Before COVID struck, I never once excluded Spain from my travels. There has always been something incredible about my time there. But now, with the advent of honorable COVID-19, things are no longer the same. Bin Laden’s legacy and COVID-19’s trauma have changed the traveling world, and caused many things to fall apart!
The Traveling Industry Succumbs to Insecurity & COVID
Bin Laden’s legacy and COVID-19 have made our lives more miserable. Through the years, our airports have become theaters of madness, and our societies breeding grounds for suspicion and rejection.
Our flights are plagued with unruly behavior as a result of COVID and insecurity in today’s world. Our poor air hostesses have been forced to learn martial arts because of the constant assaults they receive from unruly passengers. Yes, Martial Arts! Caused by the combined effects of insecurity and COVID-19 which have kept some people in complete bondage. If this hostile situation forces air hostesses to take up martial arts, I wonder if mass resignations will not follow. After all, air hostesses came to look for a job, and not for a fight. All thanks to the poisonous atmosphere of Bin Ladin’s legacy and COVID-19.
The Madness of the COVID Test
On this particular trip to Spain, and because of COVID measures and restrictions, after my research, I followed every requirement. The Spanish ministry of health as well as United Airlines required me to complete a few forms online. The return to the US was not completely clear though. Why should we take the COVID test at the Spanish government’s request? Except that the Spanish administration intended to make some quick money out of it?
Or would it be the US government might have asked them to do so? This would have made more sense, as we were coming back home. But it didn’t make any sense to me if ordered by the Spanish government. The quick test costs 25 euros, but the PCR costs more and takes a longer time.
Traveling Insecurity Has Worsening Our Once Wonderful Flying Experiences
A COVID appointment would have been scheduled once in Madrid if I knew the test would be needed going home. I would have made sure the time slot covered the 72 hours period exactly. And not earlier or later than the departure date. Two or three days later to departure, I realized that I still needed the test since my departure date was August 11.
Now eager and jittery to get the test done, by all means, I started making phone calls. And this was already a Saturday and I had to leave the Wednesday. (For those of you who know Spaniards with their work ethics—a weekend means no hope for things like this).
Everywhere I called to make an appointment, most of them were on voicemail, and the few who answered the phone had the time slot fully booked over August 19. It made me worried because it would mean more hotels lodging, rescheduling of flights, etc. So, I decided to seek assistance from the front desk after numerous unsuccessful phone calls.
That was a blessing from heaven because this was already a Monday morning. The lady was more than pleased to give me the address of the clinic/doctor’s office where she had been referring other hotels’ customers. Luckily for us, the clinic was able to serve both those with and without appointments. Despite the long queue, I got my test and a backup certified document within a few hours. My trip now felt reassuring and I was happy. The COVID-19 at work!
How Security Officers’ Negligence Nearly Cost Me My flight
What a horrendous experience I had at the Barajas airport. The next morning, on the day of my flight, I arrived at the airport three hours early (a characteristic of traveling to the United States).
After reaching the airport three hours before the boarding time, I got my boarding pass. The next step was to pass the security check (with all the “take this, take that off”). I Succeeded in getting in and sat for some other three hours as the flight was delayed. In waiting for my group to board, of course, Group 4 (we in this group had ample time to wait for other groups to board first).
Right when I joined the queue, a selected group was being asked to go through another security check. I had been told earlier that I would do a double security check, so that was not a problem. The problem revolves around the so-called security officers who came to work very late. And I observed that in my group they were asking every one of us if we spoke Spanish! Evidently, all of us did speak Spanish, the reason for that was completely unknown and weird.
By this time, all electronic gadgets were brought out and searched one-by-one. I heard the only lady among them saying, “No one would board that plane if they hadn’t completed their security checks.,” She had forgotten that they came late and that further delayed the flight taking-off. It’s advised that travelers to Europe, especially Spain, make early arrangements for their COVID tests. That early preparation would avoid the unexpected headache, expenses, and possibly being unable to fly on time.
A retrospect view reveals how Bind Linden’s insecurity legacy and COVID trauma on us have rendered the world a theatre of suspicion, and rejection. Unfortunately, the two evil elements, now an ally in themselves have succeeded in making our lives more miserable than decades ago.The madness about the COVID-19 test, and huge investments in security even in nations that can hardly feed their people, show the damage these twin brothers have caused us.