One hour and fourty five minutes before takeoff and I’m sitting in the departure lounge, terminal 3 Heathrow airport. We have checked in, offloaded the suitcases and passed through the security barrier. Anything metallic had to be removed and placed on a tray. Including my belt.
Security is understandably tight, especially with the ever present threat from Islamic fundamentalists, but I could help but feel that in some cases the airport security was perhaps a bit over zealous.
A criminally cute young blonde girl about 7 years of age, was made to walk through the barrier several times before the offending metallic item was identified. Now it doesn’t need a forensics profiler to point out that blonde seven year old girls are a low risk group as far as being members of Al Qaida.
Or am I mistaken, perhaps Bin Ladens new ploy is to recruit young blonde girls in his quest for world Islamic domination. I digress, but you get my point!
All around me is a cacophony of people. Some sitting down, Heads immersed in books. Others, like myself, tapping away on laptop keyboards, some just sitting, counting down the minutes to when they board. A sea of transient individuals. Each embarking on their own personal adventures and yet, for a fleeting moment in time, all joined together with one common goal. To get on that damn plane as fast as possible!!
To my left and right, to my front and rear, the shops are bulging with people. Harrods, Starbucks, Boots, HMV, only the big boys allowed to open up here me thinks. Prime retail territory! Prime retail profits.
To my right is a suited chap who appears totally engrossed in the book he is reading. I glance at the cover and all of a sudden alarm bells start ringing.
The book is called the God Delusion and is written by Richard Dawkin an Evolutionary Biologist and Oxford professor. Basically the book is a critique of Religion and has been on the New York Times best seller list for many months. I had planned to buy and read during my Holiday, but as is the case with most things I totally forgot.
Still, I should have some time left to find a book shop.
Untill next time , over and out.
Very amusing indeed , Osama is as we write probably cloning an army of 7 year old blond girl automatons comlete with bomb belt and grenade launcher accessorys. Anyway hows the holiday going?
Jason