What A Bunch Of Whingers!
10 08 2006After an unprecedented terror alert, all UK airports were blanketed today with the tightest security we have ever seen or even heard of. Flights to the UK, and to the US from the UK were either delayed or cancelled, after UK anti-terrorist police foiled a plot to blow up aeroplanes by way of devices smuggled on to plane in hand luggage. All but essential items are banned as hand luggage, with people having to check it in, and take the bare minimum in clear plastic bags to board the plane. O.K. so this is not what travellers are used to or even expect. The ban even applies to crew! And the terror alert level in the UK is at “critical” meaning an attack is expected.
Given the chaos that ensued, most travellers were just relieved they are alive and in one piece even though their travel plans, along with their flights, have been severely disrupted or even ruined. People co-operated, understanding that this is a far from ordinary situation. Considering my husband and I had been talking of travelling to England to visit family in the next few weeks, we are only too happy to put that idea on hold for the meantime. And I was there a month ago if we have to wait we will. It seems, however, that there are always some who simply have to whinge about a situation no matter how relatively unimportant it is. It is usually all about them and how their plans have been ruined.
Reading through some of the travellers’ comments on the BBC web site today I shook my head. They are by no means the majority of the comments people made, but just the fact that we have them in a situation like this is pretty telling. At least I’m not the only one who thought so. Some people really do need to get a grip.
Here’s a light sample of the comments:
“My holiday is ruined!”
“There won’t be in-flight entertainment for my 3 year old”
“Aren’t the authorities over-reacting?”
“I can’t take my walkman on board”
“I was meant to go on holiday today”
“I was meant to fly to (name of place) today, now it’s ruined!”
“I had to queue for ages in the airport”
“I’m a chauffeur and I’m losing business. I hope someone is going to re-imburse me…”
“I couldn’t get through to my airline… they could have given us more info…”
“My flight’s delayed…”
“Who’s making money from this?”
“I can’t take my lap-top on board.”
“I’ve been so inconvenienced”
WHO CARES? You’re ALIVE aren’t you??
I’m with you. Like you I was astonished at what I heard on the radio and the tube. How could placing your shampoo, hand lotion, cell phone and gamboy in your luggage rather than in a carry-on bag be so “upsetting”. Cripes! There sure are a lot of folks out there fully prepared to sweat the small stuff. The inconvenience (if any at all) was minor but people were carrying on …and on …and on. The benefit was LIFE. I surely hope that I don’t get these types in my local emergency preparedness group because they will be nothing but a burden on those of us who are possessed of common sense, and ready to take the required precautions.
And you missed the:
“I’ve paid £30 in car parking whilst I’ve been in this queue trying to sort this out. It’s not my fault so who is going to compensate me for it?”
@Yogi - I did indeed. It should probably be at the top of the list for most stupid thing to whinge about in the current situation. Thanks for adding it!