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It all starts with water
The woman felt the need to warn me! “This is not a normal procedure, next time have your boarding pass with you.” I'm appalled. I need to be scolded like a child who has done wrong for buying water without a boarding pass! As if it's not enough that I am forced to donate a wad of cash to these “licensed bandits” as someone called them, that I am made to pay ten times more for something worth 15 cents! They have to register.: Who bought what.
What surprises me more is how people just see these things as “soo" normal. Their complacency. I'm appalled yet some more knowing that most people will be shrugging their shoulders and saying “Aaah, so what? You're exaggerating too much,” if I tell them what happened. The incident goes like this: We were thirsty. (But we were thirsty at the airport. That was our mistake.) There was no dispenser to buy it from. I turned my head towards the cash of the cafe in front of our gate, only to see there was a huuge line. It would take ages for me to buy water as it was lunch time and people were ordering food. So I decided to find another shop further ahead. I strolled in brisk steps, looking around. Finally, I found a place selling water. I picked up two bottles and headed for the cash. There was nobody in line. The woman asked for my boarding pass. I said I left it with my husband at the gate and it was far to go back. The woman didn't offer to let me buy water anyway; she just turned her attention to the young Asian girl who had approached to buy a couple of snacks. The girl had her boarding pass. I had the exact amount of change for the water; so I asked the girl if she could buy the water for me, that I'd be paying her. The girl did not understand it much but said okay. Still, the cashier didn't take the water bottles I held out to her, she just attended the girl. I waited. The girl paid her bill, but didn't walk out. She was handling her bags. I repeated my request if she could lend me her boarding pass to buy water. She did. I handed it to the other cashier as the first one had simply ignored me and gone on to attend another customer. This cashier did it, sold me water. Without my own boarding pass! But as I said, scolding me and teaching me the lesson that I need to carry my boarding pass with me like a good girl. I want to shout “COME TO YOUR SENSES!” at the top of my lungs. It's not even alcohol, id est something that you are limited to buy at a duty-free. Besides, I had done even that favor to someone. Some guy whom I did not know. He was buying bottles and bottles of alcohol in front of me and the cashier said he exceeded his limit. I offered that he could put it on my boarding pass if he wished. Oh what a big crime I've committed. I admit and I repent. Do to me what you will; I am ready to take up my punishment. Is it a scolding like “Don't do it next time.”? I'd say you'd better come up with a good deterrent 'cause otherwise, I'm sorry, I guess I'd be doing it again. I want to scream “Come to your senses!” at the top of my lungs. Read the rest here |
On the shelf
This is the first chapter of a book called "Security?" in which I collected a number of thoughts and real stories to highlight the fallacies of the system we are forced to live in. If you feel like reading more of my writings on this topic, you are welcome to download it from this page at the simple cost of a good action. 
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