In Middle east schools are having summer vacation during July and August. However academic year ends in March. And fresh class starts from April. The regular classes of Abhiman ended on 15th March and next class was to start on 10th April. Since we have got approximately 25 days I planned to avail my annual vacation during March. I requested my boss to approve my annual leave plan. As the process of leave approval and ticket booking went on as expected, we have packed up our bags and scheduled the travel through jet airways on 15th March. The travel path was Doha-Mumbai and Mumbai to Mangalore. I had to take the domestic flight from Mumbai to Mangalore.
At the last moment at Qatar Airport, I have purchased 3 bottles of "Amratha" for my friends in India. Since it is purchased in dutyfree we can normally carry on the plastic bags issued by the shoppers. I was carrying it as a trophy while boarding the international flight from Doha to Mumbai. In Qatar there was no trouble in the security inspection or on board the flight. After 3 and half an hour journey we reached Mumbai. Since we need to catch the domestic flight at Mumbai, we had to collect all our luggage from international flight and carry ourselves to the Jet airways counter in the Mumbai Airport. So we had collected our bags and I put all the luggages for onward transportation to Mangalore at Jet Airways counter. However the alchohol bottles in Dutyfree bags were still with me. I thought since there was no trouble in International flight carrying in the domestic flights should not be a hassle. But it turned out to be contrary.
After waiting for approximately 3 hours - security checking for domestic flight started. While checked hand baggages the security personnel at Domestic check-in place objected me carrying alchohol bottles in hand luggage. I told him that we are travelling from a international location, since it was allowed there domestic airways should allow this. For this the police informed me that as per domestic flight rules a person is allowed to carry a maximum of half litre water only. No beverages and no alcohol. Since I spent approx INR 6k on these bottles I was also not interested to throw them to the dustbin. Then I requested the police to suggest some ways to carry it. Then he suggested me to put in any one handbag and give the Jet airways as additional luggage.
This idea sounded good for me. Then I took a handbag and put inside the "trophy" I was carrying and sent to carry it for luggage. While I came back I noticed face of my home minister. She has got a pale face with lot of tension. I asked her what happened? She told me jewellery is in that bag. I also got little tense, since it dont had any lock and also we dont have any list of items what it contained.
For another two and half hours I was praying the God to get the bag in safe condition. Finally we reached Mangalore, first thing I have done was collecting the hand bag. After getting the handbag I asked Smitha to check it thoroughly to confirm all the things are in order. She checked it to be in order and I was a tension free man once the bag was ok.
I got three Lessons from this incident:
1. Laws for domestic and international flights are not same, domestic flights have more stronger rules if you are travelling through Mumbai.
2.Alcohol is not allowed in handbags in domestic flights and if you are little dumb security guys in airport will squeeze you too much
3.Dont take any decisions in a hurry.
ಇದಕ್ಕೆ ಸಬ್ಸ್ಕ್ರೈಬ್ ಆಗಿ:
ಕಾಮೆಂಟ್ಗಳನ್ನು ಪೋಸ್ಟ್ ಮಾಡಿ (Atom)
ಕಾಮೆಂಟ್ಗಳಿಲ್ಲ:
ಕಾಮೆಂಟ್ ಪೋಸ್ಟ್ ಮಾಡಿ