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Returned safely, I have the pleasure to talk to you about my trip to Brussels which was far less comfortable than expected. It started with a security check queue that was threatening to reach beyond customs. After queueing for half an hour and a hectoliter of liquids picked out of hand luggages in front of me later I ended up in a full airplane with a Ms unknown and a baby, insisting on a business seat (she had booked economy) because she had a baby with her. The Swiss crew was resistant and wanted to place her somewhere in the back where there were (miracle!) two seats empty. She did not want to walk back there, hence she looked at me and urged me to move back. Talking about her never flying Swiss again and that she paid 600 Francs for the ticket and that for this price she and her BABY! deserve a first class seat….(my ticket was 1380!) and I constantly wanted to ask her how she managed to get such a cheap ticket…but no chance!
The airplane was already 30 minutes late by then, because many travellers did not make it into it due to the security check. Hence…they had to find and unload the bagagges of these poor fellows again. I was sitting right in front right at the border between the beautifull and wealthy (Business) and the grey sheep (economy, I love sheep!): Stubborn I showed my foot (the broken one), pretended to feel miserable and with 1001 bad words the lady and her peaceful baby went to the back of the airplane. The baby had probably 10 valium in the morning milk. It was sleeping the entire flight.
When we landed we could not dock, because the docking mechanism was broken and the airplane stood for another half an hour 10 meters next to the docking tunnel thing.

Finally (miracle again…the docking mechanism worked again) I hobbled out, realized we docked at the far end of terminal B, which is closer to the sea than to the exit, and I sneaked towards customs and the taxi stand where the entire Commission and half of India, a quarter of Poland and the entire working population of Brussels seemed to wait for a taxi. The queue was gigantic, and moving slowly, but after another 30 minutes I catched my taxi to a grey meeting building and a meeting that fitted the building. Well…be it.
On my way back I had to deal with the cab driver not accepting credit cards (I had no time to change my Swiss Francs….), trying to persuade him that Swiss Francs are good, Euro is bad and that I am an honest man… and collapsed on a seat somewhere in a terminal, when suddenly Ms  Musk , basically undiluted but pumped up with some salicylates sat next to me. Amazing. Musk, musk and more musk. She was on her way to Warshaw. Still dizzy and shaking I entered the plane, just to meet Ms unknown and her baby again, fighting with the crew because she wanted a business class seat. Because she was travelling with a BABY!
She had to move-after 5 minutes of arguing and threats never to fly Swiss again- to a seat back in the plane, finally, and our eyes met for a glimpse of a second. I think she hated me, thoroughly. I sat again in row 4 (economy). The baby was still sleeping.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 16th, 2007 at 9:25 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. Your comment is highly welcome, please join the discussion!