So, Gatwick. I checked-in on the second leg of my journey home from Barcelona.
“Do you have any hand luggage?” the rather surly check-in person asked me.
“I do. These two bags.”
“You’re only allowed one.”
“It’s fine, the other one has duty-free in it.”
“It doesn’t look like duty-free.”
“I can assure you it is. Would you like to see it?”
“That’s not allowed through security”
“Yes it is, as long as it’s in a sealed bag, has a receipt and was purchased in the last 24 hours.”
“I’m not sure about that. How much do you have? More than 100mls?”
“I certainly hope so!”
“Well you won’t get it past security.”
“I think I will.”
“You won’t. And now you’re being rude so take your bag off the belt and move to the side”
“Why?”
“Because you’re not getting on the plane. You are being rude to me. I’m going to get someone down to deal with you. NOW GET THE BAG OFF THE BELT AND MOVE TO THE SIDE.”
My capitals because she was now shouting at me.
I decided to get a supervisor by this point since I wasn’t waiting to be clapped in irons or be on the receiving end of a swift caning.
Supervisor arrived and I tried to explain that disagreeing with a member of staff is not the same as being rude, especially as I was in the right, as the nice security guard confirmed five minutes later when he said “Good, all in a sealed bag with a receipt. On you go.”
When I got through security I noticed a sign that said abusive behaviour towards staff was unacceptable. And it is. What about abusive behaviour towards customers?
