Breakfast as the sun came up, it felt cooler this morning – the weather forecast for the day was almost 10 degrees less than the previous, hot, day – just 24 degrees forecast.
As we left the accommodation by car, we saw the local area for the last time – unfinished buildings, scrub land, rubbish piles and the mosques from where the 5 times a day calls had emanated.
An easy drive to the airport with Abdul, who explained it might be a bit busy in places as it was rush-hour. We were unconvinced by the volume of traffic being anything other than quiet compared to home!
Arrival at the airport, tip paid, and we headed into the terminal. Check number one, all bags were x-rayed and we went through a metal detector. The operator was very interested in our bag filled with cameras, cables, a laptop and other electronics…..emptied for him to look through, he asked if we had a drone. No drone. He seemed disappointed.
Despite being checked in with boarding passes in hand, we still had to go to the check-in desk to have our boarding passes stamped with a security marking. Check number two. These in hand we headed to the usual x-ray security checks – but to get in to the main security area we had to have our papers checked again – check number three. At main security we had the same question about drones after they scanned our bags, and another disappointed police man. Check number four done we left the x-ray area and went to border control. Check number five was again quite tense, with the policeman in the booth analysing our details individually – no family groups allowed here, it’s one person at a time. We then left the security hall, to be funnelled into another queue, where a single police officer checked everyone’s passport and boarding card had been stamped – we think check number six was to ensure all of the previous checks had been done correctly. Then into departures, we found the gate and sat down. Fifteen minutes later, we were ousted from our seats by an airport worker cordoning the gate and seating off. Everyone was ushered out of this zone, only to have their papers checked again, to be allowed into the same area, where we sat in the same seats. Some lucky passengers had not only this check, number seven, but also got sent to another area where they were doing drugs/explosives wipes on passports and electronics. Check number eight.
However, it’s fair to say most of the eight checks seemed cursory. Guards were not always watching their x-ray screens, and they didn’t seem too interested in what was in our bags when they looked inside.
Onto the plane, and a final view over the city before a quick and painless disembarkation at Manchester, wasted security fast-pass purchase as it was empty, and a walk back to the car for the drive home.
