Manchester Airport with th makeup etc, they took all my wifes expensive makeup off us and said we had to go out there and get a plastic bag, so I said I would and then he said he would still take it off us as hes seen it??!/?!??!
They also tried to take some teething gell off us until I pointed out my screaming 2 year old and said that if they dont give it us he will be like that for the rest of the airport time and on the plane, so he simply changed his mind and handed it back to us. So there is definitely leeway, god knows what happens to all those half used cosmetics though.
They also tried to take some teething gell off us until I pointed out my screaming 2 year old and said that if they dont give it us he will be like that for the rest of the airport time and on the plane, so he simply changed his mind and handed it back to us. So there is definitely leeway, god knows what happens to all those half used cosmetics though.
Mar 7th 2007, 7:58 am
#27
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Joined: Oct 2004
Location: Previously County Durham. ENGLAND. Now in Mornington, Victoria. (via Brisbane)
Posts: 1,226
Re: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly: Our first UK trip
Oh to go and watch the Boro and have a pint of (real) beer. HEAVEN
Mar 7th 2007, 7:59 am
#28
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Mar 7th 2007, 8:03 am
#29
What's happening dudes?
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2004
Location: Bayside Brisbane
Posts: 20,647
Re: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly: Our first UK trip
We had the same problems at Manchester Airport with th makeup etc, they took all my wifes expensive makeup off us and said we had to go out there and get a plastic bag, so I said I would and then he said he would still take it off us as hes seen it??!/?!??!
They also tried to take some teething gell off us until I pointed out my screaming 2 year old and said that if they dont give it us he will be like that for the rest of the airport time and on the plane, so he simply changed his mind and handed it back to us. So there is definitely leeway, god knows what happens to all those half used cosmetics though.
They also tried to take some teething gell off us until I pointed out my screaming 2 year old and said that if they dont give it us he will be like that for the rest of the airport time and on the plane, so he simply changed his mind and handed it back to us. So there is definitely leeway, god knows what happens to all those half used cosmetics though.
I also wondered what happens to the stuff they take away. Who's to say that the security staff member doesn't just trouser them? Ooh look a 3/4 full bottle of Davidoff, that'll do nicely. Unless you're the poor sap who paid 35 quid for it
Mar 7th 2007, 8:04 am
#30
What's happening dudes?
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2004
Location: Bayside Brisbane
Posts: 20,647