Coming back to PNG through Australia, a security man stopped me and did
something never before done.
He swabbed me. A piece of thin gauze on a stick, patted all over my
clothing, then dropped the swab into a machine which then scanned for
explosive residue.
I was sitting there thinking 'oh great, what did I do this morning that
may register as residue? I wonder if using carbon paper will qualify,
what did I eat?'
Before I could get too upset, the machine beeped and he ushered me on.
So I went to google this new procedure. The guy looked much less like a
security guard and much more like a computer geek. So I was wondering
if it was an experimental procedure... or if he was there temporarily
because of some threat I didn't know about.
So I googled it and found all kinds of stories of people being rejected
from their flight because of hair conditioner, and all sorts of other
non-explosive things.
Firing a pistol the day before can set it off. (soldiers beware)
hand lotion, fertilizing your lawn, stump remover (anything with
nitrates), one guy said hair conditioner made him come up positive.
Still I was glad I wasn't strip searched.
Flying is becoming harder and harder to do these days. Someone needs to
build a bridge over the Pacific so I can take the train (-;
