Terrorist plots

[raven]

Jesus. If Easyjet had not buggered up my plans, I would have been flying back into Heathrow today. Or not, as it happens. By all accounts I would have been stranded in Berlin today. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, queues of 500 metres! Queueing for half a kilometre - it boggles the mind. BBC News 24 has been giving us wide-angle shots of Manchester, showing people in the aforementioned queues with everything in clear plastic bags and women with screaming babies being forced to taste their own milk. It is not nice. But the thought of nine aircraft being blown up is not nice either. I'm quite surprised that no one on my flist has been talking about it yet.

I'm worried about my own plans, a little, but not as much as I'm worried about Pedar's - he's going to India this week, for such a short time that if he's delayed more than twenty-four hours it's no longer worth his going - and Scary American Cousin's, who's going home this week and I think Heathrow to New York is one of the flights that was supposed to be blown up. (I can't find an online reference to this, but it was just mentioned on the BBC television news.)

While I'm here, though, here we have John Reid looking serious and bald, and talking about the UK's terror threat level. (I have reservations about the "terror threat level"; it seems to be just an attempt to ape the Americans, because what, exactly, does it achieve? I rather believe that the correct measures would be taken by the appropriate authorities with or without a metereological terror prediction, and can you really say it offers any benefit to the general population? Sorry, Tony, can't come into work today, terror threat too high? Huh.) In addition, you know they're taking things seriously when the Opposition leader can't praise the government enough. Although not so seriously that Tony Blair isn't in the Caribbean sunning himself. Apparently I am not the only person in the country being resolutely strung along by her elected representative.

In the meantime, I am sitting here with the television on because I want to hear what they have to say over at the good old Department of Homeland Security. I remember writing last year how irritating I found them after the attacks on July 7th, but it's only half seven in the morning over there so we shall see.

I have to fly to New York in two weeks, but I suppose things will be back to normal then. None of this, however, stops me being pissed off at Easyjet. Bastards. What if I wanted to be stranded in an airport for hours and hours, huh? I like airports. This may make me unique among humanity, I know. But I do. And in all seriousness, they treated me pretty damn shabbily and terrorist attacks do not change this fact.

(You know, this is why I would suck at writing a real blog. I can't write intelligent commentary, I end up babbling.)

Enough babble for now. I almost wish I had to go into work today - I'm not because of my stupid buggered-up travel plans - rather than sitting here trawling through the various news sites.

Comments

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

*laughs* Gatwick is not my favourite place in the world, it must be said. I like Heathrow, though. I like most airports! You're right; all of this ruins how much fun travelling by air is.

I'll be passing through customs at JFK - fun, fun - but my connecting flight is to Chicago. I'm visiting family and meeting fannish friends, which really should be fun.

[casirafics.livejournal.com]

Gatwick is not my favourite place in the world, it must be said. I like Heathrow, though. I like most airports!

Meanwhile, every European airport I've ever been in has made me a nervous wreck, because what is up with not knowing what gate your plane is going to be at until it arrives? Seriously? On domestic flights over here, you know in advance, and aren't stuck staring at an arrivals board for half an hour, then making a mad dash down the concourse before the plane takes off without you. :)

[casirafics.livejournal.com]

(and clip out the word "domestic" from the above paragraph, because it applies to international too, at least on our end. but anyway. am tired and babbling. :)