View off the coast of Queensland, Australia
“And that too…” she nodded at my jeans.
“My jeans too? But there’s nothing vaguely resembling any weapon down there….unless…hmmm…”
“Not your jeans! Your belt you dimwit!”
Ok i made that up.
Thanks to Al Qaeda, going through airport security, together with Economy seats and cold sandwiches, has become part of the torture of air travel for me.
But there are ways to make the journey less painful. These are some which worked for me:
1. Before you go through the airport security, remove any watch made of metal, belt, coins and keys (from your pockets) and dump them in your carry-on luggage. To save yourself from dancing in front of the X-ray machine, it’s best to remove these things prior to leaving for the airport.
2. Do wear a round-neck T-shirt. Now this is entirely personal because any shirt with a collar becomes uncomfortable for me in a long flight.
3. Do bring a jacket (preferably those with pockets) onboard as it can get very cold, especially if you follow advice #2. I use a North Face Redpoint jacket – the collar’s soft and made of Nylon.
4. Do keep your lip balm in your pocket. It’s dry up there.
5. Do keep a set of ear plugs in your pocket. It helps you sleep better.
6. Do carry a pocket size (~<50ml) hand sanitizer in your jacket / pocket and use it often. This is especially important with the H1N1 pandemic.
7. For the same reason as #6, bring a couple of disposable face masks. I hesitate to recommend wearing these onboard though. Personally i find N95 masks or anything similar too hot and uncomfortable for any long (>2hr) flights even though those thin, 2-ply masks are endurable.
Seriously, i think face masks should be worn by those who aren’t well (and should have stayed at home in the first place!) and people who are prone to sneezing fits onboard a plane (you know who you are).
8. Do keep a pen in your jacket. You never know when you need to fill in some forms or jot down some revelations. For the latter, it’s a good idea to bring a note-pad small enough to fit the pocket of your jacket.
9. Do loosen your shoe laces prior to boarding the plane. This way you can slip your shoes off once you’re airborne.
10. If you plan on following #9, make sure you wear clean socks. Do it even if you don’t plan to follow #9.
11. And finally, do bring some mints or breath fresheners onboard. Don’t murder the first person to speak to you after a 12-hr flight.
